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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Richard J. Veenstra, Corporation Counsel
DATE: February 27, 2018
SUBJECT:
A resolution establishing rules for public comment during meetings of the City Council and its committees.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this resolution is to establish rules for public comment at meetings of the City Council and of its committees that comply with the Open Meetings Act and afford the public an opportunity to address their public officials.
BACKGROUND:
Section 2-102 of the Code of the City of Aurora sets forth very limited circumstances in which members of the public may speak at meetings of the City Council. These provisions appear to have been unchanged since 1969 and, in some respects, conflict with newer requirements contained in the Open Meetings Act, in particular Section 2(g) of the Act. The Code is also silent on the opportunity for members of the public to speak at committee meetings. On the advice of counsel, the City Council and its committees have permitted members of the public to address officials for three (3) minutes each in order to comply as best as possible with both the Open Meetings Act and Section 2-102(c) of the City Code.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed rules balance the public's right to address their officials with need of the City Council and its committees to conduct their business orderly and efficiently.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
If the Council approves this resolution, new public comment rules will become effective for 1) the Council and the Committee of the Whole and 2) each of the standing committees. The standing committees will have the option of adopting their own rules for public comment if they see fit provided that their rules may be no less restrictive on the right to comment than those approved by the Council.
In summary, these rules provide that public comment will be a regular item of business before the Council and its committees. No vote will be required or authorized to allow for public comment. No pe...
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