City Council Meeting Date: February 14, 2017
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Deb Little, City Clerk
Title
Discussion of City Council Rules of Business.
Body
Action Requested:
Discussion only.
Summary Report:
The Northfield City Council reviewed the Rules of Business for City Council meetings at their January 10, 2017 Work Session. Through a facilitated discussion, the Council provided input on particular topic areas. Staff incorporated that input into the attached Northfield City Council Rules of Business/Meeting Rules. Please note that this is a working document. It has not been formatted and contains highlighted areas with options and alternatives for consideration. Council is asked to consider a straw poll or other method of providing consensus and or direction to staff on the items noted so they can be incorporated into proposed document for action at a future meeting.
The list below contains significant proposed changes along with options to be considered for some of these changes. These items are also highlighted in the attached documents.
1. Proposed meeting time:
Note: Council is asked to consider a straw poll or other method of providing consensus and/ or direction to staff on meeting time and simple or super majority to extend.
o 6 - 9 pm or other (page 3)
o Review and reassess prior to year end
o Super majority or simple majority to extend meeting beyond ending time (page 3)
o Staff used a survey poll to gather information from the public on meeting start times. The poll was listed on the City’s website and Facebook page January 18 - February 3, 2017. Northfield News & KYMN Radio provided coverage on the poll and provided a link to the City poll. There were 34 responses to the poll. A summary of the results are noted in the following table with additional details in the attachment:
|
City Council Meeting Time Poll Results |
|
Time |
Number |
Percentage |
|
6:00 pm |
14 |
41.18% |
|
6:30 pm |
10 |
29.41% |
|
7:00 pm |
6 |
17.65% |
|
Doesn’t matter |
4 |
11.76% |
2. Agenda
Note: Council is asked to consider a straw poll or other method of providing consensus and/or direction to staff on options provided for public comment on the agenda.
• Public Comment (Pages 4 & 5)
o Suggest moving open public comments before consent agenda. Provides opportunity for speakers to provide input early in the meeting on any topic, including those items on the consent agenda.
o Remove separate comments on consent agenda items if Open Public Comment is moved before consent agenda.
o Public Comment on Regular Agenda Items Options:
A. Leave as is
B. Provide comments during the “Open Public Comments” period at the beginning of the meeting and through the use of eComment.
C. Provide comments during the “Open Public Comments” period at the beginning of the meeting with Mayor’s discretion on allowing comments on regular agenda items. Commonly found ways from other cities for public comments included the Mayor to decide items to take public comment on based on people in attendance for a particular topic or for those that have pre-registered to speak in advance. These items would be noted during the approval of the agenda.
D. Other
o eComment Module in Granicus
Staff has researched a module that is available to be added to our existing electronic agenda management software called eComment. This would expand the ease of electronic participation by people allowing them to view agenda items and provide comments on a web based form. The comments will appear through the iLegislate program that Council is currently using. The comments will appear in iLegislate as they are submitted, basically in “real time.” It is recommended that the comment feature cutoff time is 12:00 noon on day of meeting so Council and staff have time to read comments and prepare a summary for the public copy of the meeting materials in the council chambers.
The “Register to Speak” option is also available in this module. Speakers can electronically sign up to speak in advance of the meeting on a topic. This would be in addition to comment cards being available at the meeting.
• Moved City Administrator Update before Mayor & Council reports (page 5). This change was suggested based on recent practice. Alternate option is to leave as is.
3. Council Recognition of Citizens/Groups (page 7)
• Added Mayoral proclamations
4. Seating Assignments (page 9)
Note: Council is asked to consider a straw poll or other method of providing consensus and or direction to staff on the options.
• Options:
A. Mayor decides
B. Council members shall occupy the chairs assigned to them by the presiding officer, but two council members may exchange seats by joining in a formal request to the presiding officer (Minnesota Mayors Handbook)
C. At large members are seated on either side of the Mayor, ward members fill in the remaining seats in order starting with Ward 1 in the seat next to the City Administrator and continuing around the dais (as suggested by Councilor DeLong).
D. Randomly determined weekly seating (as suggested by Councilor Nakasian).
E. Other ?
Appendix A -Rules of Order for Councils (Amended Minnesota Mayors Association document)
Council is asked to review and provide input on this document.
1. Amendments made such as requiring a second for a motion, changing words used “call to order” to “point of order,” request made for Council to decide on simple or super majority vote required for several items noted below, removal of alternating debate between proponents and opponents of an issue, removal of section on resolutions and ordinances as staff prepares these in advance with consultation of the attorney as needed, reworded the section on applicability of Roberts Rules of Order.
2. Input and decisions on additional changes to this document are requested as follows:
A. Include number of minutes of debate that are required on a single motion before a member can move the previous question/call the question on an item. Document lists 20 minutes. Leave as is, strike, or change number (page 5 - item g)
B. Vote required to “move the previous question.” Simple or super majority? (page 5 - item g)
C. Motion to establish time limits for debate on an item. Simple or super majority vote (page 5 - item h)
D. Motion to suspend the rules. Simple or super majority vote (page 7 - item h)
Appendix B - Rules of Decorum
Council is asked to review and provide input on this document.
Appendix C - Frequently Used Motions Table
This document will be completed and attached when the Rules of Business document is finalized.
Appendix D - Citizen Guide.
The existing Citizens Guide is attached. Staff will update the guide based on direction related to the Rules of Business/Meeting Rules document.
Alternative Options:
Not applicable.
Financial Impacts:
Not Applicable
Tentative Timelines:
Staff will incorporate amendments following Council feedback and bring a proposed document back for Council action.