How Citizen Comments Have Changed & A Call to Action
Citizen Comments: What Changed, Why It Matters, and Why We’re Asking for Action
By Karla Powers
At every City Council, County Commissioner, and PPLD Board of Trustees public meeting, time is set aside for members of the public to speak. This is typically called Citizen Comments or Citizen Discussion.
What the City Council Changed
Until early 2025, City Council held Citizen Comments near the beginning of meetings, usually between 9:20–10:00 a.m., before new business.
After Lynette Crow-Iverson became Council President in January 2025, Citizen Comments were moved to the end of the agenda, and remote participation was limited to those with ADA accommodations. This means residents may now speak anytime between 10:30 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., depending on the agenda.
Council called this a six-month experiment and committed to revoting on it after evaluating how the change was working.
Six Months Later: No Vote
It has now been more than six months. Although Councilmember Sam Friedman released data on public participation (see below), no vote has appeared on recent agendas or in the minutes.
Impact on Public Participation
The unpredictability of when someone might speak has made participation far more difficult:
Unreliable timing: With no set speaking time, residents often guess wrong, arrive late, pay to park, and miss their opportunity to speak.
Caregiver barriers: Waiting hours with young children or dependent adults is not workable, and bringing them to long meetings is difficult for both the caregiver and other attendees.
Illness dilemma: People who are sick must choose between staying home (and losing their chance to speak) or attending while potentially contagious.
School-year conflicts: Midday pickups and afternoon schedules make late-day comments nearly impossible for many parents and caregivers.
Late-night speaking: It is discouraging to speak at the very end of long, emotionally draining meetings when everyone—including Council—is exhausted.
A Councilmember Has Already Requested a Vote
At the November 24 Council work session, Councilmember Dave Donelson asked that Council revisit and vote on this issue as originally planned and restore Citizen Comments to an earlier, more predictable time.
(See this link to meeting video: scroll to Agenda Item #10 at ~1:49:40.)
To date, no vote has occurred, and the issue has not appeared on an agenda where residents can speak to it. The only way to communicate concerns is by emailing or calling Council.
Our Recommendations
Limit Citizen Comments to one hour, ensuring time for varied topics. If many speakers appear for a single issue, consider limiting to 10 speakers per topic so all issues can be addressed.
Set Citizen Comments as a fixed agenda item with a consistent daily time, preferably from 9:30–10:30 a.m. This would give residents a predictable window and allow Council to plan the rest of the day with certainty.
If comments end early, Council and staff can use the remaining time productively—for correspondence, personal needs, or internal discussion.
Recognize who is currently able to participate.
With the current system, those who can change their schedules (seniors, disabled residents, the independently wealthy, or flexible salaried workers) are the ones most able to speak. Hourly workers and caregivers are all but excluded.Remember that quarterly opportunities are not enough.
If residents had only been able to speak quarterly last year, we wouldn’t have known about Rockrimmon Library’s closure until it was already too late.Value everyone’s time.
Comments suggesting city employees’ time is more valuable than residents’ time undermine public trust. Pay level does not determine civic worth.Don’t force impossible choices.
A sick person shouldn’t have to choose between speaking or risking others’ health.
A caregiver shouldn’t have to choose between essential care and their right to address elected officials.
