CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY SECOND COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. RA-16-2 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Klarissa J. Peña
RULES AMENDMENT
title
Amending The City Council Rules Of Procedure Relating To Article 1, Section 8 Addressing Meetings (Peña)
body
Section 1. Article I, Section 8 is hereby amended to read as follows:
“Section 8. Addressing Meetings.
“A. The Mayor or the Mayor's designated representative may be invited to address the City Council or may request to speak before the City Council.
B. Persons may be invited by the City Council to address it on a particular agenda item or for the purposes of a general address.
C. Persons desiring to speak before the City Council on a particular agenda item shall be asked to register with Council staff prior to consideration of the agenda item. Comments shall be limited to three agenda items per meeting. Comments must be germane to the particular agenda item. During general public comment, speakers are not restricted as to topic. [Speakers speaking on a particular agenda item or in general comment shall have three minutes to address the Council, however, additional] time limitations on speakers may be established at the discretion of the President of the City Council and shall apply to all speakers equally. Persons desiring to submit written comments to the Clerk of the Council may do so at any time. Restrictions under this section do not apply to the Mayor, the Mayor’s designated representative, persons invited by the City Council or parties to quasi-judicial hearings.
D. Persons signed up to speak before the City Council during general public comment or on a particular topic will be called to the podium to speak by the President, Vice President or Councilor presiding over the meeting. Only the individual called to the podium to provide public comment may stand at the podium or in the area around or behind the podium during that public comment. The Council President, Vice President or presiding Councilor shall make exceptions for those in need of a translator or those who need assistance or reasonable accommodations to provide public comment. Multiple persons will not be permitted to stand behind the individual providing comment.
E. Public comment must be directed to the City Council through the President, Vice President or presiding Councilor, not at staff members or members of the audience.
F. Items displayed on the overhead projector during an individual’s public comment must be removed from the projector at the end of that person’s public comment.
G. Absolutely no signs, props, posters, or banners will be allowed in the Council Chambers other than those which can be displayed on the overhead during presentations (no sheets larger than 8½” x 11”). Such material shall not be held or waived in a manner that blocks the view of others or creates a distraction from the speaker or the business at hand.
H. The first 30 individuals will be allowed to speak under general public comment (Item 9) of the agenda. Individuals who have signed up to provide general public comment to the Council but who, due to this limitation, are not able to speak may either provide general public comment at the end of the meeting under ‘Other Business’ or inform Council staff that they would like to provide their comments at the next regular Council meeting. Individuals who request to speak at the next regular Council meeting will be placed at the front of the public comment sign up list at that meeting.”
x:\city council\share\cl-staff\_legislative staff\legislation\ra - klarissa - public comment time limit.doc