Title
Approval of a Resolution Relating to Public Communication at City Council Business and Council Committee Meetings
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the resolution relating to public communication at City Council business and Council committee meetings.
Report
Issue:
Whether to rescind the Council's prohibition on persons offering public comment on topics for which the City Council has either held a public hearing in the previous 45 days or will hold a public hearing within the following 45 days.
Staff Contact:
Mark Barber, City Attorney, 360.753.8338
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item.
Background and Analysis:
The Olympia City Council has long maintained a prohibition on persons speaking at City Council business and Council committee meetings on topics for which the City Council has either held a public hearing in the previous 45 days or will hold a public hearing within the following 45 days. The purpose for this Council imposed rule relates to a time when land use appeals were to the Council, a practice that is no longer followed. Land use appeals are now to the Olympia Hearing Examiner, with any subsequent appeal to Thurston County Superior Court under the Land Use Petition Act (LUPA), RCW Chapter 36.70C.
However, certain prohibitions must be retained on public comment by persons wishing to speak to Council. For example, the prohibition on persons speaking at Council business and Council committee meetings on topics where Council is required to act in a quasi-judicial capacity must be retained. Instances where Council sits in a quasi-judicial capacity are extremely limited and largely arise in applications for site specific rezone requests, which have been infrequent.
Further, the prohibition on persons providing public comments at Council business and Council committee meetings that either promote or oppose a candidate for public office or a ballo...
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