2.04.050 Order of business
The Mayor’s State of the City address shall occur in January of each year.
The Mayor or presiding officer may change the order of business on the agenda. The usual order of business for regular meetings will be as follows:
A. Call to order and Council acknowledgements.
B. Pledge of Allegiance.
C. Roll call.
D. Mayor’s or Chair of the Council announcements and proclamations.
E. Approval of minutes of the previous meeting. If there are no corrections or objections to the minutes, they shall be considered approved; otherwise, to be approved by vote. The minutes as approved shall be signed by the Mayor and City Recorder.
F. Special Presentations, Proclamations and Awards. This item on the agenda is used to acknowledge special recognition and awards given to the City or for the Mayor to announce proclamations, which serve to encourage and educate the community. Proclamations shall be made and placed on the agenda at the discretion of the Mayor. Requests for recognition under this agenda item should be submitted in writing to the Mayor.
G. Public Forum.
1. Public forum is to precede the consent agenda unless public forum is moved to later in the agenda of a particular meeting by decision of the Mayor or presiding officer or by temporary suspension of the rules pursuant to AMC 2.04.010.E.
2. Members of the public may speak during public forum about any topic not on the agenda for the same meeting. The agenda for public forum is fifteen (15) minutes, unless a majority of the Council votes to extend the time. On behalf of the City, any Councilor may request that any matter discussed during public forum be placed on a future Council agenda.
3. Public forum is not to be used to provide or gather additional testimony or information on a quasi-judicial matter. Public testimony will not be accepted on a matter subject to a public hearing where the record has been closed if the matter is still pending.
4. Persons wishing to speak during public forum are to submit a “speaker request form” prior to the commencement of the public forum and deliver the form to the City Recorder. The Mayor or presiding officer is to inform the audience on requirements for submission of the form. When possible and feasible, preference will be given to the individuals who reside within the City limits of Ashland. Persons who do not reside in the City may be placed at the end of the list of those wishing to speak at public forum.
H. Consent Agenda. Routine business items may be listed by the City Manager under this item, which shall be acted upon in its entirety, except that the Mayor or any member of the Council may request that any item be moved to the regular agenda under the appropriate section of business.
I. Public Hearings and Ordinances.
1. Public hearings shall conclude at 8:00 p.m. and be continued to a future date to be set by the Council, unless the Council, by a two-thirds vote of those present, extends the hearing(s) until up to 9:30 p.m. at which time the Council shall set a date for continuance and shall proceed with the balance of the agenda.
2. Not more than two (2) land-use appeal hearings shall be scheduled for any regular meeting of the Council. The City Manager may, in the City Manager’s discretion, schedule additional legislative hearings depending on the anticipated length of the Council meeting.
3. Persons wishing to speak at public hearings are to submit a “speaker request form” prior to the commencement of the hearing and deliver the form to the City Recorder. The Mayor or presiding officer is to inform the audience of this requirement to submit the form prior to the commencement of the hearing. No testimony will be accepted on public hearings that have been closed.
J. Public Testimony on Agenda Items.
1. Members of the public who wish to speak on an agenda item that is not the subject of a public hearing at the same meeting (see subsection I of this section regarding public hearing testimony) may do so at the time set aside for that agenda item. If a member of the public or a Council member has requested time to speak on a consent agenda item, the presiding officer shall make time for a brief presentation by the requestor prior to the Council’s vote on the consent agenda.
2. Persons wishing to speak on an agenda item are to submit a “speaker request form” prior to Council consideration of the agenda item and deliver the form to the City Recorder. The Mayor or presiding officer is to inform the audience on requirements for submission of the form.
3. The presiding officer will set time limits for people who ask to speak on agenda items. In general the time limits should be set to enable all people who wish to present testimony. Time limits shall not be so short as to not allow speakers to address their topics.
K. Unfinished business from a prior meeting.
L. New business.
M. Resolutions, Contracts and Other City Business. .
1. Every ordinance is to be enacted in accordance with Article X of the City Charter. Copies of the ordinance shall be e-mailed to Council members and the Mayor at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting. Council members may review the ordinance and forward suggestions for changes to the City Attorney for consideration. Minor changes may be incorporated; substantive changes will be considered at the time of first reading. Any substantive changes to the ordinance must be verbally noted at first reading. Council members must submit comments to the City Attorney no later than 12:00 noon on the Wednesday prior to Council meeting. Lengthy ordinances may be read by title only at Council meetings if the ordinance title has been published in the local paper at least seven (7) days in advance of the Council meeting.
2. Resolutions may be placed on the consent agenda and voted upon. Resolutions do not require a roll-call vote.
3. The voting on all ordinances may be by roll-call vote and recorded in the minutes showing those numbers voting for and those voting against.
N. Other business from Council members.
O. Adjournment of the meeting. (Ord. 3224, replaced, 07/18/2023)