Item A: City Council Process Session

Home Browse Search

prior to the commencement of a public hearing. Speakers will be limited to three minutes. Eugene Code 2.015(7) notwithstanding, councilors may ask clarifying or follow up questions of individuals providing testimony after that individual has completed his/her testimony. Questions posed by City Councilors should be to provide clarification or additional information on testimony provided. Questions should not be used as an attempt to lengthen or expand the testimony of the individual. Councilors shall be expected to use restraint and be considerate of the meeting time of the Council when exercising this option. The Mayor or presiding officer may intervene if a councilor is violating the spirit of this guideline. At the end of the Public Hearing, each member of the Council has the opportunity to comment on or discuss testimony given during the Public Hearing. The Mayor and Council will be limited to commenting only on the main motion prior to discussing any proposed amendments. If a an amendment to the motion is made during the initial round on the main motion, subsequent remarks on the amendments will be postponed until all wishing to speak on the main motion have done so. 1.07 Executive Session All meetings of the Council shall be held in open session, except those meetings that may be closed for those purposes specified in the Oregon Attorney General’s Public Records and Meetings Manual (ORS 192.610 to 192.690). These include the employment or dismissal of public employees, performance evaluation of the City Manager, labor negotiations, real property transactions negotiations, and consulting with legal counsel on pending or threatened litigation. Notice of executive sessions shall be given as required by state law and that notice must state the specific provisions of law authorizing the session. The Mayor and City Councilors are expected to maintain the confidentiality of the information discussed in legally noticed and conducted executive sessions as defined in Chapter 192 of the Oregon Revised Statutes. 1.08 Minutes Written minutes shall be taken for all Council meetings in accordance with the Oregon Attorney General’s Public Records and Meetings Manual. The minutes must give a true reflection of the matters discussed but need not be a full transcript, verbatim or recording. As a matter of courtesy and efficiency, councilors should notify the Mayor and other councilors that he/she intends to propose an amendment to the minutes and should propose replacement text in advance of the meeting at which those minutes are scheduled to be approved. If the proposed amendment is a simple factual, grammatical, or spelling correction, the amendment may be proposed without consulting the minutes recorder. If, however, the proposed amendment is substantive in nature or seeks to clarify the speaker's intent, or to expand his/her remarks for the record, the councilor should notify the minutes recorder and request verification of the proposed amendment. 1.09 Voting Section 12 of the Eugene Municipal Charter states that, the Mayor only votes on matters before the Council in the case of a tie. Council members may not abstain from voting unless a conflict of interest has been declared. Eugene City Council Operating Agreements – February 25, 2008 Page 3 of 19