After a contentious public hearing that lasted more than three hours, Warrenton aldermen have placed stricter time limits on when and how long participants can speak during planning and zoning hearings.

During a Sept. 15 hearing on proposed rezoning along Sunnyside Road, dozens of area residents came to speak against the proposal. Although they were asked to keep their comments to 5 minutes, many liberally extended their time at the podium. Several also insisted on returning to the podium multiple times to respond to what others had said, even after the official period for public comment had closed.

In response to that experience, the Warrenton Board of Aldermen approved a new policy Oct. 6 to solidify the 5-minute speaking limit, and allow each person to speak only once. Anyone who passes the 5 minute mark will be allowed 30 seconds to finish their thought, and then be asked to leave the podium.

The only exception to those limits is for anyone who has submitted an application to the city to make a zoning change.

“The applicant first would speak for 10 minutes to present the project … and then the applicant at the end of all the public comments would be given 5 minutes to respond to any of the questions that they can answer quickly,” explained City Administrator Terri Thorn.

Almost every zoning hearing before the city board is for a private landowner asking to change the approved use of their land, or asking for a conditional use permit to allow a specific business.

Applicants and opponents sometimes get into arguments with each other at these hearings, causing disruption. That’s why Warrenton’s new policy also requires all comments or questions to be directed solely to city officials, not to an applicant or other members of the public.

It falls on city leaders, and particularly the mayor, to enforce the new public hearing guidelines.

Once the time for public comment on an issue is ended, and the board of aldermen begin their discussion of a zoning change, further comments or rebuttals from the public will no longer be allowed, according to the new policy.

During the Sunnyside hearing, such rules would have prevented multiple area residents from retaking the floor to argue against statements made by the city’s aldermen or developers involved in the Sunnyside project. Several speakers would also have had their time notably curtailed.

Before voting on the new public hearing policy, Aldermen Gary Auch asked if or when the board or mayor should make an exception and allow someone to speak multiple times.

City Attorney Christopher Graville said such a decision is within the board’s discretion if they need a question answered, but he advised against otherwise allowing attendees to freely debate an issue.

“In my experience doing zoning public hearings, giving people ‘a second bite at the apple’ just retreads the same things again. ... We get into this back and forth,” Graville commented. He added that as Warrenton sees more development proposals, it will be increasingly important to have black and white rules governing contentious public hearings.

Aldermen voted 6-0 to approve the new public hearing policy.