Wrap It Up: Miami Commission Caps Individual Speaking Time at Meetings

The Miami city commission has unanimously passed a measure that puts the kibosh on long speeches by members of the public at commission meetings.

The commission voted last week to limit individual speeches to five minutes during public comment period by capping the amount of speaking time people can donate to each other.

While the commission claims the rules will ensure that long-winded monologues don't hold up city business, opponents argue the restrictions hamper concerned residents' ability to join forces and make a cohesive argument on critical issues.

"I don't see why this facilitates the process anymore, especially when this board has been largely unaccountable to the public," Nick Durán, who spoke against the proposal at last week's meeting, tells New Times. "What they are doing is just creating further obstacles for people."

Each member of the public is allotted two minutes of speaking time at commission meetings. But under the old system, folks were allowed to donate their time to another person on an unlimited basis. A group of 10 attendees concerned about a proposed ordinance, for example, could donate each of their two-minute blocks to a representative, who could then give a twenty minute speech before the commission.

Under the new guidelines, a speaker can now only receive up to three minutes of donated speaking time, bringing the total permissible speaking time to five minutes. The commission can grant someone an additional two minutes if a super-majority of the commission agrees more time is necessary.

"All we wanted to do was to ensure that no one takes advantage by having 50 people come from outside the city [to] stand up and say, 'I donate my time, I donate my time,'" chairwoman Christine King said from the dais.

Durán, who works for a nonprofit group in Miami, claims it's evident that some commissioners are uninterested in listening to what the people have to say and already have their minds made up on agenda items.

"These same names have been in office for decades," Durán tells New Times. "They don't feel like they need to be held accountable to the public."

"This commission is dealing with an overall trust issue," he adds. "That's been exacerbated by their lack of transparency and their unwillingness to work with the public and the community."

One woman noted the legislation would make the public comment less accessible to those who have trouble with public speaking because of a disability or simply out of fear.

"Last September, I attended a commission meeting and one student was so scared by how she saw the commission treats the public, she started crying and donated her time to another person to speak on her behalf," the commenter said in front the commission. "If people are choosing to take time out of their day to be there, their right to freedom of speech should allow them to do what they want with the time allocated to them."

Commissioner Joe Carollo, who sponsored the item, said at an October 27 meeting that the commission needed to take action to curb a practice by which he claimed advocates on a single issue would bring in attendees for the sole purpose of donating their speaking time.

It contributed to "never-ending meetings" Carollo said.

"That's not fair to regular residents that live in the city and are abiding by our rules and procedures," Carollo said.

While Carollo initially wanted to prohibit a speaker from receiving more than one two-minute donation, chairwoman King and commissioner Manolo Reyes suggested the commission should allow for a bit more time, namely two, two-minute donations.

Alex Diaz de la Portilla wanted to make the public comment period even shorter, but the commissioners met in the middle, agreeing to limit public speaking donation to three minutes.

Ahead of the vote on the item, Diaz de la Portilla had another idea to further restrict public comment.

"By the way if we really wanted to make it right, no one that does not live in the city of Miami should be able to address this commission," Diaz de la Portilla said.

Diaz de la Portilla was not present during the public comment period earlier in the day when people shared why they were troubled by the new restrictions. He routinely walks off the dais and remains absent when the time comes for public comments at commission meetings.

Critics of the new regulations have noted that Carollo proposed them shortly after the commission was subject to outcry and a vocal protest in city hall in response to commissioners' ousting the board of the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, which managed the historically Black beach. During an October 13 commission meeting, the now-ousted trust chair was able to speak for 20 minutes to defend himself and his colleagues thanks to people donating their speaking time to him.