Council allows one extra hour of public comment

Shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, council had finally exhausted the initial list of more than 350 public commenters. Sticking to the motion made hours before, members moved into committee as a whole to avoid speaker limitations.

Council voted to allow one extra hour of public comment after already sitting through 12 hours. A line of training center opponents who hadn't yet gotten the chance to speak formed a line from the podium, up the chamber aisle and out the door.

A 1-hour countdown clock started on the screens in the chamber.

But over the course of the last couple of hours, the temperature in the chamber rose steadily and attendees began to fan themselves with fliers and notepads. Around 1:30 a.m. Shipman announced that the air conditioning system was, in fact, broken.

The room descended into disarray after the extra hour ran out. Some council members want to recess. Others are pushing for more time for public comment.

After a recess, the council voted to hear from 22 more speakers, beginning about 2:45 a.m.

Credit: Jason Getz / [email protected]

Credit: Jason Getz / [email protected]

About the Author

Riley Bunch is a reporter on the local government team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering Atlanta City Hall. She writes about the city's diverse neighborhoods and people while also keeping an eye on the Atlanta City Council and the legislation and policies that affect everyday folk.

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