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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 4845-09-2017 A RESOLUTION NO. 4845-09-2017 AMENDING THE COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE TO REVISE SECTION 5.4.1 TO SET OUT THE TIME AND PROCEDURES FOR CITIZENS REGISTERING TO SPEAK; REVISE SECTIONS 5.4.3, 5.4.4 AND 5.4.6 REGARDING THE PROCESS FOR INDIVIDUAL, GROUP AND CITIZEN PRESENTATIONS AND TO ALLOW THE CHAIR TO REDUCE THE SPEAKER TIME TO TWO MINUTES; ADD A NEW SECTION, 5.4.7, RULES OF CONDUCT; DELETE SECTION 5.4.5, RECOGNITION OF SPEAKERS AND DELETE THE REPETITIVE LANGUAGE IN SECTION 4.3, PRESERVATION OF ORDER WHEREAS, Chapter 3, Section of the City Charter provides that the City Council shall determine the rules of procedure for its meetings; and WHEREAS, the City Council adopted its rules of procedure on January 8, 1960 and have amended them from time to time; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to further amend its current rules of procedure as set forth herein to add a new section to address rules of conduct for citizen presentations and to limit public comments during the citizen presentations portion of the City Council agenda to three minutes as more specifically set out in Exhibit A; and WHEREAS, the proposed amendments were discussed at the City Council Work Session on August 1, 2017 and September 18, 2017; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS: 1. The Rules of Procedure, City Council of Fort Worth (adopted January 8, 1960, as amended) are hereby amended as set forth in Exhibit "A". 2. The Resolution shall take effect on November 30, 2017. 3. The City Secretary and the City Attorney are directed to prepare a new printing of the Rules of Procedure, as amended, and distribute the same to the City Council, the City Manager and other city staff as deemed appropriate and make said amended rules available to the public. Adopted this 19" day of September 2017. OF F V�� O�T ATTEST. `0 m By: ? ary J. Kay r it e etary . �} FoRTWoRT ATTACHMENT A Revise 5.4.1 Registering to Speak at a City Council Meeting Speakers may address the City Council at a City Council meeting on any posted agenda item when the item is called or may speak on any matter related to City business or affairs that is within the scope of the authority and legislative functions of the City Council during the Citizen Presentations portion of the meeting. The deadline for registering to address the City Council at a City Council meeting is 5:00 pm on the day of the City Council meeting. Persons may register by calling the City Secretary's Office, registering in person at the City Secretary's Office or by registering on the City's website. The process to register will be prescribed by the City Secretary and shall be prominently displayed on the City's website and in the City Secretary's Office. No person shall be permitted to speak on an item that is specifically posted on the City Council meeting agenda or address the City Council during Citizen Presentations unless they previously registered to speak and are recognized by the Chair. A person registered to speak must be present in order to give his or her time to another registered speaker. No time may be given to a person that is not registered to speak. Persons or representatives may submit written comments in support or opposition to a particular agenda item or on a topic that could be discussed during Citizen Presentations in lieu of presenting verbal testimony, provided such written testimony is submitted by the registration deadline outlined in this Section. No persons shall be allowed to address the City Council at the Work Session unless they are presenting on an agenda item or called upon to speak by the Chair or the City Manager. All members of the public attending and/or speaking at a City Council meeting are required to abide by the Council Rules of Procedure. Revise language to 5.4.3 Individual Presentations on Posted Agenda Items When a posted agenda item is taken up for consideration by the City Council, the Chair shall recognize each individual that has registered to speak on that item by calling the person's name. Upon being recognized, the person shall advance to the center podium (or the back podium, if needed) and shall state his or her name and city of residence in an audible tone for the record and shall limit his or her remarks to the topic under discussion. A person desiring to speak shall address the Chair and the Council Members, not the audience or the City staff. Each speaker shall be limited to three (3) minutes. At the discretion of the Chair, the Chair may extend the time allotted to a speaker or may reduce the time allotted to each 1 speaker to two (2) minutes for such reasons as the time allocated for the meeting, the number and complexity of agenda items, or the number of persons wishing to address the City Council. No persons other than a Council Member or the person having the floor shall be permitted to enter into any discussion directly with a member of the City Council without the permission of the Chair. All questions to the Council shall be directed to the Chair. Revise 5.4.4 Group Presentations on Posted Agenda Items Presentation by a representative of an organized group consisting of a minimum of ten (10) persons shall be limited to six (6) minutes. The names of the ten persons shall be provided at the time the representative registers to speak and those ten (10) persons must be present in the Council Chamber when the matter is called. The ten (10) persons shall stand and be recognized by the Chair before the representative is allowed to address the City Council. A person counted as one of the ten individuals represented shall not be permitted to speak on the same subject. If the representative fails to list the names of ten (10) persons when he or she registers to speak or the ten (10) persons are not present in the Council Chamber when their names are called by the Chair, the representative's time to speak shall be limited to three (3) minutes. At the discretion of the Chair, the Chair may reduce the three (3) minutes allotted to the speaker to two (2) minutes for such reasons as the time allocated for the meeting, the number and complexity of agenda items, or the number of persons wishing to address the City Council. The representative speaker shall follow the same procedure set out in Section 5.4.3 Individual Presentations on Agenda Items. Delete: 5.4.5 Recognition of Speakers. Add language to 5.4.6 Citizen Presentations: Persons wishing to address the City Council about an item that is not otherwise posted on the City Council Meeting agenda and who have registered as required by Section 5.4.1 will be permitted to speak under the agenda item entitled "Citizen Presentations." The Chair shall have the discretion to call for all or a portion of the citizen presentations to be made under that agenda item earlier or later in the meeting. Responses to a citizen's presentation by the City Council and staff shall be in accordance with Texas Open Meetings Act requirements. If a citizen or City Council member raises a subject that has not been included in the public notice for the City Council Meeting, a response may consist only of a statement of specific factual information or a recitation of existing policy. The City Council shall not discuss or take action relative to any public comments made during the citizen presentation portion of the City Council meeting. Presentations by individuals shall be limited to three (3) minutes. At the discretion of the Chair, the Chair may extend the time for a speaker to address the City Council or may reduce the time 2 allotted to each speaker to two (2) minutes for such reasons as the time allocated for the meeting, the number and complexity of agenda items, or the number of persons wishing to address the City Council. Presentation by a representative of an organized group consisting of a minimum of ten (10) persons shall be limited to six (6) minutes. The names of the ten persons shall be provided at the time the representative registers to speak and those ten (10) persons must be present in the Council Chamber when the matter is called. The ten (10) persons shall stand and be recognized by the Chair before the representative is allowed to address the City Council. A person counted as one of the ten (10) individuals represented shall not be permitted to speak on the same subject. If the representative fails to list the names of ten (10) persons when he or she registers to speak or the ten (10) persons are not present in the Council Chamber when their names are called by the Chair, the representative's time to speak shall be limited to three (3) minutes. At the discretion of the Chair, the Chair may reduce the three (3) minutes allotted to the speaker to two (2) minutes for such reasons as the time allocated for the meeting, the number and complexity of agenda items, or the number of persons wishing to address the City Council. The representative speaker shall follow the same procedure set out in Section 5.4.3, Individual Presentations on Agenda Items. Add a new section 5.4.7 Rules of Conduct: City Council Meetings are conducted for the official business of the City Council. Members of the public attending City Council meetings shall observe the same rules of civility, decorum and respectful conduct applicable to members of the City Council. To ensure meetings are conducted in a professional and courteous manner which enables the order conduct of business, all persons in attendance or who participate in such meetings shall conduct themselves in a manner that does not interfere with the ability of others to observe and, when allowed, to participate without disruption or fear of intimidation, threats or hostility. Members of the public desiring to address the City Council shall be recognized by the Chair and shall state his or her name and city of residence in an audible tone for the record and shall limit his or her remarks to the topic under discussion. The public has the right to criticize policies, procedure, programs or services of the City or of the actions or omission of the City Council or City staff. A member of the public addressing the City Council shall not engage in any disorderly conduct which disrupts the orderly conduct of any City Council meeting. The Chair may rule a public speaker out of order and in violation of the Council Rules if. (a) the speaker is speaking beyond the allocated time limit and refuses to yield the floor; (b) the speaker's remarks are not relevant to the agenda item or City business or affairs; (c) the speaker repeatedly interrupts a Council Member; (d) the speaker's remarks are disruptive so as to disturb the peace and good order of the meeting, through use of, without limitation, loud, threatening, hostile, abusive, vulgar or obscene language or any other actions that disturb or are calculated to disturb the meeting; (e) the speaker engages in any conduct with 3 the intent to break up the meeting of the City Council or urges other to commit acts or engage in conduct to break up the meeting, including unreasonably loud and prolonged yelling, screaming, clapping or noise-creating acts which render it impossible or difficult for the City Council to conduct or continue with the meeting; or (f) the speaker willfully refuses or fails to comply with any Council Rule of Procedure or with any reasonable order of the Chair. Demonstrations, the carrying of signs or placards, or other activities which disturb the peace and good order of the meeting shall not be permitted in the Council Chambers. The Chair shall have the authority to preserve order at all City Council meetings and enforce the Council Rules of Procedure, including the authority to revoke the permission granted to any individual to speak if such individual is disruptive or does not adhere to Council Rule of Procedure, to remove or cause the removal of any person from any meeting of the City Council for disorderly conduct, and to exclude a person from returning to that same meeting from which the individual was removed. If the Chair determines that the Council Rules of Procedure are not being followed, one warning will be given to the individual(s). If the Council Rules of Procedure continue to be violated after one warning, the Chair may revoke the individual's speaking privileges and may remove, or cause to be removed by security personnel, the individual from the Council Chamber. Any individual ordered to be removed from a meeting shall be excluded from returning to that meeting from which the individual was removed and shall be barred from further audience before the City Council during that session of the City Council. Delete repetitive language from Section 4.3 Preservation of Order: Demonstrations, the carrying of signs or placards, or other activities which disturb the peace and good order of the meeting shall not be permitted in the Council Chambers 4