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Board gives first reading to ordinance moving public comments back to end of agenda
Summary
On first reading, the Bluff City Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved Ordinance 2025-001 to amend the Bluff City Municipal Code (section 1-102) to move the second public comment period to after new business and before adjournment; the ordinance passed first reading and will return for a second reading and public hearing.
The Bluff City Board of Mayor and Aldermen gave first reading to Ordinance 2025-001, an amendment to Bluff City Municipal Code section 1-102 to change the order of business by moving the second public comment period to after new business and before adjournment. The first reading passed and the item will come back for a second reading and public hearing.
Nut graf: The measure responds to citizen feedback and board discussion about when the public should be allowed to speak during meetings. Board members who supported the change argued that returning the second public comment period to its previous place on the agenda better matches community expectations and preserves a clearer ordinance history for future reference.
Board discussion noted that an earlier ordinance change in 2023 (Ordinance 2023-001) had been implemented informally and the town’s ordinance numbering and text history did not clearly reflect that change in the municipal code. One member said that, when researching the record, she had to trace ordinance numbers back through prior entries and that including a cross-reference to Ordinance 2023-001 in the new ordinance language would help preserve the historical trail. The board discussed the draft as prepared by their attorney (identified in discussion as Paul Fry) and whether to add language explicitly referencing the prior ordinance; members agreed to leave the draft as written for the first reading and to address editing at final reading if needed.
A motion was made to restore the public comment placement to its prior position on the agenda (item 11, as read in the meeting). The motion was seconded and passed on first reading with a roll-call affirmation recorded by the presiding officer. The board announced the item will proceed to a second reading and a public hearing at the next step of the ordinance process.
Ending: The first reading passed; the board will consider final edits and hold a public hearing at the second reading.
