2011-04-25 Study Session - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mayor Welsch said that is how she sees the distinction. She said there seems to be a consensus that Council Reports should be for Coucilmembers to present their Boards and Commissions reports and not have any topic discussions. Mayor Welsch said although she is not in favor of it, if that is what the majority wants, the Council should vote on it. She would like suggestions as to where to put such discussions such as Council Rules and Regulations. Mr. Kraft asked if everyone agreed that Council Reports will be for reports on Boards and Commissions only. Other than Mayor Welsch, there was no objection. Mr. Kraft agreed with Mr. Crow that Rules 12, 13 and 14 are really more of a direction, ideas or concepts. Mr. Crow said that he would come back and ask if a comment was made that raised an issue, does the Chair have the discretion to allow another Councilmember to comment. He thought this suggested that they do not. Mr. Kraft said watching a couple of Council meetings in the past, the reason for no response at the meeting is because the people don’t feel that they have to answer repeated questions from a Councilmember or even someone from the audience. The way that’s avoided is everything is addressed to the chairperson, who can ask to have the question answered. Mr. Glickert said that in the section of Council Comments, if there is a question from one Councilmember to another, then obviously the other one has the final say on whether he or she wants to answer that question there or to delay it and say he would rather talk to him at another time about that particular situation. He said as previously there were Council comments from a member and then they would come back later after everyone else had a chance to speak to repeat the same thing or add something else for another round. Mr. Sharpe said that he thinks that section is a little ambiguous and subjective. He thought the power should lie in the chair. Mayor Welsch agreed that the way it is written, it gives some authority to the chair to say yes, continue or no, do not continue. Mayor Welsch believed that it goes beyond Council comments when you’re in a Council discussion and hoped there could be a section on the agenda for this type of discussion. Mr. Kraft said that he believed Mr. Sharpe’s comments were correct. Robert Rules of Orders gives a lot of discretion to the chairperson. He said we could decide to have a different set of rules or we can say we will follow Roberts Rules of Orders, except on the following instances. Mr. Kraft said the Council needs to look at how other legislative bodies handle it. He said in the State Legislature, citizens do not have the option of kind of wandering into the chamber and randomly questioning legislatures and getting answers that same day. Mr. Kraft said if angry citizens are welcomed to come to Council to express their opinion about things as neighbor’s dogs barking, etc but it would not work if they thought they would get an answer and have their problem solved that night. He said that is the way Roberts Rules are set up to protect us. Mayor Welsch asked if he was speaking on the proposed Rule 13 or 14. Mr. Kraft said the point was for both proposed rules. The Chair has discretion in both and we give the Chair that discretion. He said he did not know what the alternative would be. Ms. Ricci said she wanted to be clear that what is being said is that under Council Business is not the time for discussion or are you saying that the discussion will not happen here on the agenda? Mr. Kraft said it would happen in Council Comments.