REDMOND, OR -- Redmond’s Mayor announced a new procedure for time allotted to the public during City Council meetings. "Because of some ‘stuff,’ we have ground rules for public comment, now," Mayor Ed Fitch said at this week's meeting, "Comments are limited to three minutes and we’re going to try and keep the public comment to 30 minutes at the beginning."

The change comes after disruptions at two recent Council meetings. Fitch tells KBND News, "I wanted to have a much more open dialog with the community. It was a little looser before and so there got to be a little friction between people out in the audience. Some people had different views. So we had to put a little more - I’ll call it ‘organization’ to it; limiting time, making sure people don’t get interrupted." 

He says he wants to focus the citizen comment period on current events not "culture wars" or political ideology, "That’s really not the place to play it out, at the City Council meeting. We want people to come in with comments about city business, about challenges we have now and in the future. Not about their personal philosophy on either the left or far right." Unlike Bend's Mayor, Fitch will allow applause after speakers. He adds, "We’re much more open to talking about any issue that affects the community. Whereas, in the last few years, it was much more constricting. And, there was a little price to be paid for that openness. But I think we’re going to strike the right balance from here on in."

One speaker at this week’s meeting was interrupted by Mayor Fitch when she ran over the time limit sharing her thoughts about the COVID mask mandate and the First Amendment.