Rochester doesn't follow its own rules making them most restrictive on Seacoast

Editor's note: Today The Rochester Voice continues an occasional series examining why the Rochester City Council does not allow public input at all board meetings, which would give city residents more voice in the direction of their community.

ROCHESTER - Rochester is the only Seacoast city to not allow public comment at its City Council meetings, according to a recent survey conducted by The Rochester Voice.
Dover, Somersworth and Portsmouth all allow public comment at every City Council meeting, whether it be an official meeting or a workshop or work session.
Somersworth allows public comment at the start and end of every City Council meeting, City Manager Bob Belmore told The Voice earlier this month.
He said that they don't usually have public input during workshops, but if somebody does want to speak, they usually let them.
It should be noted that City Council meetings are where budgetary and ordinance issues are decided, while workshops are mostly for discussion where no action items are voted on, which means City Council "meetings" far outweigh workshops in terms of how it may impact residents.
In Dover, where City Council meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday, anyone can comment at the start of the meeting.
Finally, City of Portsmouth clerk Kelli Barnaby told The Voice that citizens can voice their opinion at every council meetings. Barnaby said the City devotes a collective 45 minutes for public input and the amount each speaker gets is apportioned by the number of speakers there are. Citizens are also welcome to comment at work sessions.
But what is bewildering to many Rochester residents is that while the city doesn't allow public input during the most important meetings held the first Tuesday of the month - when ordinance and budgetary items are up for a vote - public input is off the table.
In fact, the idea they would prohibit public input at any City Council meetings goes against their own City Council Rules of Order as stated on the city's website.
SECTION 1.9 PUBLIC INPUT (Including during Public Hearings) - Guidelines for Public Comment. The City Council hereby acknowledges and affirms the value of and need for public input as it conducts the City's business. Public input and comment periods during City Council and subcommittee meetings is an essential part of local government meetings. This is an opportunity for members of the public to inform the City Council of their views and offer unique insights regarding topics within the City Council's purview. However, it must be clear that these are business meetings of the City Council. The public does not participate in the decision-making process. The public's role is to provide input for the City Council's consideration in making its decisions.
It seems that the City Council is in violation of their own rules.
Maybe they should rewrite the rules to state that "Public input and comment periods during City Council and subcommittee meetings is an essential part of local government meetings, but in order to stifle dissent and in the best interests of the city, public input will be limited to workshops, when no officials decisions are made."
It appears the City of Rochester City Council has to either rewrite its own rules ... or change its rules.