How long is too long? Are speakers who drone on for 30 minutes wasting time or delivering valuable information? Is it fair for a resident to wait hours just to be heard?

Civic politicians debated the questions Tuesday while considering a staff recommendation to restrict speakers to five minutes during public hearings.

The Garden City lands hearings, which lasted several nights and generated multiple complaints from the public, prompted the city clerk's office to review the policy.

"I find people hijack meetings," said Coun. Ken Johnston, noting some would-be speakers walk out of long meetings and never return. "I think democracy is not served in that regard."

Most other Lower Mainland cities have time limits. Under current rules in Richmond, applicants are asked to make a brief presentation and speakers may address the hearing twice—the only limit being placed on the second presentation, of 10 minutes.

The city clerk's office is recommending a limit of five minutes for each presentation.

Lengthy presentations that run out the clock on a given night can cause "stress and inconvenience" for people who came out expecting to be heard, noted Gail Johnston, manager of legislative services in her report.

"More importantly, if those people are unavailable on subsequent additional hearing dates, they may feel that they have not been afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard, as required by the Local Government Act."

Coun. Evelina Halsey-Brandt said some people feel so passionately about issues, they need to "spill their guts" at public hearings.

"I don't think it needs fixing, frankly," she said. "I'm not going to be willing to put any limit on it."

Other councillors believe a limit is in order.

"I've never been a fan of the filibuster," said Coun. Derek Dang. "That's not fair."

Mayor Malcolm Brodie suggested the limit be 10 minutes for the first presentation and five for the second.

"We've all heard the situation where just to be the focus (a person speaks for) hours, and I think that's wrong and unfair to others."

Council has yet to take a formal vote on a policy change.

Public hearing time limits for first and second presentations

-Vancouver: 5 minutes/2 minutes

-City of North Vancouver: 5/5

-District of North Vancouver: 5/no limit

-Delta: 5/2

-New Westminster: 3/3

-Burnaby: 10/no limit

-Coquitlam: 5/no limit

-Surrey: no limit/no limit