Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Council Procedure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staton council directs staff to draft rule change to move start time to 6:30 p.m.; Robert's Rules reminder drawn
Summary
Council members agreed to try a 6:30 p.m. start with 6 p.m. work sessions and asked staff to bring a resolution to formalize the change; members also discussed following Robert's Rules of Order for calls to question.
The Staton City Council on Tuesday directed staff to prepare a resolution to amend council rules and to try a 6:30 p.m. start time for regular meetings, with work sessions beginning at 6 p.m. Councilor O'Rourke and others discussed proposed edits to the council rules provided in the meeting packet, and Julia, a city staff member, walked the council through several specific wording changes to appointments, residency information, public comment procedures and access to the city attorney.
"Council members may request advice from the city attorney on matters reasonably related to their role as a councilor," Julia read, explaining proposed language intended to balance access to legal advice with efficient use of attorney resources. The packet also proposed aligning per diem language with the city employee manual and clarifying that council liaisons will be affirmed each January.
Council members debated whether moving the meeting time from 7 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. would improve public engagement and whether earlier work sessions (5:30 or 6 p.m.) were feasible. Several councilors said staff indicated they could accommodate earlier starts; others worried about confusing regular attendees and about scheduling conflicts for people who work evenings. After discussion, a majority supported trying the earlier meeting time and told staff to bring a resolution to make the change official; councilor Kerrey asked that the change not be implemented immediately but at the start of the new year to allow time for public notice.
Councilors also discussed the council rule on "calling the question." Julia reminded the council that under Robert's Rules of Order, a motion to call the question should itself be put to a vote before debate ends; some councilors said they prefer the current practice of moving directly to a vote when someone calls the question, while others supported following Robert's Rules.
No formal ordinance or permanent amendment was adopted on Tuesday. City staff said they would draft a resolution formalizing the rule changes and meeting-time adjustment and return it to council for consideration; staff also said they would publicize any schedule changes before they take effect.
