Title
Ordinance to Amend and Re-Enact Chapter 2, Division 2 of the Code of the City of Hampton Entitled “Meetings” by Amending Sec. 2-43 Pertaining to Citizen Comment at Public Comment Periods
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
During its retreat held July 16, 2014, City Council discussed how regular meetings and work sessions could be used to make the transaction of city business more efficient.
As a result of these discussions, Council agreed, among other things, to move the public comment period to the end of the evening business meetings. The public would have an opportunity to speak on matters of public concern twice a month.
At Council’s retreat held on August 3, 2016, Council discussed how to best address the public comment period since there were advocates and strong arguments for having public comment before and/or after the regular business meeting. By motion duly made and seconded on August 10, 2016, Council implemented a process to move the public comment period after the public hearings but before any other regular business not requiring a public hearing. The motion allowed for this temporary move for six months.
The six month trial period expires February 10, 2017, and Council has determined that leaving the public comment period as proposed in the motion on August 10, 2016, strikes a balance between those who want the public comment period earlier in the agenda and those who want it later.
Discussion:
The Ordinance amendment reflects Council’s proposal.
Recommendation:
Rec
Approve the Ordinance.
Body
DIVISION 2. MEETINGS
• Sec. 2-43. - Order of business-Regular meetings.
At every regular meeting of the council, the order of business shall be as follows:
(1) Call of the roll.
(2) Invocation/Pledge of allegiance.
(3) Consent agenda for the meeting, as prepared by the clerk of the council and to include consideration of the minutes of the previous meeting, ordinances believed to be routine and noncontroversial, and any other items believed by the clerk of the council to be routine and not controversial in nature; provided that, a member of the council may, by request, have any item moved from the consent agenda to the regular business agenda. Removal of an item from the consent agenda by an individual council member shall require twenty-four (24) hours notice to the city manager, city attorney or clerk of council, or the concurrence of three council members at the meeting. The consent agenda shall be approved in toto by motion and roll call vote.
(4) Presentations, proclamations and awards.
(5) Regular business agenda, as prepared by the clerk of the council and to include all public hearing items, public comment pertaining to other matters on the general business agenda and general business items.
(a) For purposes of this subsection, the regular business agenda will include items of which the clerk of council has been notified by any of the following persons: the mayor, at least three (3) concurring members of council, the city manager or the city attorney by 12:00 p.m. on each Friday following the second Wednesday each month, (i.e., the "regular meeting agenda deadline"). Items submitted after the regular meeting agenda deadline for any given meeting shall be included on the regular agenda only with the approval of the city manager.
(b) Members of the general public recognized to speak at public hearings on the regular business agenda or to speak to other matters on the regular business agenda shall be allotted three (3) minutes speaking time without regard to any attempt by others to yield time to the speaker, and shall only be permitted to use the city audio-visual equipment during their allotted speaking period after submission of the material to be displayed to the office of the clerk for virus screening and software compatibility no less than two (2) business days prior to the scheduled meeting.
(6) Reports by city manager, city council, staff or committees.
(7) Miscellaneous new business, to include and be limited to the opportunity for members of the council, the city manager and the city attorney to be heard concerning matters relating to the business of the city: No initiative requiring a vote by council, except when subject to a specific time constraint or determined to be an emergency by a majority vote of council, shall be presented on the floor by a council member under new business.
(8) Such order of business shall not be departed from except by the consent of four (4) members of the council.