However, the agenda need not provide an opportunity for members of the public to address the legislative body on any item that has already been considered by a committee, composed exclusively of members of the legislative body, at a public meeting wherein all interested members of the public were afforded the opportunity to address the committee on the item, before or during the committee’s consideration of the item, unless the item has been substantially changed since the committee heard the item, as determined by the legislative body. [emphasis added for clarity] Every notice for a special meeting shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to directly address the legislative body concerning any item that has been described in the notice for the meeting before or during consideration of that item.

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The Los Angeles City Council already applies this minimum standard. If an item has been heard in an LA Council committee, the public can't speak to it at the full City Council meeting.

In recent years, various Long Beach Mayors and Councils have reduced the public's ability to participate in Council meetings (although incumbents routinely claim to support increased public participation.)

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• Under Mayor O'Neill, the Council erased the public's ability to put items on the City Council agenda. LBREPORT.com coverage here.

• LB Councilmembers have let city management prevent the public's use of the Council Chamber's video display system in the public's Council testimony (except for a party in a formal public hearing.) The prohibition was imposed without Council discussion via a management "administrative regulation."

• Under Mayor Foster, the Council removed the public's ability to "pull" consent calendar items for separate Council discussion and a separate Council recorded vote. The public is now limited to speaking to consent calendar items without requiring a separate Council recorded vote unless a Council member agrees to this.

• Under Mayor Garcia,, the Council approved management suggested "streamlining" measure invited by Councilman Supernaw, including reducing public testimony to 90 seconds per speaker when more than 10 people seek to speak (a policy already implemented without Council opposition.)

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