RESOLUTION NO. 2025-30
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GONZALES
ESTABLISHING PUBLIC COMMENT TIME LIMITS
AND RELATED PROCEDURES
WHEREAS, pursuant to provisions of the Brown Act, the City must allow the public to engage with the Council at regular noticed public meetings by receiving public comment on both items on the agenda and on matters not on the agenda but within the Council’s jurisdiction during the “public comment” portion of the agenda; and
WHEREAS, in order to provide more flexibility in the administration of meeting process and decorum, the Council recently adopted Ordinance No. 2024-147 which removed the previous three (3)-minute speaker’s public comment time limit from the City Code and instead added language that time limits would be set by resolution; and WHEREAS, Staff has now prepared a policy concerning new time limits and related procedures for public speakers for the Council’s consideration and approval.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Gonzales that the new “Public Comment Time Limits and Related Procedures Policy,” a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and by this reference incorporated herein, is hereby approved and adopted.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Gonzales at a regular meeting duly held on the 2nd day of June 2025, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Jose L. Rios, The Honorable Mayor
ATTEST:
Mary Villegas, Deputy City Clerk
EXHIBIT A
CITY COUNCIL POLICY
PUBLIC COMMENT TIME LIMITS AND RELATED PROCEDURES
In order to facilitate the orderly receipt of public comment at regular noticed meetings of the Gonzales City Council, the following provisions and procedures have been adopted and will remain in full force and effect until modified:
1. Persons present at meetings of the City Council may comment on individual items on the agenda at the time such items are scheduled to be heard. During regular City Council meetings, comments may be offered on items not on the agenda under that portion of the agenda identified for public comment. Comment may also be made virtually, subject to the same limits and procedures set forth in this policy, or submitted in writing prior to a meeting.
2. The time limit for speakers shall be between 1-2 minutes, depending on the number of speakers. If there are five (5) or fewer speakers on any agenda item, including general public comment on items not on the agenda, the limit for each speaker’s comment shall be two (2) minutes. For agenda items where there are an excess of five (5) speakers, the Mayor may, in his/her discretion, limit the time for each speaker to no less than one (1) minute. Speakers are not allowed to delegate their time to another speaker. The Mayor may limit the total time spent on an item and may continue the item, with the approval of the majority of the Council, to a future meeting at his/her discretion.
3. Upon addressing the Council, each speaker is requested but not required to first state his/her name and the city of residence. While this information helps facilitate the preparation of accurate meeting minutes, provision of the same shall not be a prerequisite to public comment.
4. A Councilmember may ask questions of persons addressing the Council.
5. The Mayor has the right to ask a member of the public to step down if comments are in violation of the Gonzales City Council Public Meeting Decorum Policy. Examples would be a comments in excess of allotted time or comments that disrupt, disturb or otherwise impede the orderly conduct of the meeting.
6. This policy shall also apply to all public meetings conducted by other City boards and commissions, with implementation authority vested in the chairpersons/presidents of such entities.