Live Oak council members dispute how agenda items should be placed and who sets the agenda

Council members and city staff on the City of Live Oak Council debated whether agenda items must be run through the city manager before being placed on a council agenda, and how council members should notify staff when they want items considered.

The discussion centered on council practice and courtesy versus formal procedure. One speaker said the council is the governing body and should set policy while the city manager executes it; another said the city manager, who acts as the city’s chief executive, should be alerted before items appear so staff can prepare. Council members also disagreed over one-on-one contacts with staff versus communicating in public or by email.

Council members raised concerns about being "blindsided" by agenda items that arrive without prior notice to the manager, and several members asked that ordinances and relevant documents be distributed to the full council. One council member said they will provide copies of the ordinances "by tomorrow" so everyone understands the rules. Another member rejected the practice of private, one-on-one meetings with staff and said communications should occur in public or by email to the clerk.

No formal motion or vote was recorded on the agenda-setting procedures during the exchange. Council direction included a promise to provide ordinance copies and to clarify the process at a future meeting.

The discussion occurred during an agenda item added under 5(a). The council did not adopt a new ordinance or formal rule during the meeting; instead, members agreed to circulate existing ordinance text and return to the topic if further clarification is needed.