Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Council Procedure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cape Coral council rejects rule change to send seconded items to Committee of the Whole
Summary
A council proposal to require any agenda item that received a second to go first to the Committee of the Whole failed on a 2-6 roll call after more than an hour of debate about process and efficiency.
A proposal to change Cape Coral City Council procedure so that any item receiving a second would be routed first to the Committee of the Whole failed after a roll-call vote on Tuesday.
Councilmember John Kilraig moved to require that agenda items receiving a second be taken to the Committee of the Whole for discussion before a council hearing; Councilmember Lehman seconded the motion. After more than an hour of debate about efficiency, precedent and trust among councilmembers, the motion failed, 2-6.
The dispute opened as Councilmember Donnell asked that two ordinances (26-25 and 27-25) be pulled from the evening’s agenda and taken to the Committee of the Whole (COW) for further discussion. Councilmember Long and others defended the current practice, saying that an item can be introduced and amended at first reading and that routing every seconded item to COW would create delay. Councilmember Kilraig argued the change would bring items needing more deliberation to a focused discussion forum.
City Attorney remarks, echoed by the mayor, noted the Rules of Procedure are not explicit about mandating a COW referral when a councilmember secures a second. "It has been a practice that we have been applying," the mayor said in explaining the existing practice. Councilmembers divided largely on philosophical lines: those who emphasized speed and putting items on the next council meeting and those who urged more collegial, committee-based deliberation.
The roll call on the motion to change procedure recorded 2 ayes (Lehman, and one other) and 6 nays, and the motion failed. Later, council took up different procedural motions related to the evening’s agenda, but the underlying question of whether seconded items automatically go to COW remains unchanged.
Why it matters: Council rules determine how quickly and how transparently policy changes move from a single sponsor’s idea to a council vote. Councilmember proponents of the COW step argued the extra discussion would reduce amendments at second reading and avoid late surprises; opponents said it would slow action and duplicate discussion that can happen at first reading.
What happened next: After the failed procedural change, council continued with the evening’s agenda, including a high-profile set of public comments on proposed rental ordinances and votes on land-use and utility items.
Speakers quoted above are from the council dais. Details of roll-call votes and the city’s rules of procedure were discussed on the record during the May 20 meeting.
