RESO 1980-02 - Council Appearance ProcedureRESOLUTION NO. 80 -2
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Huntsville wishes to establish
procedures for appearances before the City Council of the City of Huntsville;
and
WHEREAS, the City Council feels that every citizen of the City of Huntsville
is invited to appear before the City Council to discuss matters of local interest
with specific reference to city business; and
WHEREAS, in the hope of providing an orderly public for'um without undue
inconvenience to the citizenry, the Huntsville City Council wishes to adopt
by this Resolution, the following procedures:
1. The City Council will hear from citizens during its regular weekly
meetings at a time allotted for that specific purpose. Each person
addressing City Council shall do so respectfully. Proper decorum
shall be maintained at all times by the presiding officer.
2. Any citizen may be heard, but the topics must relate to relevant
city affairs or business and must be limited to the subject described
to the City Secretary when one reserves time before City Council.
3. No city employee or other person may use time before City Council
to circumvent the City's grievance procedure.
4. No person may appear before City Council on behalf of any labor
organization as the bargaining agent for City employees. Further,
no person may appear before City Council on behalf of any labor
organization which organization claims the right to strike when the
topic of said appearance concerns, in any particular, wages, hours of
work or conditions of work for City of Huntsville officers or employees.
5. One may reserve one minute time periods up to a maximum of ten minutes.
Those persons requesting the least amount of time will be allowed to
speak first and will be listed chronologically in the order that the
request was received by the City Secretary. Persons speaking on the
same subject who have requested the same amount of time will be called
consecutively. The presiding officer shall be authorized to modify
this procedure consistent with convenience or in the interest of
saving time.
6. One's time may be extended only by questions from City Council members
or at the discretion of the presiding officer. One may, of course,
use less time than requested, but one may not use more time than
requested and one may not relinquish any of one's time to another
person.
7. To reserve time before City Council, one may come in person to the
City Secretary's office in City Hall or one may call 295 -6471, ext. 74.
One's reservation must be made prior to 5:00 o'clock p.m. on the Thursday
prior to the next succeeding Tuesday when City Council will hold the
regular weekly meeting which one desires to address. No reservations
will be accepted by the City Secretary's office after the specified
time. One may not reserve time to appear more than once per week.
8. When making one's reservation with the City Secretary, the following
information is needed:
a. full name of the speaker;
b. mailing address of the speaker, including zip code;
c. speaker's telephone number;
d. a brief description of the speaker's subject.
If you have copies of your remarks, please bring them to the City
Secretary's office prior to 5:00 o'clock p.m. on the day of the meeting
at which you are to appear and your remarks will be distributed to each
member of the City Council. Unless you direct otherwise, all papers,
letters, photographs, etc., which you present during one's appearance
will become a part of the public record.
The Council traditionally refers citizens' complaints, questions
or requests to the proper department for recommendation and /or action.
If City Council can provide you with an answer on the spot, they will,
of course, endeavor to do so. The City Council is composed of persons
who are concerned about the City of Huntsville, its future and each
of its citizens. Any matter of concern to a citizen is a concern to
each Council member.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the 12th day of February, A. D., 1980 in the City
of Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, by unanimous vote.
ATT I /
.1 LA .
Ruth DeShaw, City Secretary
THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS
Morris I. Waller, Mayor