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l..- t7 Y� YUi � �" COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED STANDING RULES AND PROCEDURES 2002-2003 Rule 3- Order of Business for RecTular Meetinqs Work Sessions 5:30 p.m. I. Public Comment. It's unreasonable to expect citizens who wish to make public comments to be there at 5:30 p.m. Anyone who has a job would need to make special work and family arrangements to be there at that time. The purpose of this rule would seem to be to discourage public comment. If work sessions and regular meetings are combined (which I do not favor) the public comment period should be at the beginning of the regular meeting at 7:00 p.m.This should more reasonably accommodate members of the community. IX. A roval of Minutes. What genius put the approval of minutes, number 9 out of 11 agenda items, at practically the end of the meeting? It's a pretty universal rule that approval of the minutes is the first thing on the agenda after roll call and possibly a few housekeeping details. The reason for this is to make any corrections---dates, wording, interpretation, etc.---in the minutes of the previous meetingbecause errors could have an impact on the business to be conducted at the current meeting. Put this item where it belongs. VIII. Consent aqenda. Vdhy is this placed at the end of the meeting? The items in the consent agenda are usually routine city matters that came up since the last regular meeting. This is ordinarily not a time consuming item. Council persons may ask for explanations of some items. The answers are u�ally short. If some item seems to require further consideration there are parliamentary means to consider it under the appropriate portion of the agenda or even table it to a future meeting. Put this back at the beginning of the agenda. Rule 7- Community Comment. The rule states that comments are to provide infprmation on items that are not on the aqenda. The rule should make clear when people can express their opinions on items that are on the aqenda, Rule 8-Serqean�-at-arms. Nix on a sergeant-at-arms in the form of a police officer in attendance at every Council meeting. The police department is right there at City Hall and can be summoned at a moment's notice should rioting occur. I see this ru?e as a form of intimidation. I have attended large conv��ntions at which the sergeants-at-arms were ordinary folks wearing Iarge badges.