Council Meeting Makeover: New Rules Aim to Keep Discussions on Track

Local voices matter. Help us amplify them by contributing to your local newsroom. DECORAH — The Decorah City Council has approved changes to its rules of procedure following an extended discussion on the structure and enforcement of public comment regulations. The amendments, debated during Monday's meeting, clarify procedural guidelines for council members and the public while maintaining First Amendment protections. Ensuring Relevance One of the primary concerns raised by the council was ensuring public comment remains relevant to city business while avoiding unnecessary restrictions on speech. City Attorney John Anderson advised the council on the legality of limiting commentary, stating, "Because this is your meeting, if somebody is talking about something completely irrelevant to the City of Decorah, I do think it could be [First Amendment] permissible to limit their speaking… [For example,] if someone gets up here and starts taking about 'a baseball score in California,' that's a waste of everyone's time." However, Anderson cautioned against restricting speech based on an individual's demeanor. He emphasized that remarks about city matters should not be outright silenced—even if they may be critical of council members. Council members grappled with balancing open discourse with maintaining order during meetings. Some members voiced concerns about the potential for disruptive or off-topic remarks to interfere with city business. Council Member Steve Zittergruen asked Anderson if the council should "address the residency of people who talk." "I'm only asking this question in relation to comments we've heard from the public," Zittergruen clarified. "That the city may not be 'as interested' in hearing the people who live 'outside of the community.'" Zittergruen also further clarified that he personally does not see it as an issue, and that the council should continue to allow people from outside of Decorah to speak to the council until it becomes "a major problem." Council member Kirsten Olson echoed Zittergruen's sentiment, agreeing that at times, it is relevant to hear the perspectives of people who live outside of Decorah. Mayor Pro-Tem Randy Schissel agreed with Zittergruen and Olson, citing a potential scenario where the council is hearing from the same person "week after week," saying the "same thing over and over:" "Once it's on the record, do we have to listen to it three weeks in a row on the record?" Schissel asked. "If it's about city business," Anderson responded, "I would say yes… Under these rules [and] the way they're drafted." Addressing Council Responses Another significant point of debate arose on whether council members should be allowed to respond to public comments. While the original draft of the amendments did not explicitly permit council responses, some members expressed frustration over being unable to correct potential misinformation. Council Member Emily Neal, who recalled previous instances of inaccurate statements made during public comment, argued, "I do believe that there should be the possibility to at least acknowledge or clarify when something is factually incorrect." A compromise was reached in which the council will generally refrain from engaging in direct dialogue during public comment but may—at the mayor's discretion—allow responses to clear up inaccuracies. Reordering the Agenda An additional notable structural change to the council's meeting format was suggested involving the reordering of the agenda. Under the new procedure, City Manager, department head, and council reports would occur immediately following public comment rather than near the end of the meeting. The adjustment aims to ensure that updates from city officials reach a broader audience before attendees leave. Olson supported the adjustment, stating, "I think it makes a lot of sense. It allows us to address concerns raised during public comment while more people are still in the room." Council members noted that in previous meetings, many attendees would leave before these reports were presented, limiting community engagement. Final Approval and Implementation The changes were formally approved with a majority vote following the discussion. The council will begin implementing the amended rules with the expectation that further refinements may be made as needed. Never a dull moment! Subscribe to the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and stay one step ahead with local news and information you just can't get anywhere else.