Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing (X) Amending
Type of Service: Declaring Intent - Council Rules
Purpose: Resolution amending the established rules of procedure governing the conduct of meetings of the Municipal Council of the City of Newark
Additional Information: Amending Rule XVII Addressing the Municipal Council: Time Limit
Sponsor: Council of the Whole
body
WHEREAS, the Municipal Council wishes to ensure transparency to the citizens who request to address the Municipal Council and eliminate “Added Starter” additions for the Hearing of Citizens, as that process suggests to the public that individuals who miss the deadline for registering were added, which is not the case; and
WHEREAS, the proposed amendment to the Council Rules moves up the deadline to 12:00 P.M. (Noon), in order to coincide with the customary issuance of the Agenda, on the Friday preceding the next Regular Meeting.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNCIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
NOTE: Additions are shown as bold and underlined and deletions as strikethroughs.
RULE XVII. ADDRESSING THE MUNCIPAL COUNCIL: TIME LIMIT
The Newark Municipal Council hereby affirms and supports the right of citizens to speak at public meetings of the Municipal Council in accordance with the Municipal Council's own rules of procedure and any applicable statues of the State of New Jersey.
A Hearing of Citizens shall be held during the course of each regular meeting of the Municipal Council as set forth in Rule III.
Any person may be permitted to address the Municipal Council during the Hearing of Citizens session, provided that notice by such person is given to the Office of the City Clerk by either personal appearance, mailed correspondence or facsimile no earlier than 8:30 A.M. on the day following the Municipal Council meeting but no later than 4:00 12:00 P.M. (Noon) on the Monday Friday preceding the Municipal Council meeting at which the individual wishes to speak. The first twenty-five (25) persons to register by the closing deadline will be eligible to speak during the Hearing of Citizens for the up-coming Municipal Council meeting. Once the Hearing of Citizens has commenced and the roll call of the list of speakers has begun, anyone who is not present or who does not respond at the time his name is called, shall be deemed as “not appearing” and his name shall not be recalled at a later time to address the Council at that session. Those persons wishing to address the Municipal Council shall provide by the above deadline the following information to the Office of the City Clerk: signature, printed legal name, place of residence, which shall not include a Post Office Box, day and evening telephone numbers and the nature or subject of the proposed topic. The City Clerk, or his designee shall have the authority to modify any proposed topic in order to avoid personally insulting, defamatory, malicious or derogatory statements on the list of speakers for the Hearing of Citizens.
The registration form for speakers for the Hearing of Citizens session shall contain a statement of the rules of decorum for the Hearing of Citizens. It shall also include a statement that the individual understands the rules of decorum for the Hearing of Citizens, acknowledges and agrees to conduct in accordance with the rules. This statement shall be signed by all persons wishing to speak at the Hearing of Citizens. Any person refusing to sign this statement shall not be placed on the list of speakers for the Hearing of Citizens. Any person who signs this statement but fails to abide by the rules shall not be permitted to register to speak at a Hearing of Citizens for the succeeding two (2) Municipal Council Meetings nor shall such person be recognized as a speaker in the public speaking period following a pre-meeting, conference meeting or Special meeting until they are eligible to speak at a Hearing of Citizens. Any person so barred from speaking who upon regaining eligibility to speak at a Hearing of Citizens again violates the rules of decorum, shall be barred from speaking at future Hearing of Citizens for a period to be established by the Presiding Officer.
All speakers during the Hearing of Citizens shall be permitted
five (5) minutes to speak.
Prior to the conclusion of a pre-meeting conference, there shall be allocated a period of time not to exceed thirty (30) minutes wherein citizens may address the Municipal Council on any topic relevant to any Newark municipal government issue. Each individual speaker shall be limited to a maximum time period of three (3) minutes. Any person present at the pre-meeting, may speak within the limitation herein established. The Presiding Officer will select the person to be given the floor and establish the order of speaking.
Prior to the conclusion of a special conference meeting, there shall be allocated a period of time not to exceed thirty (30) minutes wherein citizens may address the Municipal Council on any topic relevant to any Newark municipal government issue. Each individual speaker shall be limited to a maximum time period of three (3) minutes. Any person present at the special conference meeting, may speak within the limitation herein established. The Presiding Officer will select the person to be given the floor and establish the order of speaking.
Prior to the conclusion of a special meeting, there shall be allocated a period of time not to exceed thirty (30) minutes wherein citizens may address the Municipal Council on any topic relevant to any Newark municipal government issue. Each individual speaker shall be limited to a maximum time period of three (3) minutes. Any person present at the special meeting, may speak within the limitation herein established. The Presiding Officer will select the person to be given the floor and establish the order of speaking.
In the event that a special meeting and a special conference
meeting are held on the same day, there shall be only one (1) thirty (30) minute period allowed for comments by public speakers.
Any person addressing the Municipal Council during a public hearing for an Ordinance on Public Hearing, Second Reading and Final Passage, shall confine his remarks to the specifics of the Ordinance in question. No other matter may be discussed. Speakers will be permitted three (3) minutes to address the Municipal Council on the Ordinance.
Notwithstanding the separation of powers between the Executive and Legislative branches of the Newark Municipal government under state law, the Municipal Council may request, through the Mayor or Business Administrator, that representatives of the City Administration be present during all Hearing of Citizens sessions.
STATEMENT
This resolution amends the rules of procedure for the Municipal Council as to the deadline to register for the Hearing of Citizens at the Regular Municipal Council Meeting.