Cobb Commission passes new rules on public comment, time to speak reduced from 5 minutes to 3 

The Cobb County Commission recently voted to amend its public comment policy, increasing the number of available slots for speakers, while reducing the time allotted for each individual to speak.

Under the new rules, there are now 20 public comment slots, up from the previous 12, however, each speaker will now have only three minutes to address the commission, compared to the previous five minutes they have enjoyed for over 30 years.

Half of the slots will be allocated for public comment at the beginning of meetings, with the remaining slots reserved for the end. Additionally, individuals are restricted from signing up for more than one slot per meeting.

The decision to revise the public comment policy comes after a previous proposal in 2021 led by Lisa Cupid. Shortly after Cupid became chair, she was unhappy about the constant flow of speakers during the public comment portion of the meetings and led the efforts to reduce the time to speaker and the number of speakers. That earlier proposal included reducing speakers to 10, with each given three minutes, and the public comments being moved to the end of the meeting.

The public outcry was tremendous as members of the community came together to give Cupid a piece of their 1st amendment mind. Cupid faced significant backlash, which ultimately led to the proposal being abandoned. The public got its first taste of Cupid as Chair, and they did not like it as they let Cupid and the board know that ‘you work for us’ and not the other way around. In response to the public outcry, Cupid tabled the proposal to cut the public’s speaking time by half.

This time, however, the commission did not encounter the same level of criticism and resistance as the public’s attention was on stopping the water tax passage. Ultimately, the Board approved the changes in a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner JoAnn Birrell opposing.

https://spotlightsouthcobbnews.com/commission-tables-changes-to-public-comment-following-protest/