Committee debates adding 5-minute volunteer chiefs comment slot; no formal vote taken
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Summary
A motion to add a permanent five-minute post-meeting public-comment period for volunteer fire chiefs was made and seconded and drawn out in discussion; members raised concerns about meeting length and preferring suspending rules when needed. No formal roll-call vote was recorded.
During new business the committee considered whether to add a standing five-minute public-comment period at the end of each meeting specifically for volunteer fire chiefs.
Unidentified Committee Member (S4) moved to "permanently add a five-minute public comment period" for volunteer chiefs; the motion received a second from an Unidentified Committee Member (S3). Members debated practicality — noting nine volunteer departments could add 45 minutes to each meeting if all chiefs spoke — and suggested alternatives such as suspending rules to allow questions when needed or advertising a separate agenda item for chiefs.
Committee members observed that the body already has a public comment section and a representative for volunteer departments, and some said that a single representative reporting back to the committee would be clearer. The meeting transcript shows the motion was discussed at length and that members took no formal roll-call vote that evening. The chair recommended advertising a separate agenda item instead of unilaterally changing the standing agenda during a study session.
No final vote on the proposed permanent change was recorded in the meeting record. The committee agreed to consider the procedure in future meetings and to retain flexibility to suspend rules for questions when needed.