RESOLUTION NO. 2022-09-12-N A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANGER, TEXAS, ADOPTING RULES FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN COUNCIL MEETINGS WHEREAS, the City of Ranger is a home rule city acting under its charter adopted by the electorate pursuant to Article XI, Section 5 of the Texas Constitution and Chapter 9 of the Local Government Code; and WHEREAS, by the adoption of this Resolution, the City Council intends to establish some basic rules for the conduct of the Commission, its meetings and maintenance of order; and WHEREAS, the Open Meetings Act states "A governmental body may adopt reasonable rules regarding the public's right to address the body under this section, including rules that limit the total amount of time that a member oft thej public may address the body on a given item."; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANGER, TEXAS, THAT: SECTION 1. The attached exhibit A Public Participation Policy is hereby adopted. SECTION 2. Itis hereby found and determined that the meeting at which this resolution was passed was open to the public as required by Section 551.001 et. seq., Texas Government Code, and that advanced public notice oft the time, place and purpose of said meeting was given. SECTION 3. The facts and matters set forth in the preamble of this Resolution and Order of Cancellation are hereby found to be true and correct and are incorporated herein and made a part hereof for all purposes. SECTION 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon passage. PASSED AND APPROVED THIS THE 12th DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2022. CITY OF RANGER, TEXAS Jonn Casey, Mayor ATTEST mmmlistit Savannah Fortenberry, City Secretary Council Rules of Procedures: Public Participation Resolution No. 2022-09-12-N Council Rules of Procedures 1.1. Public Participation: or the City Manager. 1.1.2.1. City Council Meetings Exhibit A 1. 1.1.1. City Council Work Sessions: No persons shall be allowed to address the City Council at the City Council Work Session unless they are presenting on an agenda item or called upon to speak by the Chair 1.1.2. Addressing the City Council at City Council Meetings and City Council Public Comment Meetings: a) Posted Agenda Items for Consideration Speakers may sign up and address the City Council at a City Council Meeting on any posted agenda item when the item is called for consideration during the City Council Meeting. Items that are withdrawn from consideration from the posted agenda will not be called and therefore will not be subject to comments from the public. No speaker will be permitted to speak on any agenda item that has been withdrawn for consideration. An individual who signed upt to speak on a withdrawn agenda item may address the City Council ata a subsequent City Council Public Comment meeting if the individual timely registers to speak at b) Speaking as an Individual on Posted Agenda Items Each speaker shall be limited to three (3) minutes. Each speaker who requires the assistance of a translator to addresses the Chair and Council Members shall be limited to six (6) minutes. At the discretion of the Chair, the Chair may extend the time allotted to a speaker or may reduce the time allotted to each speaker to two (2) minutes for such reasons as the time allocated for the meeting, the number and complexity of agenda items, or the number of persons wishing to address the City Council. Each speaker who requires the assistance of a translator to addresses the Chair and Council Members shall be given at least twice the amount of time given to a member of the public that does not require a translator. Each speaker must comply with all applicable General Requirements of Subsection c) Speaking for a Group on Posted Agenda Items: Comments or other presentations bya representative of an organized group consisting of a minimum of (10) ten persons, shall be limited to six (6) minutes. Arepresentative who requires the assistance of a translator to addresses the Chair and Council Members shall be limited to twelve (12) minutes. The names of the ten persons must be provided at the time the representative registers to speak and those ten (10) persons must be present int the Council Chamber when the matter is called. The ten (10) persons shall stand and be recognized by the Chair before the representative is allowed to address the City Council. A person counted as one of the ten individuals represented shall not be permitted to speak on the same subject. If the representative fails to list the names of ten (10) persons when he or she registers to speak or thet ten (10) persons are not present in the Council Chamber when their names are called by the Chair, the representative'st time to speak shall be limited to three (3) minutes. At the discretion of the Chair, the Chair may extend the time allotted to a speaker or may reduce the time allotted to each speaker for such reasons as the time allocated for the meeting, the number and complexity of agenda items, or the number of persons wishing to address the City Council. Each speaker who requires the assistance ofa ai translator to address the Chair and Council Members shall be given at least twice the amount of time given to a member of the public that does not require a translator. Each speaker must comply with all applicable such meeting. 1.1.2.3. General Requirements of Subsection 1.1.2.3. 1.1.2.2. City Council Public Comment Meetings 4A August 2022 Page1l5 Council Rules of Procedures: Public Participation Resolution No. 2022-09-12-N Exhibit A a) Speaking at the City Council Public Comment Meetings: Persons wishing to address the City Council about any matter related to City business or affairs thati is int the scope of the authority and legislative functions of the City Council and who have registered as required by this Section will be permitted to speak at the City Council Public Responses by the City Council and staff to comments or a public presentation shall bei in accordance with Texas Open Meetings Act requirements. Ifa member of the public or City Council member raises a subject, a response may consist only of a statement of specific factual information or a recitation of existing policy. The City Council shall not discuss or take action relative to any public comments made during a City Council Public Comment meeting. Comments or other presentations by individuals shall be limited to three (3) minutes. Att the discretion of the Chair, the Chair may extend the timei for a speaker to address the City Council or may reduce the time allotted to each speaker to two (2) minutes for such reasons as the time allocated for the meeting or the number of persons wishing to address the City Council. Each speaker who requires the assistance of ai translator to addresses the Chair and Council Members shall be given at least twice the amount of time given to a member of the public that does not Comments or other presentations by a representative of an organized group consisting ofa minimum of ten (10) persons shall be limited to six (6) minutes. The names of the ten persons shall be provided at the time the representative registers to speak and those ten (10) persons must be present in the Council Chamber when the matter is called. The ten (10) persons shall stand and be recognized by the Chair before the representative is allowed to address the City Council. A person counted as one oft thet ten (10) individuals represented shall not be permitted to Ift the representative fails to list the names of ten (10) persons when he or she registers to speak or the ten (10) persons are not present int the Council Chamber when their names are called by the Chair, the representative'st time to speak shall be limited to three (3) minutes. At the discretion of the Chair, the Chair may reduce the three (3) minutes allotted to the speaker for such reasons as the time allocated for the meeting or the number of persons wishing to address the City Council. Each speaker who requires the assistance of a translator to addresses the Chair and Council Members shall be given at least twice the amount of time given to a member oft the Each speaker must comply with all applicable General Requirements of Subsection 1.1.2.3. Comment meeting. require a translator. speak on the same subject. public that does not require at translator. 1.1.2.3. General Requirements for Addressing the City Council at Public Meetings a) Deadline to Register to Speak The deadline for registering to address the City Council at a City Council Meeting or a City Council Public Comment meeting shall be two hours prior tot the posted start time fort the meeting in 4A August 2022 Page215 Council Rules of Procedures: Public Participation Resolution No. 2022-09-12-N the City Secretary'sOfice. Exhibit A question. Persons may register by calling the City Secretary's Office or by registering in personat No person shall be permitted to speak unless they previously registered to speak and are recognized by the Chair. A person registered to speak must be present in order to give his or her time to another registered speaker. No time may be given to a person thati is not registered to Persons or representatives may submit written comments in lieu of presenting oral testimony, provided such written testimony is submitted by the registration deadline outlined int this Section. The Chair shall recognize each individual who has registered to speak by calling the person's Upon being recognized, the person shall advance to the center podium (or the back podium, if needed) and shall state his or her name and city of residence in an audible tone for the record. Ins speaking on a posted agenda item at a City Council Meeting, the speaker shall limit his or her remarks to the subject of the posted agenda item that is under consideration. Ata a City Council Public Comment meeting, each speaker shall limit his or her remarks to the All speakers shall address the Chair and the Council Members, not the audience or the City staff. No persons othert than a Council Member or the person having the floor shall be permitted to enter into the discussion directly with a member of the City Council without the permission of the speak. b) Submission of Written Comments ) Being Recognized to Speak; Scope of Remarks name. subject(s) the speaker identified in registering to speak. Chair. All questions to the Council shall be directed to the Chair. All members oft the public attending and/or speaking at a meeting are required to abide by the 1.1.3. Rules of Conduct: City Council Meetings and City Council Public Comment meetings are conducted fort the official business of the City Council. Members of the public attending City Council Meetings and City Council Public Comment meetings shall observe the same rules of civility, decorum and respectful conduct applicable to members of the City Council. To ensure meetings are conducted in ap professional and courteous manner which enables the order conduct of business, all persons in attendance or who participate in such meetings shall conduct themselves in a manner that does not interfere with the ability of others to observe and, when allowed, to participate without disruption or Council Rules of Procedure. fear ofi intimidation, threats or hostility. 4August 2022 Page3/5 Council Rules of Procedures: Public Participation Resolution No. 2022-09-12-N Exhibit A Members oft the public desiring to address the City Council shall be recognized by the Chair and shall state his or her name and city of residence in an audible tone for the record and shall limit his or her The public has the right to criticize policies, procedure, programs or services of the City or of the actions or omission of the City Council or City staff. A member oft the public addressing the City Council shall not engage in any disorderly conduct which disrupts the orderly conduct of any City Council Meeting or City Council Public Comment meeting. The Chair may rule a public speaker out of order and in violation of (a) the speaker is speaking beyond the allocated time limit and refuses to yield the floor; (b) the speaker's remarks are not relevant to the agenda item under consideration ata City Council Meeting or City business or affairs ata City Council Public Comment meeting; (d) the speaker's remarks are disruptive so as to disturb the peace and good order of the meeting, through use of, without limitation, loud, threatening, hostile, abusive, vulgar or obscene language or any (e) the speaker engages in any conduct with thei intent to break up the meeting of the City Council or urges other to commit acts or engage in conduct to break up the meeting, including unreasonably loud and prolonged yelling, screaming, clapping or noise-creating acts which render iti impossible or difficult (f) the speaker willfully refuses or fails to comply with any Council Rule of Procedure or with any Demonstrations, the carrying of signs or placards, or other activities which disturb the peace and good The Chair shall have the authority to preserve order at all City Council Meetings and City Council Public Comment meetings and enforce the Council Rules of Procedure, including the authority to revoke the permission granted to any individual to speak ifs such individual is disruptive or does not adhere to Council Rule of Procedure, to remove or cause the removal of any person from any meeting of the City Council for disorderly conduct, and to exclude a person from returning to that same meeting from which Ift the Chair determines that the Council Rules of Procedure are not being followed, one warning will be given to the individual(s). If the Council Rules of Procedure continue to be violated after one warning, the Chair may revoke the individual's speaking privileges and may remove, or cause to be removed by security personnel, the individual from the Council Chamber. Anyi individual ordered to be removed from a meeting shall be excluded from returning to that meeting from which thei individual was removed and shall be barred from further audience before the City Council during that session of the Matters requiring the Council's attention or action which may have developed since the deadline for delivery of the written communication to the Council may, upon approval oft the Council, be presented orally byt the City Manager. If formal Council action on a subject is required, such action shall be delayed remarks to the topic under discussion. the Council Rules if: (c) the speaker repeatedly interrupts a Council Member; other actions that disturb or are calculated to disturb the meeting; for the City Council to conduct or continue with the meeting; or reasonable order of the Chair. order of the meeting shall not be permitted in the Council Chambers. the individual was removed. City Council. 1.2. Oral Presentations by City Manager: 4A August 2022 Page415 Council Rules of Procedures: Public Participation Resolution No. 2022-09-12-N Exhibit. A until the next succeeding City Council Meeting, except the immediate action may be taken if approved bya at two-thirds majority of all members of the Council and providing that the requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act have been met. 4August 2022 Page515