Council Rejects Limit on Public Comment

The City Council backed away this week from imposing a 45-minute limit on the public comment portion of twice-monthly council meetings.

This decision also applies to sessions of the Brea Redevelopment Agency and the city’s Public Financing Authority.

Residents have been critical of a time limit and have called it a “gag rule” and an infringement on their First Amendment right of free speech.

City Manager Frank Benest has maintained that limiting the time devoted to public comment would allow the council and other municipal bodies to conduct business more effectively.

Council sessions have lasted late into the night as residents voice opinions, often about the 50-acre downtown redevelopment project. Each speaker is limited to a five-minute presentation, but there is no restriction on the overall duration of public comment.

Although the council has rejected time limits, it may start requiring speakers to fill out a card stating their name, address and discussion topic. That idea is on the agenda for the July 5 council meeting.

Use of the cards would apparently put a stop to “serial speakers” who each deliver a five-minute segment of a coordinated presentation. At a recent council meeting, a series of seven speakers read material for at least 35 minutes, the city manager pointed out.