Fort Collins City Council Public Comment Policy Subject to Vote

The Fort Collins City Council will vote on Tuesday, July 2, on possible changes to procedures for public comment at meetings.

The changes will close out a cycle of proposed changes that were sparked by a demonstration at the March 5 meeting that led to the mayor agreeing to a recess and ultimately adjourning the meeting before council could take up evening business.

Some updates have already been approved by council, including a provision that would allow council to move meetings to an alternative location with remote public participation if a similar situation arises or if another circumstance arises that jeopardizes the agenda, such as inclement weather.

The changes currently being considered would split the general comment period into two segments: one at the beginning and one at the end of the meeting.

According to the City Council’s published agenda packet, no fewer than 40 people will be allowed to speak for 90 minutes at the beginning of the meeting, and if more people wish to speak, the council will allow unlimited time to end the meeting.

There are currently no limits on the total minutes of comments from the general public, and it all happens in one block at the beginning of the meeting.

There is also no general deadline for commenting on specific discussion items on the agenda, and no changes to this policy are proposed.

The second proposed change would require anyone wishing to speak during public comment to register by 5:30 p.m. on the day of the council meeting. The current rules require registration, but do not specify a specific deadline.

During a recent work session on the topic, staff said that setting a deadline would help them navigate the complexities of offering both in-person and online commenting, as well as give a voice to those who have signed up and let them know what to expect in terms of timing.

Finally, the policy addendum clearly states that “meeting attendees are prohibited from altering or damaging any furniture, equipment, or other public property or from improperly using City facilities while attending any Council meeting or work session.”

There is an ongoing court case involving women who taped their hands to the wall during a council meeting

During a meeting on March 5, three women, Cheryl Distaso, Claire Kipp, and Haina Sakka, taped their hands to a wall to demonstrate their desire for the City Council to pass a resolution supporting a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The women were charged with misdemeanors for alleged obstruction of government and interference, as well as minor misdemeanors for disrupting a lawful assembly and refusing to leave a public building.

Attorneys for the women asked 8th Judicial Circuit Judge Joshua B. Lehman to dismiss the charges, arguing that the women were simply exercising their constitutional right to engage in peaceful, symbolic speech.

Lehman said it would issue a ruling on the case later this summer. A jury trial is currently scheduled for September.

How does public comment in Fort Collins compare to other cities?

Public comment procedures in Fort Collins are more open than in several other Front Range municipalities, according to information provided by city staff in council documents.

There is currently no limit on the length of public comment at the beginning of a meeting, and participants can speak on any topic, even if it is not on the council agenda.

Loveland allows 60 minutes for public comment, Boulder 40 minutes and Denver 30 minutes. Some jurisdictions also limit the number of total commenters.

However, there are no blanket time restrictions in Larimer, Estes Park, Timnath, Windsor and Wellington counties.

How many people typically speak during public comments?

Data provided by city staff, as of October 2022:

1 to 40 comments: 64% of the time
41-70 comments: 16% of the time
71 or more comments: 20% of the time