Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 12/06/2011 - RESOLUTION 2011-107 AMENDING THE RULES OF PROCEDURDATE: December 6, 2011 STAFF: Darin Atteberry AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 29 SUBJECT Resolution 2011-107 Amending the Rules of Procedure Governing the Conduct of City Council Meetings. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Resolution amends the rules of procedure that govern the conduct of City Council meetings by moving consideration of items pulled from the Consent Calendar by a member of the City Council to earlier in the Order. In addition, the Resolution clarifies the point in the Order of Business at which items may be pulled off of the Consent Calendar for individual consideration. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION Since 2003, the Council has conducted its meetings under rules of procedure that govern the length of meetings, citizen comment, Council questions and debate, and basic rules of order. These Rules have been amended on occasion to reflect changes, refinements and clarifications to the procedures. The Resolution changes the Order of Business so that items pulled from the Consent Calendar by a member of the City Council will be considered prior to the first item scheduled for individual consideration. The Resolution also clarifies the specific timing and sequence for the opportunity for City Council members and citizens to pull items from the Consent Calendar. The Resolution specifies that after the City Manager’s Agenda Review, first the City Council, and then citizens, will have an opportunity to pull items from the Consent Calendar, prior to Citizen Participation. These changes are intended to allow more efficient use of time and resources in connection with items identified by the City Council at the meeting as requiring individual discussion. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution. RESOLUTION 2011-107 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AMENDING THE RULES OF PROCEDURE GOVERNING THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS WHEREAS, the City Council has previously adopted rules of procedure governing the conduct of City Council meetings (the “Rules of Procedure”); and WHEREAS, in order to better manage the timing and resources required in connection with items pulled from the Consent Calendar for discussion, the City Council wishes to modify the Order of Business set out in the Rules of Procedure so that consideration of items pulled by City Councilmembers from the Consent Calendar for individual consideration will take place before the first item scheduled for individual consideration; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to add clarifying language describing in more detail the timing and sequence for pulling items from the Consent Calendar for individual consideration. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the following revised rules governing the conduct of all regular City Council meetings are hereby adopted by the City Council: Section 1. Order of Business. Council business shall be conducted in the following order: Proclamations and Presentations. (Prior to the meeting) Pledge of Allegiance Call Meeting to Order Roll Call City Manager’s Agenda Review Opportunity for City Council to Pull Consent Items Opportunity for Citizens to Pull Consent Items Citizen Participation Citizen Participation Follow-up Consent Calendar Consent Calendar Follow-up Staff Reports Councilmember Reports Council-Pulled Consent Items Items Needing Individual Consideration Citizen-Pulled Consent Items Other Business Adjournment Section 2. Length of Meetings a. Council meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. Proclamations will be presented prior to the meeting at approximately 5:30 p.m. or such earlier time as may be necessary in order for the presentation of proclamations to end by 6:00 p.m. b. No more than two (2) short breaks will be planned per meeting. All Councilmembers and staff will return to their seats in the Council Chambers at the conclusion of each ten-minute break. The Mayor will resume the meeting at the prescribed time. c. Every Council meeting will end no later than 10:30 p.m., except that: (1) any item of business commenced before 10:30 p.m. may be concluded before the meeting is adjourned and (2) the City Council may, by majority vote, extend a meeting until no later than 12:00 a.m. for the purpose of considering additional items of business. Any matter which has been commenced and is still pending at the conclusion of the Council meeting, and all matters scheduled for consideration at the meeting which have not yet been considered by the Council, will be continued to the next regular Council meeting and will be placed first on the discussion agenda for such meeting. Section 3. Citizen Comment. a. During the “Citizen Participation” segment of each meeting, citizen comment will be allowed on matters of interest or concern to citizens other than the following: (1) items to be considered by the City Council under the discussion agenda for that night’s meeting; (2) matters that are the subject of an application that has been filed with the City when the approval or disapproval of the application is appealable to the City Council. A maximum of five (5) minutes will be allowed per speaker. In order to determine the actual amount of time to be allotted to each speaker, the Mayor will ask for a show of hands by all persons intending to speak. If the number of persons intending to speak is more than six (6), the Mayor will shorten the allotted time in order to allow as many people as possible to address the Council within a reasonable period of time given the scheduled agenda. -2- b. Citizen input will be received with regard to: (i) each item on the discussion agenda, (ii) each item pulled from the consent agenda, and (iii) any item that is addressed by formal Council action under the “Other Business” segment of the meeting that may directly affect the rights or obligations of any member of the general public. Such citizen input will be permitted only once per item regardless of the number of motions made during Council’s consideration of the item. c. The time limits for individual citizen comments regarding agenda items will be established by the Mayor prior to each such item. In order to determine the amount of time to be allotted to each speaker, the Mayor will ask for a show of hands by all persons intending to speak to the item. If the number of persons indicating an intent to speak to an item is twelve (12) or less, each speaker will generally be allowed five (5) minutes. If the number of persons indicating an intent to speak to an item is thirteen (13) or more, each speaker will generally be limited to three (3) minutes per item. However, the Mayor may increase or decrease the time limits per speaker as he or she deems necessary to facilitate the City Council’s understanding of the item, or to allow the Council to consider and act upon the item in a timely fashion. d. Any determination of the Mayor with regard to the foregoing time limits may be overridden by a majority vote of the Council. Section 4. Council Questions and Debate. Council questions and debate regarding an agenda item will occur immediately following citizen input and prior to entertaining any main motion related to the item. Except when raising a point of order, Councilmembers seeking to ask questions or participate in debate will do so only when called upon by the Mayor. The Mayor may limit or curtail questions or debate as he or she deems necessary for the orderly conduct of business, except as overridden by a majority of Councilmembers present and voting, pursuant to a point of order. No Councilmember will speak to an item more than once until all other Councilmembers have had an opportunity to be heard. Section 5. Basic Rules of Order. The following commonly used rules of order will govern the conduct of City Council business. Except as specifically noted, all motions require a second. These rules of order are based upon Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised and have been modified as necessary to conform to existing practices of the Council and to the requirements of the City Charter. For example, while a two-thirds vote is necessary for the passage of some of the motions listed below under Robert’s Rules of Order, all motions of the Council, except a motion to go into executive session or a motion to adopt an emergency ordinance, may be adopted upon approval of a majority vote of the members present at a Council meeting, pursuant to Art. II, Sec. 11 of the City Charter. If there is a question of procedure not addressed by these rules, reference shall be made to -3- Robert’s Rules of Order for any needed clarification or direction. In the event of any conflict between these rules of order and Robert’s Rules of Order, these rules of order shall prevail. In the event of any conflict between these rules of order or Robert’s Rules of Order and the City Charter or City Code provisions, the City Charter or City Code provision shall prevail. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 6th day of December A.D. 2011. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk -4-