Batavia council appoints City Attorney as parliamentarian, adopts meeting rules governing public comment and staff contact

The Batavia City Council unanimously approved two procedural resolutions at its Jan. 12, 2026 organizational meeting: Resolution #1-2026 appointing City Attorney George Van Nest as Parliamentarian and Resolution #2-2026 adopting rules that govern council business, conference meetings and member conduct.

Resolution #1-2026, moved by Councilmember Schmidt and seconded by Councilmember McGinnis, appoints George Van Nest as Parliamentarian “for a period of two (2) years or when no longer employed by the City of Batavia, whichever comes first,” citing the Batavia City Charter, Section 3.6. The motion passed on roll call, 9-0.

Resolution #2-2026, moved by Councilmember Twichell and seconded by Councilmember Geib, adopts Attachments A and B containing detailed procedural rules. Attachment A assigns the Council President responsibility to conduct meetings, preserve order and appoint committees; requires members be recognized by the President before speaking; and prescribes roll-call voting with a procedure for changing an announced vote. The order of business is specified (call to order, invocation, pledge, approval of minutes, agenda assignment, reports, public comments, unfinished and new business, adjournment). The document permits addition of urgent items to an agenda only with the Council President’s approval and the concurrence of two other members.

Attachment A also sets public-comment procedures: speakers must submit name and address to the Clerk beforehand, generally have a five-minute limit with the City Manager or designee timing remarks and providing a 30-second warning, and must direct comments to the Chair rather than individual council members. Conference meeting rules limit the initial discussion of an item to 30 minutes, set a two-and-a-half-hour cap for conference meetings (not to extend past 10:00 p.m.), and set a quorum of six members; conference votes are described as informal indicators rather than final positions.

Attachment B (Council Member Rules) directs that council members act through the City Manager and not give orders directly to department heads or employees. It states the City Manager or designee will handle union negotiations and that council members should not engage in bargaining or use their position to influence staff. The rules discourage routine staff contact outside business hours and encourage adherence to the city’s chain of command.

Both resolutions passed by unanimous roll call, and the meeting was adjourned at 7:05 p.m.