Phoenix council moves public-comment period before regular meetings

After agreeing last month to televise the public-comment portion of its meetings, the Phoenix City Council has gone a step further, voting to hear public comments before the start of its regular-meeting agenda.

Known as the “citizen com- ment session,” speakers are generally given a few minutes at council meetings to talk about any issue of their choosing, from a neighbor’s overgrown trees to accusations of racial profiling.

Previously, the council heard public comments after its meetings adjourned. The city turned off its TV cameras, which broadcast meetings on PHX 11 and online, and it wasn’t uncommon for a few council members to leave before residents finished speaking.

The city made the changes in response to a petition filed by a group of residents who said holding the session at the end of the meeting showed city leaders don’t respect their input.

Council members voted Feb. 5 to move the publiccomment session to 2:45 p.m., 15 minutes before their regular Wednesday meeting time. However, the meeting still won’t technically start until 3 p.m., and a majority of the council isn’t required to be present.

But council gadflies who called for the changes aren’t happy with the outcome, saying council members should be required to show up for public comments.

Some council members were skeptical about having the comment session at the beginning of the 3 p.m. meeting, saying it could delay the council’s business for those there to hear agenda items.