Alton City Council Hears Data Center Opposition, Union Concerns and Approves Public Comment Changes
ALTON – Signing up to make public comments at Alton meetings will soon be easier under newly approved changes to the process.
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At the Oct. 26, 2026 Alton Committee of the Whole meeting, it was revealed the city’s sign-up process to make public comments at city meetings violates the Open Meetings Act by requiring several pieces of detailed information from the person requesting the floor.
Alton also currently requires public comment requests to be sent to the City Clerk during normal business hours before the start of the meeting. This would be changed to allow people to sign up immediately before the meeting starts on a new sign-in sheet requiring much less information.
While the individual time limit for public comments is being kept at five minutes, there was some debate at the committee meeting about placing an overall time limit on all public comments made in a single meeting. After some discussion, committee members voted to impose a two-hour cap on all comments in one meeting.
At the following City Council meeting, Plan Commission member Michael Batchelor spoke against limiting all public comments to a two-hour window, noting the pressure many public speakers feel while standing at the podium.
“When you stand here, you understand that what you say could affect not just your future, but the future of your neighbors, your family and your entire community. But more and more, especially in recently years, there’s a new fear – that it won’t matter,” Batchelor said. “No matter how carefully you prepare, how passionate you speak and how much evidence you bring, your words will fall on deaf ears because the people sitting before us are too busy to even look up at us or have already made up their minds.”
Batchelor said imposing a two-hour time limit could lead groups to engage in filibuster-style tactics, dominating the entire two-hour speaking slot and preventing others from voicing opposing views. He also suggested grouping speakers together who are discussing the same topic.
“You were elected to represent the people of Alton. You represent the people who are too nervous to come here, the folks who have never spoken at a meeting, your neighbors who are afraid they won’t be taken seriously, and the people who finally found the courage to step up to this microphone,” he continued. “Their voices all deserve the same respect as yours. If you can’t be bothered to listen to your constituents during the two or four times a month you’re actually in this building, then quite frankly, you have no business sitting in the chairs that you do.”
When the item came up for a vote, Alderwoman Martha Pfister moved to make a series of language changes to the resolution. These include allowing accommodations for those unable to make comments in person and prohibiting attendees from disrupting speakers with disorderly conduct. These changes were approved unanimously.
Pfister also amended the resolution to remove the previously suggested two-hour cap on all public comments in a single meeting. After hearing for over two and a half hours from concerned citizens about a data center proposal, an ongoing Public Works strike and other city issues, Pfister said having to cut several people off from making their comments would not have been worth the time saved.
The amendment passed 5-2, with Alderwomen Stephanie Elliott and Patricia Ford voting to keep the two-hour time limit in place. Council members cast an identical 5-2 vote to pass the amended resolution, which will return in ordinance form for final approval at future meetings.
A recording of the Oct. 28, 2026 Alton City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
