City Commission Policy 112 - Citizen Appearances / City Commission Agenda
DEPARTMENT: City Manager
DATE ADOPTED: August 19, 1992
DATE OF LAST REVISION: September 27, 1995
112.01 Authority: Approved by the elected members of the Tallahassee City Commission on September 27,1995.
112.02 Scope and Applicability: The purpose of this administrative regulation is to establish policy for the City Commission agenda process with the administration of the City Manager. The regulation applies to all City departments and to all appointed officials.
112.03 Policy Statement: It is the City Commission's policy for management to provide the Commission with facts and advice through an agenda item process on matters of policy as a basis for making decisions, setting community goals, and upholding and implementing previously adopted City Commission policies.
112.04 Definitions:
Regular Meetings: Refers to the regularly scheduled City Commission meetings which begin at 4:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Variations occur during June, July, August, November and December due to summer break and holidays. A 30 minute recess will be scheduled based on the occurrence of scheduled citizen appearances. Recess is to begin at 5:15 p.m. when there are scheduled citizen appearances and at 5:30 p.m. when there are no scheduled citizen appearances.
Target Issue Meetings: Refers to the City Commission meetings which are conducted for those target issues requiring a workshop setting. The meetings begin at 3:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday (except for June, July, August, and December).
Consent Items: Consent agenda items are those items which are routine in nature and not expected to require City Commission discussion. These items are scheduled for Commission consideration on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Examples include: purchases, contracts, plat approval, budget transfers and supplemental appropriations with no major policy implications, advisory committee bylaws and minutes.
Policy Formation & Direction Items: Agenda items related to those issues which have been identified as priority items or target issues by the City Commission in their team building workshop (April of each year) and/or represent issues affected by major policy.
Scheduled Citizen Appearances: Citizens are scheduled to be heard at 5:45 p.m. prior to any scheduled public hearings. A citizen shall submit a written request to appear on the City Commission agenda for a regular meeting regarding an issue of special interest to the citizen. Written requests must be submitted to the City Manager's Office not less then seven days prior to the City Commission meeting. Individual speakers shall adhere to a three minute time limit and groups to five minutes. The Commission has discretion to allow citizens additional time to speak. Scheduled citizen appearance forms are available in the City Manager's Office.
Public Hearing: Hearings are scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m., except when mandated by state statutes to begin at 7:00 p.m. (i.e., budget hearings). Citizens have the opportunity to speak on issues scheduled for public hearing. Individual speakers are encouraged to adhere to a three-minute time limit and groups to five minutes. The Commission has discretion to allow citizens additional time to speak.
Unagendaed Business: Any citizen desiring to address the City Commission at the conclusion of the regularly scheduled meeting, providing a written notice to the Treasurer-Clerk during the meeting. Individual speakers shall adhere to a three minute time limit and groups to five minutes. Speaker slips are available outside the City Commission Chambers. The Commission may allow citizens additional time to address an issue.
A City Commissioner may address other issues upon consensus of the Commission.
112.05 Responsibilities:
City Manager's Office: It shall be the responsibility of the City Manager's Office to coordinate and schedule agenda items as expeditiously as possible. This responsibility shall include rapid feedback on those agenda items determined to need revisions. The City Manager's Office will deliver the agenda material to the City Commission no later than 9:00 a.m. Friday prior to the Commission meeting. The City Commission office shall be notified of delays in the agenda distribution process. (Refer to Administrative Procedures #201 for specific duties for the City Manager's Office.)
City Departments: It shall be the responsibility of City departments to provide facts, concise written presentations and timely submission of agenda items for City Commission consideration. This responsibility shall include submission of agenda items that cover:
- Statement of Issue: Provide a brief explanation of why the issue is before the City Commission (i.e., policy, mandate, City Commission request, etc.).
- Recommended Action: Briefly describe what the City Commission is requested to do with regard to the item; describe why this is the best way to accomplish the objective; describe why this direction is recommended above other options.
- Fiscal Impact: Summarize the short and long term expenses incurred above and beyond the fiscal amount indicated, as well as any short or long term revenues to be received from the recommended option.
- Supplemental Material/Issue Analysis:
History/Facts and Issues: Include historical data relative to the issue being addressed, particularly recent City Commission involvement in the issue (i.e., reference prior agenda items). Also, include information relative to the specific situations or circumstances that have caused the issue to be addressed.
Options: Include feasible alternatives for resolution of the issue. This should provide a brief statement of each option, with accompanying analysis/evaluation and fiscal impact for each option.
Attachments/References (as applicable): Use of attachments should be minimized through use of excerpts from applicable materials. Use of highlighting is encouraged. Any maps/graphics that are used must be legible and of good quality, with appropriate labeling.
Office of Organizational Effectiveness (OOE): It shall be the responsibility of the Office of Organizational Effectiveness to review those items which require an adjustment to the approved budget. OOE will assess the impact of the item(s) on the current of future budgets of the City and its compliance with the City Commission and City Manager's financial plans. This responsibility shall include rapid feedback on those agenda items determined to need revision.
Purchasing: It shall be the responsibility of Purchasing to review for compliance with Purchasing policies and procedures those agenda items that involve purchases, award of bids or award of contracts. This responsibility shall include rapid feedback on those agenda items determined to need revision.
Appointed Officials: It shall be the responsibility of all appointed officials to provide information regarding the scheduling of tentative agenda items to the City Manager's Office fourteen (14) days (Wednesday) in advance of the meeting. The agenda item(s) shall be submitted to the City Manager's Office no later than 12:00 noon, Thursday (six days prior to the meeting) for reproduction and distribution. The appointed officials shall notify the Mayor and/or members of the City Commission of any late agenda items (not distributed with the agenda packet on Thursday).
City Commission: It shall be the responsibility of each member of the City Commission and/or his/her designees to provide the City Manager's Office with agenda items scheduled for the Commission's consideration in a timely manner. Items are due by 12:00 p.m., Thursday, (six days prior to the Commission meeting).
Commissioners shall notify the mayor of any late agenda items which they would like to schedule for the meeting. Any material provided to the City Manager's Office after the Thursday, 12:00 p.m. deadline will be distributed as agenda modifications on Tuesday by 12:00 p.m. These items must be provided no later than 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, (one day prior to the Commission meeting) to the City Manager's Office for distribution. A Commissioner shall notify the City Manager's Office prior to this deadline if it is determined that a consent item needs to be discussed or needs a separate vote. This request will be reflected in the summary agenda modifications as "Consent Items Pulled for Discussion" or "Consent Items Pulled for Separate Vote".
City Commission Questions: City Commissioners shall forward all agenda questions to staff by 2:00 p.m. on Monday (2 days prior to City Commission meeting). Staff shall respond within 24 hours, or no later than 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday (1 day prior to City Commission meeting). Staff shall e-mail the response addressed to: "C/C Questions". This address will automatically send the e-mail to an address group which consists of the Commissions, Commission aides, Leadership Team, and the appropriate support staff. A 2 or 3 word title shall be used in the subject line. The body of the message shall include an opening statement such as: "This is in response to Commission X's question regarding "_____________".
Staff shall respond as a "reply" to the e-mail which included the initial request, so that the questions asked by the Commissioner will be at the bottom of the e-mail response. If for some reason this is not possible, staff shall restate the questions in the response to C/C Questions.
112.06 Agenda Procedures: Procedures used to implement the City Commission Agenda Policy are referenced in the Administrative Procedures Manual #201.
112.07 Administration: The City Manager's Office of the Executive Department has the responsibility for administration of the City Commission agenda policy.
112.08 Sunset Review: The sunset review date is to occur no later than five years from the effective date.
112.09 Effective Date: October 1, 1995.