The council this week permanently put public comment before the approval of the agenda and before items are removed from the Consent Calendar for individual consideration. Technically, the council amended one of the council’s policies: “Council Rules of Procedure”.
This was a Consent Calendar Item. The council votes on consent items as a group, without discussion, unless individual items are pulled for separate consideration. Nothing was pulled from this week’s Consent Calendar.
“At the September 11, 2023, Council meeting, Councilmember [Lisa] Landau requested that staff agendize a discussion item for the Council to consider revising the Meeting of the City Council Agenda (“Agenda”) format to hear Oral Communications prior to Approval of the Agenda,” according to the staff report by City Clerk Gloria Harper. The council discussed the issue on Oct. 9. (For details, see “Seal Beach City Council to approve agendas after the public speaks at city meetings”)
“The City Council voted to reorder the Agenda to allow Oral Communications to be heard prior to Approval of the Agenda and the removal of consent calendar items for future City Council, commission, committee, and board agendas,” Harper wrote.
