As Austin City Council navigates through its new committee structure and 10-1 system of representation, some elected officials are discussing ways to streamline the committee process and make more effective use of public input opportunities. Council committees consider recommendations from city-appointed commissions and discuss specific policies in detail before recommending items for a vote of the full 11-member council.
Existing practice
- Members of the public may attend committee meetings and provide input. The amount of public comment time is uncapped during committee meetings.
- Members of the public may attend City Council meetings and provide input, with each speaker typically limited to 3 minutes. If the item has already been heard at the committee level, public comments are capped at 16 minutes on each side of the issue, with each speaker typically limited to 2 minutes.
- Public comment period is uncapped on items not previously heard at the committee level.
Proposed changes
On Jan. 19, the Council Transition Work Group discussed recommendations by District 4 Council Member Greg Casar to standardize the amount of public comment at committees and council meetings. Options discussed include:- Set a standard 1-hour limit on public comments for an item at the committee level.
- Set a limit of 2 hours of public comment for a council meeting item previously heard at committee
