Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procedural topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City attorney explains quasi‑judicial rules as council considers school permit
Summary
City Attorney Warr reviewed quasi‑judicial procedures—testimony must be sworn, evidence must be competent and relevant, and council decisions must be based on findings of fact—before the hearing on the Water Life private school.
Before the special‑use hearing for the former West Lenoir Elementary, the council's legal advisor explained how quasi‑judicial hearings differ from legislative hearings and what council members and witnesses must observe.
City Attorney Warr (S5) told the council, "This means that it's like a court hearing," and emphasized that testimony must be sworn and that the council's discretion is limited to the competent, relevant, and substantial evidence in the record. He also noted that members should disclose ex parte contacts and recuse themselves for conflicts of interest. The explanation framed the subsequent hearing as evidentiary and limited the types of testimony allowed in that forum.
