CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Anyone speaking during city council public comment will not have to provide their full address after changes were made to the Rules of Decorum Policy.
On Tuesday, Nov. 12, city leaders approved an amendment to the policy which requires speakers to give their name and residence before addressing the council.
The change comes after KRIS 6 News questioned the city about this policy and after community members presented their concern for safety to city staff.
The weekly council meetings are frequently posted on the city's website and its YouTube page. Speakers have been worried that anyone watching could be exposed to their personal information.
For a long time, speakers chose between stating only their name or providing their district as an alternative to their full address. City staff noticed the adjustment to following the rules and reiterated policy in effort to verify whether the speaker was a Corpus Christi resident or lived outside city limits.
Speakers also emphasized their concern for retaliation from other community members following the exposure of their address.
“I don’t think you would like if I started commenting today and listing y'all's addresses. It makes you feel uncomfortable if that was reported on YouTube," speaker Marilena Garza said to the council regarding the former policy.
Other community members supported Garza's concern following Tuesday's meeting.
“The city already knows that information, you have to provide it when you sign up for public comment. So, I don’t really think it should be required when you go to speak,” resident, John Weber, added.
Mayor Paulette Guajardo told KRIS 6 News reporter Alexis Scott that city staff looked at the rules for others, including San Antonio and Houston. They only require speakers to give their name and city they live in.
“We thought this approach would really support public engagement in a way that respects the privacy of our community members. In this day and age, I understand it's different in telling the world where you live, it's just not needed," Guajardo said. "From now on when you sign up for public comment, we will take your word that you are a resident, it's an honor system."
One change that didn't move within the Rules of Decorum Policy was a proposal to adjust time limits for speakers. That current policy stands.
If you are a Corpus Christi resident, you get three minutes to address the council and city staff. If you live outside city limits, you only get one minute. The failed proposal would have given everyone three minutes to speak.
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