From Staff Reports
In August 2024, Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson removed the public comments from their usual position early in the City Council meeting to the end after the Mayor's Report. He also turned off the live feed.
Then, at the September 4th meeting, Commissioner Nick Nesta made a motion to restore public comments to their usual position, and broadcast them on the City's YouTube page as it has for years. Vice Mayor Diane Velazquez seconded the motion, but Commissioners Nadia Anderson and Alexander Smith joined Nelson in voting against it, defeating the motion 3-2.
It seemed as though the new public comments policy would be unpopular but permanent, at least as long as three Council members continued to vote against changing it.
Related: A Legacy in Peril: Why Mayor Nelson should return public comments to its normal position in City Council meetings.
Then, almost a year later, a surprising item landed on the May 7th meeting - Resolution 2025-19.
According to the agenda packet, the Apopka City Council is set to reconsider its initial stance on public comments through a new resolution to formalize public participation procedures during council meetings. Resolution 2025-19, drafted by the Mayor’s Office in coordination with city staff, proposes a series of updates to the city’s existing public comment policy, first established under Resolution 2016-16.
One of the most notable updates is establishing a dedicated Public Comment period at the beginning of each City Council meeting. This segment would be allocated 30 minutes and appear as the first item on every meeting agenda.
Under the proposed rules:
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Each speaker will be allotted three minutes to address the Council, provided they complete the required Intent to Speak form.
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If there is a high volume of citizens wishing to comment, individual speaking time may be reduced to two minutes to accommodate as many voices as possible.
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Groups of citizens speaking on the same issue may elect a spokesperson, who would be granted additional speaking time — one extra minute per group member, up to a maximum of six minutes.
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Public comment on individual agenda items will also be limited to three minutes per speaker.
The decision to move public comments to the end of City Council meetings and remove them from the live feed sent a troubling message.
Resolution 2025-19, if passed, would represent a long-overdue correction and a hopeful sign that Apopka’s leaders are once again willing to listen to the people they serve before making decisions... especially in an upcoming election season.
