05/28/1991 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e e Mr. MacDonald asked if the MPC could send an issue back to the council in its original form. He asked if the council could vote on such an issue without reconsidering a motion which had already been voted on. Mr. Gary said the MPC could send an issue back to the council for its recon- sideration in its original form. He said this issue pertained to a former statute in which the language was very clear that the MPC had four options: I} amending the recommended change in the plan; 2} recommending denial; 3) recommending that the council approve the original change; or 4) taking no action--which would have the effect of a denial. He said this matter was under the auspices of an old statute because of when the issue had arisen. He said that when the issue returned to the council, it would be considered a new issue and the council would have ten days in which to act. To take no action would be the same as a denial. Mr. Boles asked Mr. Gary for an analysis of postponement. Mr. Gary referred to the Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised. He said City Code mandates that the council follow these rules. He said Subsection b of 2.007 states that the council has an obligation to "get to the meat of the matter" and not "get bogged down" with procedural niceties--to avoid invoking the finer points of parliamentary rule. He said this meant that when dealing with fine points, the council should attempt to get to the merits of the issue. Mr. Gary said motions to reconsider are also addressed by the code. He said the council's regular meeting is on the second Monday of the month and is continued throughout the month. He said the code also addresses the kinds of issues which can be considered at the council's Wednesday meetings. He said the code states that any two councilors can request that a matter which comes up at a Wednesday meeting be carried over to the following Monday meeting. Mr. Gary said the code states that a motion to reconsider which occurs at a Wednesday meeting will automatically be taken up at the following Monday meeting. He said this meant that a motion to reconsider any action taken at a Wednesday meeting is automatically something of such significance that it must be done at an evening meeting. Mr. Gary said the code addresses issues which come up at evening meetings. He said the code seems to favor having motions for reconsideration considered at Monday meetings because it favors dealing with weightier matters on Mon- day. However, the council has adopted process guidelines which are to be followed when not inconsistent with the City Code. Mr. Gary said it was not inconsistent with the code to allow two councilors to request that a matter which would ordinarily be considered at a Monday meeting be considered at a Wednesday meeting. He said the code allowed this to occur in this instance. Mr. Gary said the council must consider a motion to reconsider at its Wednes- day meeting, rather than delay a vote, because a delay to a Monday meeting would defeat the motion to reconsider, due to the fact that the council can- not reconsider beyond the last meeting in the month. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 28, 1991 Page 10