Want to speak at a Gilbert Town Council meeting? Why you might need to talk faster soon

The Gilbert Town Council may change how long residents can address them, in the name of decorum.

Public speakers would get less time to address their leaders if there is a big crowd. Other provisions would "exclude" certain public testimony and prohibit booing or applause, if the council adopts them Tuesday.

But the seven-member council is considering placing restrictions on itself too, making it harder to get a topic on an agenda.

More often than not, the first hour of a Gilbert council meeting is taken up by public comment from residents petitioning the members and mayor for their grievances related to zoning changes, ethics complaints or more recently the controversy of the "Gilbert Goons."

Some debates in the council chambers have gotten so heated that members of the public have been kicked out or the council has had to call for a recess to bring back decorum.

The code changes also would define disruptive behavior and repeal Robert's Rules of Order in favor of the “simplified set” to apply to all public meetings including the planning commission, redevelopment commission and other boards.

Council members also would be subject to following new rules if they want to bring a topic to the dais. Here’s what to expect and three takeaways from the proposed changes.

Proposed public comment rule changes

Toward the beginning of a Gilbert council meeting, residents can submit comment cards to speak for three minutes during the open call to the public.

If the council approves the code changes, moving forward, that time limit could shrink if more than 20 people have submitted comment cards.

Here’s how that will go:

• 20 or fewer speakers get three minutes.

• 21 to 29 speakers get two minutes.

• 30 or more speakers’ time limit will be determined by the council.

Speakers would be allowed to combine their time with another person’s but would be subject to time limits based on total comment requests.

For specific public hearings, residents also would have three minutes unless the council sets a different time limit. The new code would give the council the ability to require a group to select one spokesperson to give remarks on behalf of those people for six minutes.

“The council may exclude testimony or evidence that is irrelevant, immaterial, or repetitious,” the proposed ordinance reads.

Decorum rules residents would need to follow

At a Gilbert meeting, it’s not uncommon to hear booing, cheers or clapping either to support or disagree with a speaker's comments.

Moving forward, that type of behavior would be considered disruptive because it disrupts “the flow of discussion” and could “potentially intimidate others,” the proposed code reads.

Applause would only be allowed during the presentations and proclamations portion of the meeting.

Banners and signs, which were previously barred, would be allowed in the chambers but would have to be held below shoulder height or not obstruct the view of other audience members.

“Speakers may not campaign or advocate for or against candidates for office or ballot issues or otherwise attempt to influence the outcomes of elections during public meetings,” the proposed changes read.

Proposed new rules for council members

Because of Arizona’s open meeting laws, council members cannot discuss a topic with more than two other members unless it is during a public meeting and the issue has been posted 24 hours beforehand.

Currently, it takes three council members to sign off on a topic to add it to the agenda or the mayor can add it on her own. That paperwork is then filed with the Town Clerk’s Office.

That’s been a method council members and Mayor Brigette Peterson have used to call a review of ethics complaint investigations.

It was the procedure Councilmembers Chuck Bongiovanni, Bobbi Buchli and Jim Torgeson used to call for a no-confidence vote on Peterson in August. Gilbert’s subcommittee on teen violence also was created using this method when Councilmember Scott Anderson joined Bongiovanni and Torgerson’s request to add it to an agenda.

The proposed new rules could add a layer of approval.

“Prior to a proposed item being placed on a meeting agenda, the requesting party (whether the mayor or three councilmembers) shall confer with the town manager to discuss the scope and timeline and the type of meeting appropriate for discussion of the item,” the proposed changes read.

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Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at [email protected] or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gilbert proposes limits on public comment at meetings, seeks decorum