One More Minute for Free Speech

Residents who want to talk to their elected city officials now have more time to do it.

The Temecula City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to amend its rules of conduct to give residents three minutes to speak their mind in the beginning of meetings. Before, they had only two minutes per person.

The change was originally proposed by Paul Jacobs, a former traffic and safety commissioner, at a public meeting last month. Council members initially brushed off his request.

“Our rules were in place for 21 years and this is the first time I’ve heard anybody’s dissatisfied about it,” said Councilmember Mike Naggar at Tuesday’s meeting.

Jacobs thanked the council members for approving the change Tuesday by passing out hour glass-style egg timers.

“I want to thank you, again, for listening to your constituents,” he said standing at a podium in the City Council chambers in the Civic Center.

The gift referenced a comment made at a council meeting earlier this month during which Robert Wheeler, a Temecula resident, told the Council, “If you can’t cook an egg in two minutes, I don’t think you can do anything worthwhile in this chamber.”

The council approved the change due to an outpouring of support for the idea, Councilmember Jeff Comerchero said. “Even though I don’t think it needs to change, you think it needs to change, and that’s why I’m supporting it.”

Naggar initially resisted the change because he’s always glad to meet residents in his office outside , he said. “I don’t want anybody to come to the podium and rely on three minutes to communicate with me,” he said.

The council members have no problem listening to the public, and during a meeting abut a planned mosque earlier this year that lasted until 4 a.m., they showed that, Naggar said. “I’ll stay up all night, and I think we’ve proved it.”

Temecula joins other nearby cities, such as Murrieta, Canyon Lake and Wildomar, in allowing three minutes. Lake Elsinore is an exception, allowing only one minute.

In Temecula’s defense, it gives an unusually long time for the public to talk about things the council planned to vote on during the meeting, Mayor Pro-Tem Chuck Washington said. It gives five minutes.

Naggar said he hopes extending the time won’t detract from the items up for a vote. Some people “get so caught up in the turmoil and the politics,” that the important issues get pushed aside, he said.