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Hoyt Lakes council debates adding a pre‑meeting public forum and tweaks to rules of order
Summary
Councilors reviewed proposed changes to meeting rules and debated creating a pre‑meeting public forum (listening session vs. interactive forum). They asked staff to revise the draft to allow more dialogue and clarify open‑meeting implications.
The Hoyt Lakes City Council reviewed a revised draft of its rules of procedure and debated whether to add a public forum before regular meetings to give residents more opportunity for back‑and‑forth with council members.
Councilors said they wanted to move away from a strictly Robert’s Rules approach and make meetings more user‑friendly. Options discussed included a 15– to 30‑minute forum held every meeting or every other meeting, quarterly topical forums at a library, or permitting the mayor to recognize members of the public during agenda discussion. Concerns were raised about open‑meeting‑law compliance, televising or posting the forum on YouTube, and whether councilors and staff should be allowed to answer questions during the forum.
The council asked Becky to revise the draft to substitute a “forum” for the word “listening session,” to remove language that would bar council/staff from answering questions during the forum, and to provide guidance on scheduling and broadcasting. No rule change was adopted that evening; staff will return with a revised draft for council consideration and legal guidance on open‑meeting constraints.
