Overview
- The council voted 5–2 to remove the open Call to the Public while keeping comment on listed agenda items.
- Resident Bethany Culp filed a Notice of Claim alleging Establishment Clause violations tied to religious eulogies and remarks at a Sept. 16 meeting.
- Town staff and the attorney said dropping the segments is meant to limit further claims and does not admit wrongdoing.
- Mayor Gerry Friedel said the policy will be revisited after a work group reviews procedures, though no timeline was given.
- The nearly five-hour meeting was repeatedly interrupted and the room was cleared, as legal experts noted public bodies are not required to offer general comment and the step is unusual in the Phoenix area.