Boulder Reporting Lab: The Boulder City Council on June 26 directed city staff to draft new rules on open comment. It is the latest attempt to keep meetings running smoothly following more than a year of disruptions, many involving calls for the council to take a stand against the war in Gaza and some including verbal attacks on Jewish councilmembers.

Open comment is the section at the start of council meetings where speakers typically have two minutes to speak directly to councilmembers on any subject. Proposed changes include halting video broadcasts of speakers, starting meetings earlier, limiting open comment to 45 minutes and giving councilmembers more flexibility to respond immediately to hate speech. 

Final approval of the new rules is expected later this summer, after councilmembers return from their summer break in late July.

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