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O-2020-0310 - 10/22/2020 1 ORDINANCE NO. 0-2020-0310 2 3 4 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE II, SECTION 2- 5 26(b), CODE OF ORDINANCES (2018 EDITION), CITY OF ROUND 6 ROCK, TEXAS, REGARDING CITIZENS COMMUNICATION AT 7 COUNCIL MEETINGS; AND PROVIDING FOR A SAVINGS CLAUSE 8 AND REPEALING CONFLICTING ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS. 9 10 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROUND ROCK, 11 TEXAS: 12 I. 13 That Chapter 2, Article II, Section 2-26(b), Code of Ordinances (2018 Edition), 14 City of Round Rock, Texas, is hereby amended as follows: 15 CHAPTER 2. ADMINISTRATION 16 17 Sec. 2-26.—Agenda and rules of procedure for council meetings. 18 (b) Rules of procedure and conduct of council meetings. 19 (1) Chair. All city council meetings shall be presided over and conducted by the mayor or, in his 20 absence, the mayor pro-tem. 21 (2) Rules of order. All meetings of the city council shall be conducted generally in accordance with 22 Robert's Rules of Order, in its most current revised edition. 23 (3) Parliamentarian. The city attorney shall be designated as parliamentarian and shall make 24 rulings on parliamentary procedure when requested to do so by a council member or when the 25 legality or validity of a council action might be affected. 26 (4) Presentation by city staff. With the exception of the consent agenda, city staff shall make any 27 presentation necessary for a public hearing or before consideration of a possible action item. 28 (5) Citizen communication. 29 a. Opportunity to address council provided. An opportunity for any person to address the city 30 council at any meeting shall be provided under an agenda item entitled "Citizen 31 Communication." 32 b. Procedure for citizen placing item on agenda. To place an item on the agenda under 33 "Citizen Communication," a written request therefor shall be filed with the city clerk no later 34 than six days prior to the day of the meeting for which discussion of the matter is 35 requested. Such written request shall contain the following: 36 1. A brief, concise statement of the matter to be addressed; 37 2. The name, address and telephone number of the person filing the request; 38 3. The name of the group or organization, if any, that the person is representing; 39 4. An estimate of the amount of time required to present the matter. 0112.2020;00454941 1 Except as authorized by a majority of the city council, discussion on each item under 2 "Citizen Communication" shall be limited to no longer than 15 minutes total. 3 c. Limitation on council taking action. No matter brought before the city council during "Citizen 4 Communication" may be acted upon by the city council unless the specific matter appears 5 on the posted agenda as provided by law. 6 d. Procedure for citizen addressing council when item not on agenda. 7 1. Any person wishing to address the city council concerning a matter not on the agenda 8 under "Citizen Communication" may do so, provided that he limits such presentation 9 to three minutes, and provided that he has previously delivered to the city clerk a 10 registration card identifying the topic on which the person desires to address the city 11 council. 12 2. The registration card shall include the following information: 13 (i) Full name; 14 (ii) Business and/or residential address; 15 (iii) Business and/or residential telephone number; 16 (iv) Representation; 17 (v) Agenda item or topic; 18 (vi) Brief statement of position, e.g., for or against an agenda item or summary of 19 communication. 20 3. Persons properly and timely submitting registration cards will be heard after the items 21 on the Citizen Communication agenda have been heard. 22 4. Persons addressing the city council concerning a matter not on the Citizen 23 Communication agenda shall be limited to no more than three minutes. However, the 24 mayor may expand the time limit set forth up to one additional three-minute period if 25 the presenter requests an extension and if no council member objects. If a council 26 member objects to the presenter's request for an extension, then the city council shall 27 vote to approve or disapprove the request for extension. 28 5. If the number of persons signing up to address the council during "Citizen 29 Communication" exceeds a total of ten, the mayor may limit the time for each person 30 to less than three minutes unless a council member objects. If a council member 31 objects to the time limitation, then the city council shall vote to approve or disapprove 32 the time limitation. 33 6. Either the city clerk or the city attorney shall serve as timekeeper for any presentation 34 made to the city council. 35 7. 36 e. Procedure for citizens addressing the council during public hearings. 37 1. Any person wishing to address the city council concerning a public hearing may do so, 38 provided that he or she limits such presentation to three minutes, and provided that he 39 or she has previously delivered to the city clerk a registration card identifying the 40 public hearing on which the person desires to address the city council. 41 2. The registration card shall include the following information: 42 (i) Full name; 43 (ii) Business and/or residential address; 44 (iii) Business and/or residential telephone number; 2 1 (iv) Representation; 2 (v) The topic of the public hearing; 3 (vi) Brief statement of position, e.g., for or against an agenda item or summary of 4 communication. 5 3. Persons addressing the city council concerning a public hearing shall be limited to no 6 more than three minutes. However, the mayor may expand the time limit set forth up 7 to one additional three-minute period if the presenter requests an extension and if no 8 council member objects. If a council member objects to the presenter's request for an 9 extension, then the city council shall vote to approve or disapprove the request for 10 extension. 11 4. If the number of persons signing up to address the council during a public hearing 12 exceeds a total of ten, the mayor may limit the time for each person to less than three 13 minutes unless a council member objects. If a council member objects to the time 14 limitation, then the city council shall vote to approve or disapprove the time limitation. 15 5. Either the city clerk or the city attorney shall serve as timekeeper for any presentation 16 made to the city council. 17 6. . 18 (6) Call of agenda items. The mayor may call each agenda item by number or short caption only. It 19 shall not be necessary to call an agenda item by its complete caption. 20 (7) Council vote. The city clerk shall maintain, and the minutes shall reflect, all votes made by the 21 city council in open meeting. 22 23 II. 24 25 A. All ordinances, parts of ordinances, or resolutions in conflict herewith are 26 expressly repealed. 27 B. The invalidity of any section or provision of this ordinance shall not 28 invalidate other sections or provisions thereof. 29 C. The City Council hereby finds and declares that written notice of the date, 30 hour, place and subject of the meeting at which this Ordinance was adopted was posted 31 and that such meeting was open to the public as required by law at all times during 32 which this Ordinance and the subject matter hereof were discussed, considered and 33 formally acted upon, all as required by the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Texas 34 Government Code, as amended. 3 1 Alternative 1. 2 By motion duly made, seconded and passed with an affirmative vote of all the 3 Council members present, the requirement for reading this ordinance on two separate 4 days was dispensed with. ) Oct 5 READ, PASSED, and ADOPTED on first reading this 6tL.7 day of 6 ' 2020. 7 Alternative 2. s READ and APPROVED on first reading this the day of 9 , 2020. 10 READ, APPROVED and ADOPTED on second reading this the day of 11 , 2020. 12 13 14 15 CRAIG MO GAN ayor 16 City of Round Rodk, Texas 17 18 ATTEST: 19 20 21 MEAGANP INKS, Deputy City Clerk 22 4