Title
Discussion about Guidelines for Council Meetings including Public Comment, Council Reports, and Remote Meeting Participation
Recommended Action
City Manager Recommendation:
Provide guidance on Council Guidelines changes, if any, to recommend for Council approval.
Report
Issue:
Council asked General Government Committee to review the meeting section of Council guidelines for consistency with current practice or overall Council intent. In addition, Councilmember Cooper referred the issue of remove meeting participation.
Staff Contact:
Cathie Butler, Communications Manager, 360.753.8361
Presenter(s):
Cathie Butler, Communications Manager
Background and Analysis:
Several times this year, General Government Committee and the Council have discussed meeting protocols, most recently at the Council's mid-year retreat. The process to formally change meeting protocols is through amendment of Council Guidelines.
Following is General Government Committee discussion from April 2015. Attached are:
* Meetings Section of Council Guidelines
* Minutes of the Council's mid-year retreat
* Guidelines from the City of Port Townsend, WA.
4.B. 15-0190. Discussion about Councilmember Reports at Meetings
Chair Roe said she requested this referral to discuss the intent of Councilmember reports. She said that the reports are often late at night after a long work day for many Councilmembers and usually after a long meeting. She said there isn't any consistency in the nature or length of reports, with some being almost too short and others way to long - sometimes up to 20 minutes for a single report. She also said that sometimes Councilmembers are asked to make a decision based only on information conveyed in the oral report and without any knowledge or background information shared with Council or the public in advance of the meeting.
Cathie Butler, Communications Manager, said Chair Roe asked her to do some quick internet research to determi...
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