The Governmental Processes Committee of the City Council has proposed a six-month trial period limiting remote call-in public comments to a single period at the beginning of city meetings. The compromise, reached during Wednesday's committee meeting, aims to balance public accessibility with meeting efficiency.
Under the proposed change, members of the public would have one opportunity to call in and comment on any agenda item during the general public comment period at the start of each meeting. This would apply to both afternoon and evening sessions of City Council meetings, as well as board and commission meetings.
"I appreciate your willingness to compromise on that. That's solid," said Committee Member Chuck Conder, who initially agreed with the proposal to eliminate remote call-in options entirely.
The committee's decision comes as cities across California reassess their public comment procedures following the end of COVID-19 emergency measures. Riverside had implemented remote call-in options during the pandemic when in-person attendance was restricted.
Committee Chair Philip Falcone emphasized the importance of maintaining public access while improving meeting efficiency. "Between e-comment, email, call me on my cell phone, call me on my desk phone, call me on my assistant's desk phone... there is so much ample opportunity to reach us and get a hold of us," Falcone said.
The proposal would require those wishing to provide remote public comment to call in during the designated period at the beginning of meetings. After that period closes, only in-person comments would be accepted for specific agenda items.
Vice Chair Jim Perry supported the compromise, stating, "I think I could work with that. But at the same time, let's... evaluate if there's another type of technology that would make this system a little better, because sometimes it's just very difficult to hear and sometimes connections aren't always made."
The committee's recommendations will be presented to the full City Council for consideration before any changes are implemented. If approved, the six-month trial period would allow the city to assess the effectiveness of the new procedures.
Committee members emphasized that multiple avenues for public input remain available, including in-person comments, emails, and the city's e-comment system.
"The majority of my input comes when I'm at the supermarket in an aisle," Perry joked, referring to encounters with residents in public.
The proposed changes aim to streamline meeting procedures while maintaining public access to city government. The committee plans to seek feedback from and evaluate the effectiveness of the new system at the end of the six-month trial period.
The City Council is in the process of selecting an Interim City Attorney, while the Governmental Process Committee will soon be reviewing a proposal to end phone-in public comment options for city meetings.
The Human Relations Commission will discuss calling on the City Council to retain the commemorative flag policy, which it repealed last week, in a memo "to express its deep disappointment" in the Council.
