City Council Agenda Report
TO: Mayor Clauzel and Members of the City Council
FROM: Fernando Ulloa, City Manager
BY: Aracely Alegre, City Clerk
MEETING DATE: March 4, 2025
ITEM NO: 6.1
SUBJECT: Adopt Resolution No. 2025-11 approving an amendment to Resolution No. 92-25, reducing the individual public comment time limit from five (5) minutes to three (3) minutes per speaker.
RECOMMENDATION
Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 2025-11 approving an amendment to Resolution No. 92-25, reducing the individual public comment time limit from five (5) minutes to three (3) minutes per speaker.
BACKGROUND
City Councils and other legislative bodies of local government agencies exist to conduct City business. City Council meetings serve as the primary mechanism by which the public can observe the deliberations and decisions of the City Council. These open meetings also provide an opportunity for the public to engage the City Council through the Public Comments portion of the meeting to make requests, provide input, and generally participate in the City's business.
City Council meetings are governed by the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act), which establishes the public’s right to:
• Receive public notices in advance of meetings,
• Access meeting agendas informing the public of the items being considered, • Review materials associated with agendized items that are provided to the City Council, • Participate in time set aside for public comments, and • Observe all City Council votes, except in specific closed session matters.
While the Brown Act establishes the public’s rights and the general framework for City Council meetings, legislative bodies may adopt reasonable meeting standards and regulations on public testimony and the conduct of public meetings to facilitate the handling of the City's business.
Resolution No. 92-25, adopted on April 21, 1992, established policies for public participation in City Council meetings, including a five-minute per-speaker time limit for public comment.
ANALYSIS
The City of Patterson values public participation and encourages residents to provide input on matters affecting the community. The City also recognizes the need to balance public engagement with the effective and efficient conduct of City Council meetings, as well as meetings of City commissions, boards, and other advisory bodies.
In addition to in-person public comments, the City has recently implemented virtual public comment options, significantly increasing public participation by making it more convenient for individuals who may have scheduling conflicts, mobility limitations, or other barriers to attending meetings in person. Given this increase in participation, managing public comment time efficiently is even more crucial to ensuring meetings remain productive and accessible to all participants.
To evaluate best practices, the City Clerk conducted a survey of cities across California to determine their public comment time limits. The results showed that the majority of cities have adopted a three-minute limit per speaker, aligning with the recommended change to improve meeting efficiency while maintaining meaningful public engagement.
Based on the survey findings:
• The proposed reduction to three minutes aligns with the public comment limits in most California cities.
• Reducing the time limit will provide more opportunities for speakers while ensuring meetings remain efficient.
• The presiding officer will still retain discretion, as outlined in Resolution No. 92-25, to adjust public comment duration based on meeting circumstances.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no budget impact associated with this item.
ATTACHMENTS:
. Resolution No. 2025-11
. Survey