A split SeaTac City Council spent much of their Valentine’s Day evening fighting over how often and for how long the public would be allowed to speak at council meetings.

Recently-selected Mayor Tony Anderson has proposed new administrative procedures he said would streamline council meetings.
Committee meetings have been replaced by study sessions attended by all council members two hours prior to the regular council sessions.
Previously, the public could speak at the committee meetings at the discretion of the individual committee chairs. However, public comment has been eliminated from the study sessions.

Anderson had also proposed that the length of public comments be reduced during regular council meetings.

Through a series of amendments, Councilman Rick Forschler managed to get most of the time restored.

Speaking time of three minutes per individual and 10 minutes per group of four or more was restored by a 6-1 vote.

Mayor Anderson, who had proposed 2 minutes and 5 minutes, voted no. He attended the meeting by phone. Deputy Mayor Mia Gregerson presided in his absence.

Comments at the end of the consent agenda were also restored to the previous times of one minute for individuals and 2 minutes for a group.
Newly elected Councilman Dave Bush voted with Forschler, Councilwoman Terry Anderson and Councilwoman Pam Fernald to restore the previous time. Mayor Anderson, Deputy Mayor Gregerson and Councilman Barry Ladenburg voted against the amendment.

However, public speaking time on unfinished business was eliminated. Items taken off the consent agenda are considered unfinished business. Bush joined Tony Anderson, Gregerson and Ladenburg in voting against the extra public comment period.

Ladenburg defended the mayor’s new administrative policies.
To charges that Anderson is trying to stifle public participation, Ladenburg declared, “Nothing could be further from the truth. He is trying to value the council’s time.”

Later, Ladenburg commented, “It is ironic that during public comment we have people saying we won’t have public comment.”
But Forschler replied, “Whatever the intent, the public is being locked out.”

Forschler also attempted to retain a policy that a single council member could request that a vote on a council agenda item be delayed two weeks until the next council meeting.
Under the new policies, only a majority of council members or the mayor could pull an item.

Forschler said the old policy should stand out of respect to the individual council members.
Mayor Anderson countered that the council will discuss items during the study session and then they will be placed on the regular council agenda at the next meeting in two weeks. He said two weeks should be long enough for lawmakers and public citizens to consider the measure.

Forschler’s amendment was defeated 4-3. Forschler, Terry Anderson, and Fernald voted for Forschler’s amendment.

In a move that Fernald said would increase government accountability, she proposed that council members file a public trip report after traveling on city business.
Fernald said the reports would not have to be elaborate and would also be a way for council members to share information with each other.
Terry Anderson suggested that literature received at conferences could be shared among council members.

Ladenburg opposed the trip reports citing the added workload for lawmakers and the cost of more public documents.

Fernald’s resolution was defeated by a 4-3 vote. Fernald, Terry Anderson and Forschler voted for Fernald’s proposal.