Leffingwell, Martinez propose changes to quicken Council meetings

Not quite two months into their new terms – and multiple Council hearings with 50+ hearings behind them —Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez have proposed new rules to improve the pacing of Council meetings.

The most noticeable change will be limiting public participation during citizen communications to once a month. Citizen communications, which is limited to items not on the Council agenda, is frequently stacked with at least some of the same speakers every meeting and takes up about 30-40 minutes of the Council’s time.

One of the most frequent speakers, for example, talks about water fluoridation, a topic he has discussed on four occasions since May 14. Another offers little commentary but sings instead.

The limits will have no impact on hearings on items scheduled for consideration, Leffingwell told In Fact Daily. The idea of not allowing a person to speak, off topic, at a regular time each week was in order to give “people other than the professionals” an opportunity to speak.

Paul Robbins, who addresses the Council on a regular basis—but certainly not as frequently as some citizens—forwarded an e-mail exchange between himself and Martinez. In the exchange, Martinez wrote that the new rules should not affect those who don’t abuse the process.

“If I have something relevant and informative to say every week, then it does affect me, even if I am not an ‘abuser.’ The fact is that after a speech, I may have a city bureaucrat (as opposed to public servant) claim what I have said is not true,” Robbins wrote. “Under your proposal, I would not have a chance to rebut them for as long as a month.  And this kind of thing has happened to me several times.

 

“In other cases, a city bureaucrat (as opposed to public servant) will engage a complainant after their speech at Citizens Communication and tell the Council they have the problem under control.  But in fact, the problem will not be solved, and the complainant will not be able to come back for as long as a month.”

The changes were appropriate and overdue, Martinez wrote to Robbins. Martinez emphasized the limitations would give more people the chance to address Council.

In other changes, consent items can be scheduled for a time certain at the request of two Council members. It also will take two speakers to take an item off consent. Current code does not require Council to take an item off the consent agenda unless five citizens have signed up to speak on it.

Briefings will be scheduled at 10:30am. No more than two briefings will be scheduled for any single Council meeting. Zoning public hearings would be shifted from 4pm to 2pm, but two Council members could postpone an item to 4pm. Those cases could include consent cases.

City Code also will be amended to reflect the city clerk’s regular procedure for citizen communication. Under current code, the first 10 persons wishing to speak may sign up beginning 14 days in advance of the meeting. However, those who speak frequently often sign up within minutes of the opening time for signing up, leaving no time for the less savvy speakers. Leffingwell and Martinez believe a rule change would prevent the rush to sign up by the frequent speakers.

If approved, the item would direct City Manager Marc Ott to report back within 60 days on the changes.