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Session 1788 July 10, 2000 Responding to Ms. Colquitt, Mr. Otlendorff said that virtually all of the $100,000 that is set aside for the loan program goes to emergencies. So much so that there is usually not enough money to assist people who have been waiting their turn in line. The $25,020 will increase this amount. Responding further to Ms. Colquitt, Mr. Ollendorff stated that the turnaround for a true emergency could be a couple of weeks or less. Joan Botwinick, 511 Westview, stated that the history of this program shows that people with emergencies very often have to wait months to be serviced. The County used to do this program, but ran out of funding, but it was an eligible activity under HUD community development block grant funding. She feels a separate emergency repair program in University City would fill an urgent need and hopes that the funds are made available just for a pilot program to see how this would work. Mayor Adams called the question. The motion carried unanimously. Mayor Adams would like to see a monitoring report on how our existing loan program is being handled at least for the first few months. Ms. Colquitt asked that this report come to the entire Council. Mayor Adams asked for a motion to add an item to the agenda dealing with Council rules for calling public hearings. Mr. Schoomer moved the addition of Agenda Item No. 6. Ms. Colquitt seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. AGENDA ITEM #6: CITY COUNCIL RULES FOR SETTING PUBLIC HEARINGS: Mr. Oilendorff stated that the current practice for setting public hearings (zoning, vacating property, liquor license, etc.) is to place the question on a City Council agenda for Council to vote to set a public hearing time, date, and place. Whenever this apears to be an automatic action Mr. Ollendorff places it on the consent calendar. In some instances the citizens involved or the staff or even members of Council would like to speed up the process. The City Attorney's opinion is that the City Council could in fact adopt rules permitting the Mayor or other individual members of Council to set public hearing dates without waiting for a vote at a City Council meeting. This would often save the applicant a couple of weeks. Mr. Schoomer moved an amendment to Council rules to allow any member of the City Council to call a public hearing. Ms. Colquitt seconded the motion.