Anyone speaking during city council public comment will not have to provide their full address after changes were made to the Rules of Decorum Policy.
On Tuesday, Nov. 12, city leaders approved an amendment to the policy which requires speakers to give their name and residence before addressing the council.
The change comes after KRIS 6 News questioned the city about this policy and after community members presented their concern for safety to city staff .
The weekly council meetings are frequently posted on the city’s website and its YouTube page. Speakers have been worried that anyone watching could be exposed to their personal information.
For a long time, speakers chose between stating only their name or providing their district as an alternative to their full address. City staff noticed the adjustment to following the rules and reiterated policy in effort to verify whether the speaker was a Corpus Christi resident or lived outside city limits.
Speakers also emphasized their concern for retaliation from other community members following the exposure of their address.