Lake Stevens holds parliamentary-procedure workshop; participants practice motions and public-comment rules

Anne McFarland, founder of Jurassic Parliament, led a Lake Stevens training session for city council members, commissioners and staff on running orderly public meetings, emphasizing Robert's Rules of Order, points of order and appeal, and managing public comment.

McFarland told attendees that the core aim was to "invigorate you to run effective city council, commission, and committee meetings," and she repeatedly emphasized the group’s authority over any single individual. She urged practical steps such as reading agenda packets in advance, using action-oriented minutes, and having the chair restate motions so everyone knows what is being voted on.

The workshop covered specific procedures the city can use in meetings. McFarland highlighted a basic fairness rule: "No one may speak a second time until everyone who wishes to do so has spoken once," and recommended tools such as speaking charts and round-robin turns to ensure broad participation. She noted that for a seven-seat body the quorum is a majority — four…