The Alexandria City Council on Tuesday night (Sept. 22) deferred a plan to restrict public behavior in Council Chambers.
City Council took the advice of City Attorney Cheran Ivery to defer the plan, which states that Mayor Alyia Gaskins can oust any public speaker who makes “personal attacks” against City Council members, makes “off-topic” comments or participates in political campaigning. Other amended rules limit the size of signs residents can bring to City Council meetings and ban selfie sticks.
The plan was deferred to December to allow city staff to more closely define instances of the prohibited behavior.
“We’re trying to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to speak, that everyone can be heard, but that we do so in a way that allows us to keep the business of the meeting going,” Gaskins said.
City Council is holding meetings in the Del Pepper Community Resource Center in the city’s West End until the completion of the City Hall renovation in Old Town in 2028, and Clerk Gloria Sitton said that the current Council Chambers can be hard to manage.
“I need some of these rules to manage the room for you,” Sitton told council members. “I don’t think this is about curtailing speech. I think this is more about room management.”
Personal attacks include insults and off-topic remarks that incite anger, Ivery told City Council.
“I just want to reiterate that for the public, you can come before your local governing body and say that you are not happy with what they’re doing,” Ivery said. “But if it is talking about someone’s personal life that has nothing to do with their council role or their duties as a council member, again, it is irrelevant.”
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley said that City Council is creating an environment where residents won’t be rattled by disruptive behavior.
“This is not exclusively about what we might not want to have to hear,” Bagley said. “It’s about the environment we’re trying to create for everybody participating in our public process.”
The city’s rules on citizen participation, public hearings and public comments have been enforced since the early 1970s. Other new rules include a ban on signs larger than 18×24 inches and selfie sticks, which city staff said could be used as weapons.
“Part of it is this room,” Sitton said. “When this room is full, I cannot see anybody back there [in the rear of Council chambers] … If they have a selfie stick or a sign, then what? Then it also can be used as a weapon.”
The mayor would have authority to order a police officer to physically remove any individual violating public hearing and public comment protocols. If warranted, the person could also be charged with disorderly conduct.
City Council is considering:
- In public hearings, setting a 10-minute presentation time for staff, applicants and appellants
- Public hearing presentations from applicants materials much be submitted at least two business days prior to scheduled meeting (for Saturday hearings, the deadline would be Wednesday by 5:00 pm)
- Community groups and civic associations will be given a five-minute speaking allocation at public hearings, while individual speakers will get the standard three minutes
- Signs would be restricted to a maximum size of 18 x 24 (preferred 11 x 17) inches and must be made of soft materials (paper, cardboard, foam board, or fabric). Rigid materials such as wood, plastic, or metal are prohibited. Signs must also not obstruct the view of the dais for audience members or compromise public safety
- Megaphones, bullhorns, whistles, laser pointers, selfie sticks and drones would be prohibited
- The audience is also restricted against clapping, foot stomping and heckling. Audience members cannot approach the dais without permission
- Personal attacks, off-topic commentary, and political campaigning are prohibited during public testimony
