JACKSONVILLE
RESEARCH DIVISION
RULES COMMITTEE SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
February 22, 2017
Immediately following Rules Committee
Meeting
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER
Attendance: Council Members Garrett Dennis (Chair), John
Crescimbeni (Vice Chair), Greg Anderson, Danny Becton, Jim Love, Tommy Hazouri, Scott Wilson; Council
Member Reggie Brown was in attendance. Deputy General Counsel Peggy Sidman, Assistant General Counsel Paige Johnston; Heather
Reber, Council Auditor’s Office, Allison Korman Shelton, Administration, Jeff
Clements, John J. Jackson, Council Research Division, Legislative Assistant
Crystal Shemwell.
The Chair called the Special
Meeting to order at 3:02 p.m. He
announced that the Special Meeting would review a draft ordinance prepared by Deputy
General Counsel Peggy Sidman to amend the Council Rules regarding public
comment, public hearings and public participation in meetings.
Assistant General Counsel
Paige Johnston summarized the proposed Rules Committee ordinance.
The ordinance adds a new
category of “public participation” to
the existing public hearing and
public comment provisions of the
Council Rules to comply with a change in the Florida Statutes several years
ago.
The new rules require that speakers
during public comment must give their
names and addresses audibly for the record as a condition of speaking. The
Council can require the audible announcement because the public comment is not
legislatively mandated and the Council can therefore apply time and manner
conditions on public comment that it
cannot apply to public hearings or
public participation.
The new rules stipulate that
public comments, hearings and participation at meetings shall be a maximum of three
(3) minutes, but may be adjusted due to time constraints to allow everyone a
fair opportunity to be heard.Vice President John Crescimbeni pointed out that
the Council President can use her judgement and rule on amounts of time
allotted to speakers during public comment depending on circumstances.
The Rules Committee must
decide whether the draft legislation be introduced as a Rules Committee
bill. If it is introduced as a Rules
Committee bill, the item will come back to the Rules Committee for discussion
and debate. The committee voted 7-0 to authorize the General Counsel to
introduce the bill under the committee’s sponsorship.
There being no further
business, the Special Meeting was adjourned at 3:31 P.M.
John J. Jackson, Council
Research Division (904) 630-1729
02.27.17
Posted: 3:00 P.M.