Planning commissioners receive parliamentary procedure training focused on civility, motions and meeting rules

Tisha Gieser, a registered parliamentarian and city clerk for Issaquah, gave the Mercer Island Planning Commission a two-hour parliamentary-procedure training at its January meeting to help the newly seated commissioners run efficient, civil public meetings. Andrea Larson, Mercer Island city clerk, introduced Gieser and said the training would give commissioners practical tools for their workload.

Gieser told commissioners the presentation would cover authority, roles, motions and amendments, public comment, points of order and appeals, and common pitfalls. "Our goal here is to help you have a civil discourse at your meetings, have effective, efficient meetings," she said, encouraging commissioners to follow rules that enable differing viewpoints while helping the body reach decisions.

The training stressed that state law and Mercer Island municipal code override…