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Community Backlash Prompts Changes to Public Comment ... Again

Community Backlash Prompts Changes to Public Comment ... Again
Over 50 residents made time to attend the July 15 city council meeting in person. An overwhelming majority was there to speak against desal brine dumps into the Inner Harbor and Baffin Bay, as well as the rezoning of the Hillcrest neighborhood into "heavy industrial." /Photo Credit: Isabel Araiza

By Beatz Alvarado
Highlights:

  • You can now ask questions during public comment at Corpus Christi City Council meetings!
  • There is now only one form to sign up for public comment.
  • The cutoff time for public comment sign-ups was extended from 10:30 a.m. on the day of the meeting to 4 p.m.
  • Residents can now comment on any agenda item or city-related topic at 5:30 p.m.
  • Meeting agendas will be posted on Wednesdays instead of Fridays.

Following a chaotic Corpus Christi City Council meeting July 15, which lasted until almost midnight, the council approved a second round of changes to the public comment process, according to a July 18 city news release.

The City announced the first set of changes on July 8. They moved public comment from noon to 5:30 p.m. and set a new cutoff time for sign-ups at 10:30 a.m. the day of the meeting, which shortened the sign-up window by one hour. The City also rolled out two new sign-up forms that separated general public comments from those only relevant to action items on the agenda.

Many residents expressed confusion over the changes during the July 15 meeting. Some did not use the right sign-up form and showed up for the meeting at the wrong time, while others were told they could not speak on action items discussed before 5:30 p.m. Ultimately, the City  made exceptions to the new rules to allow residents to speak.

The newest changes include:

  • Now there is only one form to sign up for public comment, which opens at 8 a.m. the day before a council meeting.
  • The cutoff time for public comment sign-ups was extended from 10:30 a.m. the day of the meeting to now 4 p.m.
  • Residents now can comment on any agenda item or city-related topic at 5:30 p.m., during the General Public Comment portion of the meeting.

The city announced other changes in the July 18 news release.

Speakers now can ask questions during public comment. In the past, many residents have been cut off mid-sentence by the city attorney when asking questions, even rhetorical ones. The city attorney has cited rules of decorum when doing this.

The City also announced that agendas will be posted on Wednesdays before the meeting, instead of Fridays.

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