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While council meetings must be open to the public, no one has the right to disrupt the council proceedings. When the council decides that a disorderly person should not remain in the meeting hall, the police may be called to execute the orders of the presiding officer or the council. If the audience becomes so disorderly that it is impossible to carry on a meeting, the mayor has the right and duty to declare the council meeting temporarily recessed or adjourned to some other time (and place, if necessary). The members of the council can also move for adjournment. If the mayor is not conducting the meeting in an orderly fashion, there is relatively little the other council members can do to control the action of the presiding officer. However, a majority of the council can force adjournment whenever the council members feel it is necessary. If the city council anticipates meeting disruptions or unruly citizens to occur at an upcoming meeting, the city should connect with their city attorney. C. Public hearings See Appendix A: Minnesota A public hearing is a special type of city council meeting (or a portion of a Mayors Association City Council Bylaws and meeting) designed to solicit public input and allow members of the public to Appendix C: Summary Rules express their opinions on a designated topic. Conducting a public hearing can for Public comment. pose different challenges to a mayor than conducting a regular council meeting. Cities may find it helpful to adopt rules of procedure specifically for conducting public hearings and managing citizen comment. There are two types of hearings: those that are discretionary, and those that are required by a specific statute, ordinance, or charter provision. 1. Discretionary public hearings Many city councils will hold public hearings even when not legally required to do so. Generally, hearings of this type are for the purpose of allowing the public to comment on a specific issue of interest to the community. Such hearings can be helpful in raising concerns about an issue that the council may not have considered. 2. Required public hearings See Minn. Stat. § 462.357, On some matters, state statute requires that the council hold a public hearing subd. 3. Minn. Stat. § 429.031 subd. l(a). Minn. Stat. § before acting. 429.061 subd. 1. The following are common matters that require public hearings: Minn. Stat. § 462.357, subd. 3. • Adoption or amendment of a zoning ordinance. Minn. Stat. § 462.358, subd. • Subdivision applications. 3b. Minnesota Mayors Association Chapter 1-21