Agenda Packet 1-13-20 Work Session

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• Identify yourself at the microphone – Provide your name and ward number, if known. If you are the spokesperson for a group or part of a group providing testimony, identify the group or organization. Briefly describe the group’s mission and note how many members you represent if it will help the council to understand your perspective. • Offer your own experience – Try not to repeat what has already been stated, but rather build upon it. State whether you agree or disagree, then provide additional relevant information. • Request action – State exactly what you would like the City Council to do as a result of your testimony. • Offer solutions – Whether stating a specific or general approach to an issue, creative solutions or feasible alternatives are always well-received and appreciated. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” ~ Helen Keller Submitting Materials or Testimony • Written testimony and other documentation received at the time of the City Council meeting or during the meeting will not be distributed at the meeting. Do not approach the dais to deliver testimony. • Place written materials in the basket on the testimony table. • All submitted materials will be gathered and delivered to the Mayor and councilors on Thursday, along with other weekly packet information. Submitted material will also be posted to the web. • Written testimony may be delivered to the City Manager’s Office, 125 East 8th Avenue, 2nd floor, by no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday for inclusion in the Thursday packet. Materials delivered past the deadline will be included in the following week’s packet. • City staff will prepare copies of testimony that is fewer than five pages. For materials that exceed five pages, please provide 12 copies. • Testimony submitted anonymously will not be distributed to the Mayor and City Council but will be kept in the record copy. Public Forums and Public Hearings Public forums are held during regular City Council meetings, which occur at 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. The public forum is an opportunity to raise or offer testimony on any issue, providing that issue is not scheduled for a public hearing at the same meeting or is the subject of a quasi-judicial proceeding that has closed its record. Public hearings are usually held at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. A public hearing is an opportunity for comment on a specific issue that is on the City Council agenda for that meeting. During a public hearing, only testimony on the specific agenda topic may be offered. How do I sign up to speak during a public forum or public hearing? To address the council during a public forum or public hearing, you must fill out a “Request to Speak” form. This form is used to announce the order of speakers and to correctly enter your name into the public record. City staff may also use the form to contact you with follow-up information. Submission of a Request to Speak form indicates your agreement to abide by the Code of Conduct. Forms are located at the information table in the lobby outside of he meeting room. There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction. - John F. Kennedy Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people.” - Abraham Lincoln • Arrive early – “Request to Speak” forms must be turned in prior to the start of the public hearing or public comment period. Sign-ups begin 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. You must be present to submit a Request to Speak form. Tips for Effective Public Testimony January 13, 2019, Work Session – Item 2 P a g e 2 8