Summerville council drops amendment after counsel warns of "volume violation"; keeps committee practices unchanged

A proposed ordinance change that would have made several standing committees include the mayor and all council members was withdrawn after the town's corporation counsel warned it could create a "volume violation," and the council voted to keep committee procedures as they are.

The change under consideration would have amended the Town of Summerville Code of Ordinances to alter the composition and speaking rules for the Planning and Development Committee, Public Works and Commission on Water Supply, Public Safety Committee and Parks and Recreation Committee. A council member proposed revised wording to make committees "made up of 3 members of council with agendas to have an option of offering council members in attendance of the meeting an opportunity to speak if they so desire."

The town's corporation counsel objected, saying, "The problem I have is that is we might run into a volume violation with that," and cautioned that having additional council participation could conflict with the meeting notice or quorum procedures. After that warning the council member who proposed the amendment said they would withdraw it.

Following the withdrawal, another council member moved to keep committee meetings as they are. The motion carried; the clerk recorded two members in opposition. Council discussion included concern that making committee meetings effectively meetings of the whole could lengthen deliberations and blur the distinction between committees and full public meetings.

Council members said committees typically present concepts for quick review, leaving substantive decisions for the full council at a public meeting. One council member noted that when the committee functions as a meeting of the whole, "the discussion ends up so long that we lose sight of [the committee's role]."

The council did not adopt the proposed ordinance language and left committee membership and procedure unchanged. No amendment text was enacted at second reading.

Looking ahead, council members asked staff and legal counsel to continue preparing ordinances and to raise any notice or quorum concerns before proposals return for formal action.