2010-312FILE REFERENCE FORM 2010-312
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Repealed b Ordinance No. 2011-038 03/01/11 )R
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ORDINANCE NO. 2010-312
AN ORDINANCE SUSPENDING CERTAIN PORTIONS OF SECTION 2-29 OF THE CITY
CODE RELATING TO RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF DENTON, TEXAS UNTIL APRIL 1, 2011 AND SUBSTITUTING ALTERNATIVE
PROVISIONS THROUGH MARCH 31, 2011 FOR THE PURPOSE OF TESTING INTERIM
RULES OF PROCEDURE HEREIN ESTABLISHED; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Denton desires to conduct the City Council
meetings of the City of Denton in the most efficient and time effective manner; and
WHEREAS, the City Council also desires to allow open dialogue by citizens of the
community regarding the business of city government; and
WHEREAS, recent meetings of the City Council have run into the late evening hours and
even the early morning hours, thereby inconveniencing citizens waiting to make comments to the
City Council and fatiguing the Council, staff and citizens; and
WHEREAS the City Council desires to test some alternative processes and procedures to
streamline the City Council meetings, limit their duration, and facilitate citizen's access to make
comments to their local governing body; and
WHEREAS the City Council desires to suspend certain provisions of its Rules of Procedure
in order to test the alternative processes and procedures; NOW, THEREFORE,
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DENTON HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. That certain portions of Section 2-29 of the City Code, known as the Denton
City Council Rules of Procedure, are hereby suspended until April 1, 2011 and alternative
procedures are substituted to test their efficiency through March 31, 2011, as follows:
SUSPENDING
2-29(d) TVes of Meetings
(3) Workshop Meetings: Citizens or other interested persons attending the work session
will not be allowed to participate in the session unless invited to do so by the Mayor. Citizens
should be advised of the nature of the work session and that their input may be received and
considered at a regularly scheduled council meeting where the agenda provides for final action to be
taken on the matter. The purpose of this procedure is to allow the citizens attending the regular
meeting the opportunity of hearing the views of their fellow citizens in a more formal setting. Any
citizen may supply the City Council a written statement or report regarding the citizen's opinion on
a matter being discussed in a work session. If the Mayor invites citizens to participate in a work
session, their participation will cease at the point the Mayor closes the session to public input to
allow the Council to give City staff direction as to needed information for the possible future
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meeting without distracting comment from the audience.
SUBSTITUTING
2-29(d) Tunes of Meetings:
(3) Workshop Meetings:... Citizens or other interested persons attending the workshop
meeting will be allowed to make citizen comment regarding consent agenda items to be considered
in the regular council meeting. Speakers will be allowed three minutes per speaker and may
comment on any or all consent agenda items so long as any speaker's time does not exceed a total
of three minutes. All speakers must comply with 2-29(f)(4)b. with regard to completing a "right to
speak" card prior to the council's consideration of the clarification of the consent agenda items. As
it concerns all other items posted on the workshop agenda, citizens or other interested persons may
not participate in the session unless invited to do so by the Mayor. Citizens should be advised of the
nature of the work session and that they may make comment on the consent agenda items as herein
specified, but that their input on other items on the agenda may be received and considered at a
regularly scheduled council meeting where the agenda provides for final action to be taken on the
matter. The purpose of this procedure is to allow the citizens attending the regular meeting the
opportunity of hearing the views of their fellow citizens in a more formal setting. Any citizen may
supply the City Council a written statement or report regarding the citizen's opinion on a matter
being discussed in a work session. If the Mayor invites citizens to participate in a work session
other than citizen comment on consent items, their participation will cease at the point the Mayor
closes the session to public input to allow the Council to give City staff direction as to needed
information for the possible future meeting without distracting comment from the audience.
SUSPENDING
2-29(f)(4) Presentations from Members of the Public:
a. Reports from Members of the Public: Any person who wishes to place a subject on the
Council agenda at regular City Council meetings shall advise the City Manager's office of that fact
and the specified subject matter which he or she desires to place on the agenda no later than 5:00
p.m. Wednesday prior to the Council meeting at which he or she wishes the designated subject to be
considered. A time for such reports shall be determined by the Agenda Committee giving due
consideration to the length of the Agenda, the convenience of the public, and the orderly flow of
public business. Any speaker providing a report shall speak for no longer than four (4) minutes on
all items that he or she may bring before the Council at each meeting, unless the Mayor or the
majority of the Council grants an extension of time. No person may fill out a "request to speak"
form in order to speak or comment on another person's report, which is given at the same Council
meeting. An announcement shall be made, prior to the time for reports from members of the public
on the agenda, summarizing the main portions of the Rules and subsection (c), "Code of Conduct"
as they may apply to members of the public speaking to the Council.
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b. Speaking on Regular and Consent Agenda Items: Any person who wishes to address the
Council regarding a non-public hearing item that is on the Council's agenda for a regular or special
meeting, shall complete a "request to speak" form asking to speak regarding the item and shall
return it to the City Secretary before the Council considers the item. The Mayor will call upon the
person to speak for no longer than three (3) minutes as that particular agenda item is considered by
the City Council except that applicants and their agents on public hearing items shall be allowed to
speak for no longer than five (5) minutes or as indicated in (f)(5) "Time Limits." The provisions of
this paragraph do not apply to workshop meetings, and a person's right to speak and provide input
at these meetings shall be limited and controlled by subsection (d)(3) "Workshop Meetings".
2-29(f)(5): Time Limits: Speakers before the Council shall limit their remarks to no more than
three (3) minutes for public hearing items provided that applicants for land use or other public
hearing items and their agents shall limit their remarks to five (5) minutes or less per speaker and
shall have a maximum of fifteen (15) minutes to speak to the item. Reports from members of the
public shall be limited to four (4) minutes or less. Groups or organizations comprised of ten or
more members shall limit their remarks in accordance with the parameters established in paragraph
(f)(4). At the discretion of the presiding officer or a majority of the City Council, any speaker may
be granted an extension of time to speak.
SUBSTITUTING
2-29(f)(4) Presentations from Members of the Public:
a. Reports from Members of the Public: Any person who wishes to place a subject on the
Council agenda at regular City Council meetings shall advise the City Manager's office of that fact
and the specified subject matter which he or she desires to place on the agenda no later than 5:00
p.m. Wednesday prior to the Council meeting at which he or she wishes the designated subject to be
considered. Such reports shall be heard either at the beginning of the regular meeting of the City
Council, or later on the council's agenda at a place determined by the Agenda Committee in light of
the length of the agenda and the anticipation of time needed for the agenda items under
consideration. Placement of citizen reports at the beginning of the agenda shall be determined by a
rule of rotation as follows: Every member of the public will be given an opportunity for placement
of their report at the beginning of the regular city council meeting once every six (6) months; should
a citizen desire to present reports more frequently than once every 6 months, such reports will be
heard by the council at the time determined by the Agenda Committee after the calling of an agenda
item posted for such purpose; and speakers will be assigned to the first part of the meeting on a first
come, first served basis with a limit of three (3) speakers assigned to this early forum. It is the
intent of the rule of rotation to better manage the time of the City Council members, the city staff,
and to fashion some more available and convenient time for all members of the public to address the
City Council on a non-discriminatory and rotating basis. Any speaker providing a report shall speak
for no longer than four (4) minutes on all items that he or she may bring before the Council at each
meeting, unless the Mayor or the majority of the Council grants an extension of time. No person
may fill out a "request to speak" form in order to speak or comment on another person's report,
which is given at the same Council meeting. An announcement may be made, prior to the time for
reports from members of the public on the agenda, summarizing the main portions of the Rules and
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subsection (c), "Code of Conduct" as they may apply to members of the public speaking to the
Council.
b. Speaking oRgular and Consent Agenda Items: Any person who wishes to address the
Council regarding a non-public hearing item that is on the Council's agenda, shall complete a
"request to speak" form asking to speak regarding the item and shall return it to the City Secretary
before the Council considers the item. This procedure applies to speakers desiring to speak to
agenda items during the regular meeting of the City Council or the workshop session of the meeting
as it regards comments directed toward the consent agenda items. During the regular session, the
Mayor will call upon the person to speak for no longer than three (3) minutes as that particular
agenda item is considered by the City Council, except that applicants and their agents on public
hearing items shall be allowed to speak for no longer than five (5) minutes or as indicated in
subsection (f)(5). The provisions of 2-29(d)(3) "Workshop Meetings" shall control with regard to
time limitations for speakers on consent agenda items.
2-29(f)(5) Time Limits: Speakers before the Council shall limit their remarks to no more than three
(3) minutes for public hearing items provided that applicants for land use or other public hearing
items and their agents shall limit their remarks to five (5) minutes or less per speaker and shall have
a maximum of fifteen (15) minutes to speak to the item. Reports from members of the public shall
be limited to four (4) minutes or less. Groups or organizations comprised of ten or more members
shall limit their remarks in accordance with the parameters established in paragraph 2-29(f)(4).
Speakers before the Council on consent agenda items during the workshop sessions shall limit their
remarks on all consent items to no more than three (3) minutes per section 2-29(d). At the
discretion of the presiding officer or a majority of the City Council, any speaker may be granted an
extension of time to speak.
SECTION 2. That this Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its passage and
approval.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the
A.
~ay of 6&yj~ , 2010.
ATTEST:
JENNIFER WALTERS, CITY SECRETARY
BY: l~L~
APP OVED iTO LEGAL FORM:
ANITA BURGESS, CITY ATTORNEY
BY: 1 t Lilii
YOR
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