I’ve never heard of a rule that says a speaker must face the councilmembers at all times when speaking. She had four minutes; she should have been allowed all 240 seconds before anyone said as much as boo to her, regardless of which direction she chose to face.
Guidelines for being heard
Citizens can speak on any item by completing a citizen comment card and submitting it to city staff prior to the meeting. A sample of the speaker card is shown below:
sample of speaker card
Citizens may only speak when recognized by the mayor or the presiding officer of the meeting if the mayor is absent. However, it is the policy and practice of the mayor and council to allow citizens to appear before the city council on any published agenda item to express their views. A citizen speaker card must be completed for each item the speaker may wish to address.
In compliance with the Open Meeting Law, speakers should confine their statements to the issue on the posted agenda which is before the council. Speakers are also requested to limit their comments to approximately two minutes or as designated by the mayor.
Opposing viewpoints may be expressed by the citizens present. As a courtesy, citizens are reminded to address their comments to the mayor and council and not to the audience present. Please show respect for all speakers and avoid personal comments. Remember, council must hear both sides of an issue to make an informed decision.