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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4712 Ordinance - Amending PMC 02.05.020 to Include Public Comment During Council Workshops Ordinance – Amending PMC 02.05.020 - 1 ORDINANCE NO. 4712 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PASCO, WASHINGTON, AMENDING PASCO MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 02.05.020 “REGULAR BUSINESS MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS – ORDER OF BUSINESS” RELATED TO PUBLIC COMMENTS DURING REGULAR WORKSHOP MEETINGS. WHEREAS, at the Biennial City of Pasco (City) Council Retreat, the City Council discussed the merits of including an opportunity for the public to speak to discussion items on their regularly scheduled Workshop meetings; and WHEREAS, it was proposed that the public be able to speak up to two (2) minutes during the discussion of each topic placed on the Workshop Agenda with a total of eight (8) minutes allowed for public comment per topic so as to allow the public to provide feedback without unnecessarily extending Workshop meetings; and WHEREAS, for controversial topics, or topics where multiple members of the public wish to speak, the 8 minutes will be divided equally, to allow both sides the same amount of time to provide comments with the Mayor retaining the ability to amend the process to allow more comments equally divided; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined the need to include opportunities for the public to speak when they are discussing items during their Workshops. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASCO, WASHINGTON DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. 1hat Pasco Municipal Code Section 2.05.020 entitled “Regular business meetings and workshops – Order of business” is hereby amended and shall read as follows: 2.05.020 Regular business meetings and workshops – Order of business. (1) At all regular business meetings of the City Council the order of business shall be as follows: 1st Meeting instructions for remote access to meeting. 2nd Call to order. 3rd Roll call. 3(a) Pledge of allegiance. 4th Consent agenda (including approval of minutes and bills and communications). DocuSign Envelope ID: 6B62BFCC-F6E7-4497-96C3-DF73A7F0DE3C Ordinance – Amending PMC 02.05.020 - 2 5th Proclamations and acknowledgments. 6th Public comments – the public may address Council on any items unless it relates to any scheduled public hearing, then the public will have an opportunity to speak during the public hearing. 7th Reports from committees and/or officers. 8th Public hearings and Council action on ordinances and resolutions relating thereto. When a public hearing is for a “closed record” issue, no new evidence may be presented and only those who participated in the “open record hearing” in front of the Hearing Examiner may testify and arguments must be summary only and not offer new evidence. 9th Ordinances and resolutions not relating to public hearings. 10th Unfinished business. 11th New business. 12th Miscellaneous Council discussion. 13th Adjournment. (2) At all workshop meetings of the City Council the order of business shall be as follows: 1st Meeting instructions for remote access. 2nd Call to order. 3rd Roll call. 3(a) Pledge of allegiance. 4th Verbal reports from Councilmembers. 5th Items for discussion with opportunity for Public Comment – the public may comment on each topic scheduled for discussion, up to 2 minutes per person with a total of 8 minutes per item. If opposing sides wish to speak, then both sides receive an equal amount of time to speak or up to 4 minutes each side. DocuSign Envelope ID: 6B62BFCC-F6E7-4497-96C3-DF73A7F0DE3C Ordinance – Amending PMC 02.05.020 - 3 6th Miscellaneous Council discussion. 7th Adjournment. [Ord. 4643 § 1, 2023; Ord. 2765 § 1, 1990; Ord. 2257 § 1, 1981; Ord. 1807 § 1, 1976; Code 1970 § 2.02.020; Code 1954 § 1-3.08.] Section 2. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or word of this Ordinance should be held to the invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity or unconstitutionality thereof shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of any other section, subsection, sentence, clause phrase or word of this Ordinance. Section 3. Corrections. Upon approval by the city attorney, the city clerk or the code reviser are authorized to make necessary corrections to this Ordinance, including scrivener’s errors or clerical mistakes; reference to other local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations; or numbering or referencing of ordinances or their sections and subsections. Section 4. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take full force and effect five (5) days after approval, passage and publication as required by law. PASSED by the City Council of the City of Pasco, Washington, on this 15th day of April, 2024. _____________________________ Pete Serrano Mayor ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: _____________________________ ___________________________ Debra Barham, CMC Kerr Ferguson Law, PLLC City Clerk City Attorneys Published: Sunday, April 21, 2024 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6B62BFCC-F6E7-4497-96C3-DF73A7F0DE3C