Council sends parliamentary procedures book to discussion agenda, considers training

The Oneonta City Council moved a proposed parliamentary procedures manual from the consent agenda to the discussion agenda and signaled interest in arranging training for council members.

Why it matters: Council members said they want to be sure they understand and agree with the rules the council will follow, rather than automatically approving a standard manual. That matters because parliamentary rules can shape how debate and votes are conducted.

Details Council members discussed whether the council should simply accept the standard parliamentary procedures text as routine or spend time considering alternatives and training. One member said the council might benefit from training rather than treating the manual as “boilerplate.” Another identified Robert's Rules as one commonly used guide but noted other options exist for bodies with different sizes and needs.

Several council members proposed arranging a short training webinar. Christine O'Neil (identified in the meeting as associated with the committee on Open Moment) was mentioned as a potential trainer whose sessions usually last about an hour. Council members also discussed notifying the city attorney, Dave Mercik, in advance so he can prepare responses about alternatives other municipalities have used.

Direction and next steps Council members agreed to move the parliamentary procedures manual to the discussion agenda so the council can address it more fully at a later meeting and to contact the city attorney and potential trainers in advance.

Ending The item will return for further discussion; no formal adoption of the manual was recorded during the transcript excerpt.