Rules committee weighs stricter agenda deadlines, keeps chair discretion and exceptions

The Knox County Commission rules committee discussed tightening deadlines for commission-sponsored agenda items so members have time to review final language before meetings, while preserving chair discretion for exceptions such as honorary resolutions.

Chair raised concerns that placeholders with only captions and late edits leave commissioners with insufficient review time. Commissioners proposed options including a deadline keyed to the agenda-review workshop, requiring full language by agenda review, and preserving a chair exception for urgent or ceremonial items.

Commissioner Jay recommended defining what "adding to the agenda" means and suggested the chair's discretion be limited by written timelines; others said Robert's Rules and existing agenda-review procedures already provide guardrails. The members asked staff to return with recommended language; they also set the next rules committee meeting for Monday, Jan. 26 at 1:00 p.m.

No formal rule changes were adopted; the committee agreed to continue conversations and to bring proposals back to the rules committee for possible recommendation to the full commission.