(A) City Council Committee of the Whole meetings. No quorum is necessary for this meeting; but three members of corporate authorities must be present. No action may be taken at this meeting.
(1) Open floor for public comments.
(a) Comments will be heard on items that do not appear on the agenda. The public comment portion of the agenda item shall be subject to a 20-minute limitation. A time limit of five minutes shall be imposed on each speaker. The purpose of having public comment as an agenda item is to allow any person to make his/her views known to the City Council upon any subject of general or public interest.
(b) The Council recognizes that public comments are for the purpose of legitimate inquiries and discussion by the public, and not for the purpose of advancing arguments or repetitious questions concerning matters that the Council believes to be closed or not of general public concern. The Council shall have the right during this period to decline to hear any person or any subject matter, upon proper motion and majority vote by the Council.
(c) Each person wishing to speak during the public comments portion of the agenda must fill out a public comment speaker card, stating name, and the topic about which he/she wishes to speak, as well as a sign-in sheet. The purpose of the cards is to obtain the spelling of the name of the speaker, and provide for efficient meeting administration. The order of speaking shall be based upon the order of sign-in, with first person signing in speaking first and so forth. If the 20 minutes has elapsed before all speakers who have signed up are allowed to speak, the City Council may elect to continue the time period. However, if the City Council elects not to extend the time period, those speakers who signed up but did not speak may, if so choose, be placed on the next agenda under the public comment section, and shall be placed at the top of the sign-in sheet in the same order that they were in from the previous sign-in sheet. All speakers shall comply with these rules, which shall be posted at the speaker sign-in desk, and rulings of the City Clerk.
(B) City Council meetings.
(1) A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of a majority of all the corporate authorities which shall consist of the Mayor and the City Council.
(2) Agenda participation (non-public hearing).
(a) Any person who wishes to speak on a topic that is on the agenda of the meeting shall sign a speaker card before the start of the meeting, either at the City Clerk’s Office or before the start of meeting itself, stating name and topic on the agenda to be discussed. Speaker cards are required for each of the items the speaker wishes to address. The purpose of the cards is to obtain the spelling of name of the speaker and provide for efficient meeting administration. All speakers shall comply with these rules, which shall be posted at the speaker sign-in desk, and rulings of the City Clerk.
(b) Speakers shall be called by name to approach the podium by the City Clerk. A time limit of five minutes imposed on each speaker; Open floor for public comments.
(3) (a) Comments will be heard on items that do not appear on the agenda. The public comment portion of the agenda item shall be subject to a 20-minute limitation. A time limit of five minutes shall be imposed on each speaker. The purpose of having public comment as an agenda item is to allow any person to make his/her views known to the City Council upon any subject of general or public interest.
(b) The Council recognizes that public comments are for the purpose of legitimate inquiries and discussion by the public, and not for the purpose of advancing arguments or repetitious questions concerning matters that the Council believes to be closed or not of general public concern. The Council shall have the right during this period to decline to hear any person or any subject matter, upon proper motion and majority vote by the Council.
(c) Each person wishing to speak during the public comment portion of the agenda must fill out a public comment speaker card, stating name, and the topic about which he/she wishes to speak, as well as a sign-in sheet. The purpose of the cards is to obtain the spelling of the name of the speaker and provide for efficient meeting administration. The order of speaking shall be based upon the order of sign-in, with first person signing in speaking first and so forth. If the 20 minutes has elapsed before all speakers who have signed up are allowed to speak, the City Council may elect to continue the time period. However, if the City Council elects not to extend the time period, those speakers who signed up but did not speak may, if they so choose, be placed on the next agenda under the public comments section, and shall be placed at the top of the sign-in sheet in the same order that they were in from the previous sign-in sheet. All speakers shall comply with these rules, which shall be posted at the speaker sign-in desk, and rulings of the City Clerk.
(`79 Code, § 30.004) (Ord. 919, passed 12-1-80; Am. Ord. 1006, passed 5-6-85; Am. Ord. 1057, passed 12-15-86; Am. Ord. passed - - ; Am. Ord. 04-465, passed 11-24-04; Am. Ord. 07-743, passed 12-12-07; Am. Ord. 08-772, passed 6-4-08; Am. Ord. 09-017, passed 4-15-09; Am. Ord. 09-025, passed 5-20-09; Am. Ord. 10-033, passed 11-17-10; Am. Ord. 11-004, passed 3-16-11; Am. Ord. 11-008, passed 4-20-11; Am. Ord. 13-003, passed 2-20-13; Am. Ord. 14-009, passed 3-19-14; Am. Ord. 14-012, passed 4-2-14; Am. Ord. 14-029, passed 10-1-14; Am. Ord. 14-039, passed 12-17-14; Am. Ord. 17-026, passed 9-6-17)