The following rules are hereby established and shall be observed in the conduct of any public hearing before the city council of the city or any other board or commission of the city, and shall be known as the "rules of procedure for public hearings".
A. No person shall be permitted to testify or speak at a public hearing unless such person has signed his or her name and written his or her residential address thereafter on sign up sheets to be provided by the city. This rule shall not apply to staff or technical witnesses directed by the mayor to give evidence or information at the public hearing.
B. No person shall be permitted to speak at a public hearing until such person has been recognized by the presiding officer.
C. All public hearing proceedings shall be recorded electronically or stenographically, and all persons speaking at such public hearings shall speak before a microphone in such a manner as will assure that the recorded testimony or remarks will be accurate and trustworthy.
D. At the commencement of the public hearing, the city council, board or commission may establish a time limit to be observed by all speakers. The time limit shall be established, depending on the number of speakers who sign up for each public hearing, and shall apply only to the speaker's comments.
E. The speaker shall not be interrupted by members of the city council, board or commission until his or her time limit has expired or until he or she has finished his statement.
F. At the conclusion of a speaker's comments, each member of the city council, board or commission, when recognized by the presiding officer, shall be allowed to question the speaker and the speaker shall be limited to answers to the questions asked. The question and answer period shall not be included in the speaker's time limit.
G. Any person not conforming to any of the above rules may be prohibited from speaking during a public hearing. Should any person refuse to comply with such prohibition, he may be removed from the room by order of the presiding officer.
H. The presiding officer shall have the authority to interpret and apply the foregoing rules, subject to an appeal to the city council, board or commission which decision shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present. (Ord. 988, 8-9-1982)
Notes
| 1 | 1. IC § 67-5201 et seq. |