Plymouth Township residents could see new rules governing how they speak at council meetings after a vote scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The five-member council is set to decide on the township's first formal public comment policy at its 7 p.m. business meeting at the Township Building, 700 Belvoir Road. The township has never had a written policy, though it has allowed public comment as required by state law. The push to formalize rules follows confusion over public comment procedures during the township's ongoing data center zoning hearings.

The proposed policy would eliminate the opening public comment period for agenda items at the start of meetings. MoreThanTheCurve reported that this opening comment period has not appeared on a council agenda since Aug. 11, 2025, and was not offered at the September or October 2025 meetings.

At the Oct. 5 workshop meeting, at-large Council member Chris Manero said the opening comment period saw little use. "During his years on council, this opportunity for public comment was rarely used," he said.

Under the proposed policy, residents would still be able to comment on each action item when the council votes on it. An end-of-meeting comment period for topics not on the agenda would also remain. Individual speakers would be limited to three minutes.

Hearings held by the council and the zoning hearing board would follow separate rules. Public comment would be allowed only after the applicant, township staff, consultants or other relevant parties have finished their presentations.

The proposed policy also includes decorum guidelines for public comment. The full policy language begins on page 128 of the Oct. 13 meeting packet, available on the Plymouth Township website.

Council reviewed and discussed the proposal at its Oct. 5 workshop before scheduling the vote. The Oct. 13 meeting was originally set for Monday, Oct. 12, but was rescheduled due to a scheduling conflict, according to a township notice.

Council Chair Lynne M. Viscio and the four other members have not commented publicly on the proposal beyond Manero's remarks. Residents can attend the meeting in person to comment during the designated periods.