Documents from Nancy Greer ( Clerk of Council) in answer to the question
“We are having a discussion on Council Committees amongst other things and one of my questions is in regard to committees. Also is there a place that gives the official job description of just what a Council President role is. How are the rules set for time for general public to speak and who decides the time limit and is there a process to get extended time ? Sorry to be a nuisance but I want to make sure the information I am giving is accurate
I know Admin brings issues to be discussed in Committee wondering how this process works in the sense Can “department heads bring things directly to a committee without going through the Administration? Is there an avenue for the general public to bring an issue to one of the committees or do they first contact their council representative etc… how does that work.”
Nancy Greer’s Response
I have received your request for information regarding Council Committees. Attached is a copy of council rules, which is passed every two years by each council and directs how the body conducts business. You will notice a listing of committees, the process used during committee meetings and the voting requirements. Also included are the duties of the council president in addition to anything that is already called out in the Ohio Revised Code. There is not a specific “job description” for the President of Council or a Councilmember.
The public speaking portion of our meeting is also included in the attached Council Rules. We allow each individual 2 minutes with a cap of 20 minutes allowable time delegated to this segment. Council may waive these rules at any time, including public speaking, as long as it not a ORC requirement.
The chairperson (or vice chair) calls the committee meeting during a regular or special meeting unless it is deemed an emergency. This provides the public sufficient time to obtain information and attend if interested. Items discussed in committee are selected by the chair and can come from anywhere. Most often, items are referred from the regular meeting agendas but the chair can call a meeting to discuss an item of a general nature such as “Parks” or “Cats” etc.
The most common way that the general public brings a topic to the attention of the committee is through correspondence on our agendas. Items are read under correspondence and then referred to the appropriate committee for further review and discussion. In addition, any member of the public may contact any member of council to bring a subject to the floor for discussion. Oftentimes, a councilmember will ask the chair of a particular committee to schedule a meeting to discuss a matter of concern, perhaps in their respective ward. In summation, I would state that there are various ways to get subject matters or incidents or any topic to the appropriate committee for discussion without going through the administration.
We also have a new avenue that has been added to our meeting types and that is a Council Work Session. It was created to allow the body to thoroughly review and discuss matters in great detail. While the meetings are open to the public, public comment is not allowable. Oftentimes, the work session will involve a presentation. I will send you the resolution creating work sessions as well.
PDF FILES MENTION CAN BE FOUND HERE
Work Sessions
OH Her Again! 