Kissimmee planning board discusses attendance, Rosenberg's Rules; agrees to place rules-change on next agenda

Members of the Kissimmee Planning Advisory Board discussed problems confirming quorums for upcoming meetings and debated whether to adopt Rosenberg’s Rules of Order as a streamlined alternative to Robert’s Rules.

Brenda, a city staff member, said the board currently lacks a confirmed quorum for the Oct. 1 meeting and that staff would send an email to confirm attendance for an Oct. 15 meeting that has items on the calendar. Board members spoke about the practical challenges of committing to meetings scheduled far in advance and urged each other to reply promptly to attendance inquiries.

The board then moved to a discussion of rules of procedure. Board member Alex advocated adopting Rosenberg’s Rules, saying they are a much shorter, more practical set of rules for small boards and could make meetings easier for both members and the public. Alex noted Rosenberg’s Rules condense procedures into a few pages and that he had contacted the California League of Cities to confirm permissions to share the text online. Alex said he had prepared a brief cheat sheet of motions and vote thresholds and offered to make it available to members.

Several board members and city staff raised questions and cautions. One member noted that Rosenberg’s Rules do not always require a second on motions and asked whether that was acceptable; the speaker said they would still ask for seconds when chairing. City staff present said the city’s ordinance allows boards to adopt their own rules and that Rosenberg’s Rules do not appear to conflict with Robert’s Rules in ways that would nullify official actions. Helena, identified in the meeting as representing the city, said she saw no contradiction between the two sets of rules and did not expect adoption to invalidate board actions. Another board member urged the clerk’s office to consider a condensed “cheat sheet” for Robert’s Rules as an alternative.

Board members agreed to continue the discussion and the chair said the issue would be placed on the next meeting agenda so the board could consider a formal motion to adopt Rosenberg’s Rules at that time. No vote to adopt rules occurred at this meeting.