The City of Sweetwater Commission on Nov. 3 approved an amendment to the municipal speaking rules and acted on zoning and agenda additions during its regular meeting.

Commissioners voted to amend Section 2-5-5 of the City Code, an ordinance that governs how persons may speak before the commission. The substitute amendment (sponsored by Mayor Diaz and Commissioner Donnie, as described in the record) added a paragraph that the commission described as addressing placards, signs and hand gestures at meetings. The commission first voted to accept the amendment and then voted to approve the ordinance as amended; the clerk recorded affirmative roll-call votes on both actions and the ordinance passed as amended.

At the same meeting the commission approved on first reading an ordinance to change the official zoning map for a property identified by folio number 25-3031-000-0370, rezoning a portion of a parcel from interim district IU to commercial C-3. City staff described the action as converting a property originally designated industrial in 2008 to a commercial classification; the item passed on first reading following a roll-call vote.

Earlier in the meeting the mayor stated two "pocket items" to be added to the agenda: a $10,000 donation to the Community of Performing Arts Foundation and an item described as up to a $10,000 donation to the Marine Corps Ball (the transcript also records a discussion that $5,000 might be the amount actually used). The commission voted, by motion and a voice vote, to add and adopt those two items to the agenda.

Staff also introduced an emergency ordinance to correct a scriveners error in the citys land-development code (impact-fee table in Section 10.03.01). The city attorney told the commission that a typographical mistake left the cell containing the word "Transportation" blank when the table was uploaded to Municode; staff presented the emergency measure to correct that omission and explained the circumstances under which the emergency procedure applies (citing procedural authority in state statute during the presentation). The transcript records the explanation and staff presentation but does not include a final recorded vote on the emergency ordinance in the provided segment.

Procedural notes: consent agenda items were approved earlier in the meeting by motion. The public hearing on the speaking-rules ordinance was opened and the record shows no members of the public spoke on the item before discussion and votes.

The commissions actions on Nov. 3 affect public meeting conduct rules and move one rezoning forward in the city's legislative pipeline; the emergency ordinance was introduced to correct a publication error in the impact-fee table and may return for a vote if not acted on during this excerpt of the record.