Politics & Government

Muskego Public Input Stays At 2 Minutes, but Won't Be Capped

Various amendments to the public input policy will allow comment on most agenda items and unlimited comment portions, but each speaker has 2 minutes to state their case.

The Muskego Common Council came back to an agenda item from Jan. 24, which reviewed the city's present policy on public comment. After many amendments and motions, the policy changes that were passed on a 7-0 vote were as follows:

  • Items that can be the subject of public comment can include closed session items, with the exception of labor or employment discussions. The council saw a problem in promising privacy in discussions that might involve current staff if public comments named the individual(s).
  • Public comment will continue to be limited to two minutes, with the prevailing thought that most people can articulate their point within that time frame. It was also seen to allow for the most people to speak and the fairest for everyone. The two minute limit will apply per speaker, per topic, so it is possible for the same person to speak on multiple issues.
  • There will be no limit to the overall public comment portion. Originally the policy stated that the council could review whether to extend the public speaking time at 30 minutes. No one felt that there would exist an instance where they wouldn't allow everyone to speak, so the 30 minute verbiage was stricken from the original policy.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.