2002-018
FILE REFERENCE FORM
2002-018
FILE(S) Date Initials
Amended by Ordinance No. 2004-014 01/06/04 JR
Amended by Ordinance No. 2004-033 02/03/04 JR
Repealed by Ordinance No. 2004-182 07/20/04 JR
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 2001-193 AND SECTION 2-29 OF THE CITY
CODE RELATING TO RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR TYPES OF MEETINGS AND
PRESENTATIONS BY CITIZENS FOR THE CITY COUNCiL OF THE CITY OF DENTON,
TEXAS, PROVIDING A SEVERABiLITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND
DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the Constitution and Laws of the State of Texas, and Section 2.07 of the City
Charter of the City of Denton, Texas, authorize the City Council of said City to promulgate and
establish roles of procedure to govern and conduct meetings, order of business, and decorum, while
acting as a legislative body representing said City; and
WHEREAS, because of its desire to serve the public through the medium of public meetings, it
has become necessary to amend City Council Rules of Procedure to provide for more effective and
efficient meetings; NOW, THEREFORE,
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS, HEREBY ORDAINS:
g~CTlCIlq 1. That Ordinance Number 2001-193 of the Denton City Council Rules of
Procedure, Section 4.1 to 4.3, TYPES OF MEETINGS, and Section 6 (2-29(d)) PRESENTATION BY
CITIZENS as well as Section 2-29, City Council Procedures; Order of Business of the Code of
Ordinances of the City are hereby amended to read as follows:
4. TVPF-q OF
4.1 Regular Meeting~: The Council shall meet at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday
of each month, with executive sessions (closed meetings) of the Council commencing at 5:30 p.m., or
at any other time set by the Council, unless the meeting is postponed or cancelled for valid reasons. All
regular meetings of the Council will be held in the Municipal Building at 215 East McKinney Street,
Denton, Texas or at such other location as the City Council may, by motion, resolution or ordinance
from time to time designate.
4.2 ,qpeeial Meetinga: Special meetings may be called by the Mayor, the City Manager,
or by any three members of the Council. The call for a special meeting shall be filed with the City
Secretary in written form, and he or she shall post notice thereof as provided by the Texas Open
Meetings Act, TEX. GOV'T. CODE ANN. § 551.001, et seq. (Vernon1999, as amended). The Mayor,
City Manager, or three of the Council Members may designate a location for the special meeting other
than the Municipal Building as long as the location is open to the public.
4.3 Wr~rk~hnp Meefing~: Workshop meetings or work sessions may be held from 4:30
p.m. to 5:15 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month, to discuss near to mid range issues.
Workshop meetings or work sessions may be held from 5:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the first and third
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Tuesday of each month, to answer Council questions concerning consent agenda items. Workshop or
Work Sessions may be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month to
discuss mid to long-range issues. Workshops or Work Sessions may be called using the same
procedure required for special meetings as provided for in Section 4.2, above. The purpose of the
workshop meeting is to discuss or explore matters of interest to the City, to meet with City Board,
Commission, or Committee Members, City staff or officers of civic organizations, governing bodies or
individuals specifically invited to the session by the Mayor, Council or City Manager. These meetings
are informational and normally, no final action shall be taken unless the posted agenda indicates
othem, ise. 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 ses-
sion. 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 meeting without distracting comment from the audience.
6.4 (2-29(d))
a. (2-29(d)(i)) (2iti~en Repnrt~: 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 consi-
dered. A time for such citizen reports shall be provided on the agenda after the pledge of allegiance,
approval of the minutes, and the presentation of proclamations. Any speaker providing a citizen report
shall speak for no longer than five (5) 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
citizen may fill out a "request to speak" form or have an opportunity to speak or comment on another
citizen's report, which is given at the same Council meeting.
b. (2-29(d)(ii)) ~q.nenking nn Regular and {2on,ant Age. naa Itern~: Any person who wishes to
address the Council regarding an 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 return it to the City
Secretary before the Council considers the item. The Mayor will call upon the citizen to speak for no
longer than three (3) minutes as that particular agenda item is considered by the City Council. The
provisions of this paragraph do not apply to workshop meetings, and a citizen's right to speak and
provide input at those meetings shall be limited and controlled by Section 4.3 "Workshop Meetings" of
this ordinance.
c. (2-29(d)(iii)) any person who wishes to address the Council at a public hearing shall
complete a "request to speak" form and return it to the City Secretary before the applicable hearing.
The Mayor will call upon the citizen to speak for no longer than three (3) minutes.
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d. (2-29(d)(iv) Any group or organization comprising of ten or more members present in the
City Council Chambers who wishes to address the Council at a public hearing or anon public hearing
agenda shall have a representative address the City Council and shall limit their remarks to ten (10)
minutes or less.
6.5 (2-29(e)) Time Limit~: Speakers before the Council shall limit their remarks to three (3)
minutes or less for public hearing and non-public hearing items. Citizen reports shall be limited to five
(5) minutes or less. Groups or organizations comprising of ten or more members shall limit their
remarks in accordance to the parameters established in paragraph 6.4 (2-29(d)(iv)). At the discretion of
the presiding officer or a majority of the City Council, any speaker may be granted a continuance of
time to speak.
REC. TIONI g That save and except as amended hereby, all the provisions, sections,
subsections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, and phrases of the Code of Ordinances shall remain
in full force and effect.
SECTION 4. If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or word in this
ordinance, or application thereof to any person or cimumstances is held invalid by any court of
competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the validity of the remairfmg portions of this
ordinance, and the City Council of the City of Denton, Texas, hereby declares it would have enacted
such remaining portions despite any such invalidity.
gRCTIC~N 4. That this Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its passage and
approval.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the ~ day of ~002.
EULINE BROCK, MAYOR
ATTEST:
JENNIFER WALTERS, CITY SECRETARY
HERBERT L. PROUTY, CITY ATTORNEY
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