Local · Trusted · Free
The Morning Impact — your neighborhood's most important stories, delivered every morning.
Frisco City Council will no longer allow general public comments unless it relates to an agenda item.
The removal of the citizen input section of Frisco’s agenda was announced during a June 2 City Council meeting.
“Normally we have citizen input on the agenda that allows people to speak on non-agenda items; we do not have that on our agenda this evening nor will we have it on our agendas for the foreseeable future,” Mayor Jeff Cheney said.
What it means
The public can speak during the council meetings in regards to a specific agenda item. The general public comment portion will no longer be listed on the agenda indefinitely, Cheney said June 2.
“We have been hearing from our residents overwhelmingly they want the business of the city of Frisco to come back and the decorum in council chambers to come back,” he said. “Quite frankly it's moved beyond a First Amendment issue and has become a safety issue. We will return to civil discourse.”
Cheney said a new mayor will be elected June 13 and after that person takes office, the new council can discuss how to move forward with public comment.
Texas law guarantees members of the public an opportunity to address the council regarding items that are specifically posted on a meeting agenda, according to the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Frisco has in the past provided time during public meetings for residents to address the council on general community concerns or topics that are not on the agenda. This type of general public comment is not required by Texas, according to the Texas Open Meetings Act.
The Frisco City Charter authorizes council to establish procedures for meetings while ensuring citizens have a reasonable opportunity to be heard about matters under consideration, according to the city’s website.
The background
The conversation regarding public input has spanned months in Frisco. In recent months, Frisco City Council members tabled an item that would change the rules for public input.
The council did approve changes in regards to decorum during an April meeting. The newly approved changes to Frisco’s public speaking rules at council meetings include:
Council members are still considering additional changes, including:
One more thing
Residents can reach out directly to council members and city officials through email, phone and the MyFrisco app.
