DISCUSSION ITEM
SPONSOR: City Council Member Sherri Myers
SUBJECT:
title
DISCUSSION ITEM REGARDING CITY COUNCIL RULES FOR PARTICIPATION OF THE MAYOR, PUBLIC INPUT AND COUNCIL MEMBER INPUT
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SUMMARY:
City Council Rules and Procedures, in relevant part and as last amended and approved on October 8, 2020, reads as follows:
Section 1.08 Public Input on Agenda Items
A member of the public may address any action or discussion item on a Council meeting agenda by delivering a speaker’s card to the City Clerk at the meeting prior to the end of consideration by Council, or in a public hearing required by law or designated as such by the Council prior to the closing of the hearing. All comments shall be directed to the President who has it within his/her purview to allow a citizen to speak directly to a Council member. No Council member shall address a member of the public without permission from the President. Public input shall be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker and must be germane to the item under consideration, in the opinion of the President. In order to accommodate a larger number of speakers, the time limit for public input may be reduced in the President’s discretion. A speaker’s time may not be given to another. Public input on a particular agenda item shall be received during Council consideration of that item at a time recognized by the President. After public input is concluded, it may not be reopened without consent of the Council. In the interests of time and orderly deliberation, unless prohibited by law, the Council reserves the right to deny public input on any item at any time except a public hearing, required by law. Conversely, the Council may choose to permit public input at any time.
Section 1.09 Council Member Input
For any item or subject, Council members shall have a total of three (3) opportunities to speak and shall limit each opportunity to three (3) minutes. Members shall speak no more than once so long as any member who has not spoken desires to speak. So long as a member does not object, the President may choose not to enforce these limitations. These limitations may be waived or suspended for a time certain by majority vote of the existing membership of the Council. The requirements of this section shall not apply to workshops.
The City Charter, Section 4.01(a)(11) - Mayor. Powers and Duties., states, “To attend all meetings of the City Council with authority to participate in discussions, but without power to vote.” Currently there is nothing within Council’s Rules and Procedures which speaks to the Mayor’s participation at meetings.
This item seeks to discuss current rules and functioning.
PRIOR ACTION:
October 8, 2020 - City Council approved the current Council Rules and Procedures.
STAFF CONTACT:
Don Kraher, Council Executive
ATTACHMENTS:
1) 2016 cities county gov’t population [1]
PRESENTATION: No