Council begins updating rules of procedure and will add public‑comment sign‑in sheet

Council members said the town’s rules of procedure appear to date to 1999 and requested an update to provide clearer guidance for new elected officials and consistent meeting practices. The discussion began with a narrow problem—difficulty verifying speaker names for the minutes—and expanded into a proposal to review and modernize the council’s procedural documents.

Council asked staff to collect examples from similarly sized municipalities and from the Association of Washington Cities and to prepare a short, practical summary (a one- or two‑page primer) plus more detailed model rules for review. Council members also asked that a sign‑in sheet for public comment be implemented promptly so that meeting minutes can reliably record who spoke.

Why it matters: Updated rules and a simple sign‑in process aim to improve transparency, preserve institutional memory and reduce staff time spent identifying speakers when drafting minutes.

Details and outcome: Staff agreed to assemble sample rules and a short primer; council members discussed forming an ad hoc committee to review drafts. The council did not adopt a formal code change at the meeting but accepted a staff plan to proceed, and members said a public‑comment sign‑in sheet would be available at the next meeting.

Decision vs. direction: The council directed staff to collect models and implement a sign‑in sheet; no formal adoption of revised rules occurred during the meeting.

Ending: Staff will return examples and a draft primer for council discussion at a future meeting; the sign‑in sheet will appear at the next meeting.