A comparison of the proposed School Board public input policies with those of the Gainesville City Commission and Alachua County Commission

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – At their meeting at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 31, the School Board of Alachua County will vote on the second reading of a drastic reduction in the number of opportunities for members of the public to speak during school board meetings: instead of taking comment on each action item as the board takes it up for discussion, members of the public will have three minutes at the beginning of the meeting to address everything on the agenda.

Click here to see the proposed changes to the School Board’s public input policy (beginning on page 21).

The information below, organized by the various opportunities for the public to speak in a typical public meeting, compares the School Board’s old and new public input policies with the policies of the Gainesville City Commission and Alachua County Commission.

Comments on agenda items

Current SBAC policy

The School Board (SBAC) currently allows members of the public to speak for three minutes on each “proposition” before the board, but once the 21st public input form is received, that time is cut to two minutes for the rest of the meeting.

The current SBAC policy states, “Members of the public shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard on a proposition before the Board. For purposes of the policy, a ‘proposition’ is an item before the Board for a vote, and includes, but is not necessarily limited to, all items on the agenda noted as unfinished business, consent, and nonconsent… The opportunity to be heard need not occur at the same meeting at which the Board takes official action on the proposition if the opportunity occurs at a meeting that is during the decision-making process and is within reasonable proximity… Public comment will be allowed during each agenda item.”

Proposed SBAC policy

The proposed SBAC policy will eliminate public comment on individual “propositions,” instead grouping all public comment on agenda items into one early public comment period. 

City policy

The Gainesville City Commission (City) allows the public to speak for three minutes on each agenda item except informational or procedural items. Although the City’s rules permit the presiding officer to reduce the allotted time per speaker, this happens extremely rarely. City Clerk Kristen Bryant told us she could not recall an instance when the Commission shortened public comment: “We had hours of comment to the Exclusionary Zoning item in the fall of 2022; everyone was able to speak for 3 minutes.”

County policy

Similarly, the Alachua County Commission (County) allows the public to speak for three minutes on each agenda item unless the item is “purely ministerial.” Again, although the rules permit the presiding officer to shorten the time, this happens very rarely.

Early public comment

Current SBAC policy

SBAC does not currently allow for early public comment; members of the public who wish to speak about an agenda item must wait until the item is introduced.

Proposed SBAC policy

The proposed SBAC policy has a public input period prior to the portion of meeting where the Board takes official action on propositions. Speakers are limited to a single time period of up to three (3) minutes to address all agenda items, regardless of how many items are on the agenda. This portion of the meeting will be limited to a total of 45 minutes, unless adjusted by a vote of the Board prior to the start of public input.

City policy

The City has two Early Public Comment periods: one in the morning session, and one in the evening session. Members of the public get three minutes for one agenda item or five minutes for multiple agenda items; individuals who speak about an agenda item during Early Public Comment cannot speak again when the agenda item is introduced. Each public comment period is limited to 30 minutes unless extended by a vote of the Commission.

County policy

Alachua County combines Early Public Comment and General Public Comment at noon and 5:30 p.m., and individuals can speak for three minutes on issues appearing on the agenda (along with an additional three minutes for items not on the agenda) if those members of the public make a request to do so and are unable to attend the remainder of the meeting; comments are also taken by phone at the noon public comment period. An individual who speaks about an agenda item during Early Public Comment will not be permitted to speak when the agenda item is discussed. Members of the public wishing to speak on quasi-judicial matters are encouraged to speak during the hearings on those matters, since the Board’s decisions in those matters may only be based on evidence in the record of the hearings.

General public comment

Current SBAC policy

SBAC currently allows members of the public to speak about issues not on the agenda at the beginning and end of the meeting. Speakers are allowed three minutes until the 21st public input form is received, and then the time is reduced to two minutes. The general input period at the beginning of the meeting is limited to 30 minutes unless extended by a vote of the board prior to the beginning of the comment period.

Proposed SBAC policy

The proposed SBAC policy has a second public input period near the end of the meeting to address “educationally related” topics that are not before the board. The second public input period is not time-limited unless adjusted by a vote of the Board.

The newly-added (for the second reading) change from two minutes to three minutes for early public input has introduced potential problems in other parts of the policy. One of these is in the time limit for the second public input period, which simply says, “Speakers are limited to the individual time restrictions that apply to public input on official action on propositions,” — i.e., three minutes. However, under “Requirements When Providing Public Input,” the policy states, “Each individual speaker shall be allotted up to a total of two (2) minutes.”

City policy

The City has a General Public Comment period at the beginning of the morning session; members of the public may speak for three minutes about items that are not on the agenda, and the public comment period is limited to 30 minutes unless extended by a vote of the Commission.

County policy

The County has two periods for General Public Comment, one at noon and one at 5:30 p.m. or at the end of the afternoon if there is no evening session; speakers have three minutes to talk about anything that is not on the agenda, and comments are also taken by phone at the noon public comment period. Each period is limited to 30 minutes unless extended by a vote of the board. An individual may only speak at one of these two periods. 

Requirements for speakers

Current SBAC policy

SBAC’s current policy is that speakers must register their intention by completing a speaker’s form at the entry of the meeting hall. Forms include the speaker’s name; phone number; city and/or county of residence; whether the speaker is a parent, student, or Board employee; and the topic of their comment or the specific agenda item. The Board Chair may waive this requirement. It is strongly encouraged that all speaker’s forms be completed and turned in prior to the commencement of the meeting so as not to interrupt the flow of the meeting. Speakers are asked to direct all statements to the presiding officer. No signs or placards mounted on sticks, posts, poles, or similar structures shall be allowed in board meetings.  Other signs, placards, banners, or other similar items shall not disrupt meetings or interfere with others’ visual rights.

Proposed SBAC policy

The proposed SBAC policy requires individuals must complete a public input form with their name and the “proposition or matter on which the individual desires to speak,” which must be turned in no later than 15 minutes after the start of the public input period. Speakers may not delegate time to other individuals and may not have “demonstrative aids.”

City policy

Although the City’s rules don’t mention signing up before providing public comment, the City Commission has speaker sign-up cards in the auditorium and asks individuals who would like to speak to fill one out for each item they want to speak about; the forms ask for a name and the agenda item the individual wants to speak about, and there is also space for contact information if the person would like follow-up from City staff. Individuals can also leave written comment on the form instead of speaking. The Clerk calls speakers for each item in the order the cards are received. Speakers are also asked to address all comments to the Commission as a body; questions must be asked to the presiding officer. No props, signs, or posters are permitted.

County policy

The County Commission does not require speakers to sign up; speakers take turns at the two podiums. No signs or placards mounted on sticks are permitted, and other signs “shall not disrupt meetings or interfere with others’ visual rights.”