The Apopka City Commission approved a motion on Wednesday night to remove the 30-minute cap on public comment and to increase the time limit per individual from three minutes to four, with final review set for a later date. 

Vice Mayor Diane Velazquez dissented with the increase in the individual time limit as set forth in Resolution No. 2025-19, saying that the current administration has been more lenient with the limit than the previous administration had been. 

“Our previous leadership would cut our speakers off by shutting the mic off at three minutes or tell them that they were done at three minutes, and I feel like we’ve been allowing them to continue to speak,” she said.  

Velazquez expressed concern that the increase would distract from the intention of commission meetings. 

“Our intention when we have these council meetings is to do the business of the city, and that’s important to me,” she said. “I have sat here where the business of the city those who come in, even the residents who come in concerned about what’s on our agenda, what’s going to affect them, has to sit through the entire public comment session, and sometimes it’s over an hour. And I don’t think that that’sfair to the public who actually comes in to do the business of the city.” 

Velazquez said Commissioner Yesenia Baron had originally introduced the request at around the second meeting of the current commission. Baron hoped the increase would give residents additional time to “breathe” and deliver their messages while feeling less “rushed,” especially those residents who are less comfortable with public speaking. 

“My point behind that was to make sure that we are providing people enough time to breathe and get to their point and share their concerns, their issues that they’re experiencing, and that we as a dais are listening to that,” Baron said. 

Apopka Museum President Maribel Brinkle said during public comment that the increase has drawn community concern as a potential catalyst for improper behavior. 

“I am a firm believer in the First Amendment; however, maintaining a three-minute limit does not diminish the right — it protects it by ensuring the same window of time for every resident, regardless of their position,” Brinkle said. “At this moment, extending public comment will not be viewed as an act of generosity; it will be viewed as a reward for the lack of decorum, personal attacks, and disrespect we have all sat through lately. This podium is where a city must hold itself to a higher standard.” 

Baron acknowledged receiving messages expressing those concerns and said “rewarding bad behavior” was “not the intention,” instead pointing back to the “opportunity for our residents to present themselves, to present their issues and their concerns to us in a timely manner, and not feel rushed.” 

Resident Virginia Street said she feels “rushed” every time she speaks at a meeting and leaves out important details.  

“The fact that we’re having this [discussion] kind of burns me a little bit, because if somebody’s going to be negative in three minutes, [in] four minutes, they’re going to be negative, too. It’s not the seconds on the clock — it’s going to be from the heart,” she said. “That minute will make a difference for me, you know, and I get up every two weeks and I practice and I do everything.”