City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council adopt a resolution approving a City
Council Policy related to processing Speaker Cards with written comments
during City Council agenda items when the number of written comments
exceeds 20.
BACKGROUND:
Recently, the City Council has considered a number of items that solicited
public comments (both oral and written) that significantly exceeded the
number of comments received on an average item. In an effort to balance
the desire of the City Council to hear all comments with the need to
conduct the City Council’s business in an effective and efficient fashion,
the City Council has handled these unusual instances differently than the
average item.
Staff is proposing the City Council consider a new City Council Policy that
will meet both of these important needs.
DISCUSSION:
Meeting Date: 11/10/08 Item Number: A-5
AGENDA ITEM: Adoption of a Resolution Approving a City Council Policy
Related to Processing Speaker Cards with Written Comments during City Council
Agenda Items When the Number of Written Comments Exceeds 20.
Contact Person/Dept.:
Martin R. Cole, Assistant City
Manager/City Clerk
Phone Number:
(310) 253-6000
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification:
Master E-Mail Notification List (11/26/08)
Department Approval:
Martin R. Cole (11/24/08)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (11/26/08)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (11/25/08)
City Manager Approval:
Jerry B. Fulwood (11/26/08) City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
At two recent meetings, the City Council considered items which solicited
almost 100 speaker cards with written comments for each item. Assuming
the average card would involve one-half minute of reading the written
comments into the public record, the time taken to read these comments
would approach one hour. Adding this time to speakers present at the
meeting, the City Council has devoted several hours on such testimony.
Case Study – Public Hearing of November 17, 2008
The City Council held a public hearing on November 17, 2008 related to a
proposed development at 4043 Irving Place. In reviewing the speakers
cards presented that evening, the breakdown is as follows:
Speak in-Person: 30
Written Comments: 92
As an alternative to having the City Clerk/Agency Secretary read each of
the individual written comments into the record, the City Clerk/Agency
Secretary could be allowed some time to review the written comment
cards submitted and categorize those cards into certain groups. The draft
policy proposes use of the following categories:
Written Comments – General
Written Comments - Specific
The two categories above would be further sub-divided into those in favor
of a proposed item, those against, and other. This would yield a table
which would categorize all written comments received. Using the cards
from the November 17, 2008 hearing, the following table would be the
outcome:
Category “For” “Against” “Other”
Written – General 0 77 2
Written – Specific 0 13 0
TOTALS: 0 90 2
It is proposed the City Council could declare a short recess during which
the cards would be categorized. Upon conclusion of the recess, the
Clerk/Secretary could announce the results. All speaker cards with written
comments could be photocopied and provided to the City Council. Also,
upon motion of the City Council to receive and file those speaker cards City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
with written comments, all such comments would be included as part of
the official public record.
The attached policy provides a prototype of an updated speaker card that
adds areas to facilitate this categorization. Additionally, it requests written
comments be legibly printed. Further, it provides the public with notice
that written comments submitted may not be read into the record in full,
unless time permits.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Costs to reproduce the updated speaker cards can be absorbed within the
current fiscal year’s appropriations.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Proposed Resolution (with proposed Policy as attachment)
2. Updated Speaker Card
MOTION:
That the City Council:
Adopt a resolution approving City Council Policy related to processing
Speaker Cards with written comments during City Council agenda
items when the number of written comments exceeds 20.
MEETING DATE: December 1, 2008
AGENDA ITEM: Adoption of a Resolution Approving a City Council
Policy Related to Processing Speaker Cards with Written Comments
during City Council Agenda Items When the Number of Written Comments
Exceeds 20.
ATTACHMENTS
Pages
1. Resolution 1-4
2. Speaker Card. 5-6RESOLUTION NO. 2008-R
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING CITY
COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT 2008- RELATED TO
PROCESSING OF SPEAKER CARDS WITH WRITTEN
COMMENTS
WHEREAS, on December 1, 2008 at a regularly scheduled meeting of the
City Council, the City Council discussed a proposed policy related to the processing of
speaker cards with written comments; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed policy is reflective of the desire of the City Council
to encourage and consider public comments while allowing the City Council to effective
and efficiently conduct its business.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Culver City, California,
DOES RESOLVE as follows:
1. The City Council hereby adopts City Council Policy Statement No.
2008- , entitled, "Processing of Speaker Cards with Written Comments," which City
Council Policy Statement is attached hereto as Exhibit "A" to this resolution.
2. City Council Policy Statement No. 2008- shall be effective
immediately.
3. The City Manager is hereby authorized to format this policy statement in a
format consistent with other City Council Policy Statements and shall include the final
version of this City Council Policy Statement with other adopted City Council Policy
Statements.
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28MARTIN R. COLE, City Clerk
ire
7,./
CAR SL A SCHWAB, ity Attorney
4. The City Manager shall distribute this City Council Policy Statement to
interested parties upon request.
APPROVED and ADOPTED this day of December 2008.
D. SCOTT MALSIN, MAYOR
City of Culver City, California
ATTEST: APPROVE AS TO FORM:
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-2-City Council Adopted Policy 2008-
Adopted by Resolution on December 1, 2008
Subject Matter: Processing of Speaker Cards with Written Comments at
City Council and Redevelopment Agency Meetings
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to provide general guidelines on processing of
speaker cards with written comments at City Council and Redevelopment
Agency meetings. Other legislative bodies of the City may also rely upon this
Policy for guidance when applicable to legislative bodies other than the City
Council and the Redevelopment Agency.
BACKGROUND
This policy is meant to balance the need for the City Council and other legislative
bodies of the City (collectively "City Council") to receive public input as an
integral part of the public decision making process with the need for the City
Council to conduct the public's business in an effective and efficient manner.
PROCEDURE
At any time the number of speaker cards submitted with written comments
exceeds 20 for any specific item on the City Council agenda, the City Clerk
(including the Agency Secretary or Commission Secretary, or others functioning
in a similar capacity), shall announce the number of Speaker Cards submitted
with written comments.
At that time, at the request of the City Clerk, the Mayor may call a recess to allow
the City Clerk an opportunity to categorize the speaker cards with written
comments into categories reflected in the table below:
Category "For" "Against" "Other"
Written — General
Written — Specific
TOTALS:
The City Clerk shall use a reasonable and objective method to categorize the
speaker cards with written comments. Upon completion of the categorization,
the City Clerk shall announce to the City Council the results.
The City Clerk shall cause photocopies of those comments to be made, which
photocopies shall be placed on the dais for the City Council's information and
use while contemplating the item before the City Council. Alternately, in the case
the speaker cards with such specific and/or detailed numbers fewer than 20, the
Page 1 of 2Mayor may determine that such written comments shall be read into the record
rather than photocopied.
The Mayor shall then call for a motion to receive and file all written comments
into the public record. All written comments, even those that have not been read
into the record in full, shall become part of the official public record.
SPEAKER CARD
The City Clerk is hereby authorized to make changes to the Speaker Card from
time to time to facilitate the implementation of this Policy.
Page 2 of 2Please Print
SPEAKER CARD
CITY OF CULVER CITY
CITY COUNCIL
meeting Date: Agenda Hem No.: Name:
Phone Number: (Optional)
Organization Represented: (Only complete this line if y-ou are the official representative of this organization.)
Please check one of the following for comment:
0 I would like to speak on this agenda item.
I would like my written comments read into the record.
NOTE: ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS WILL BECOME PART OF THE OFFICIAL
RECORD; HOWEVER, YOUR WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY NOT BE READ INTO THE RECORD
IN FULL, UNLESS TIME PERMITS.1
PL SE PLEAT LEG)BLY.
(Continue on other side)
I agree 10 the Rules of Decorum on the reverse side 01 this card.Please observe these rules
when addressing the City Council
When addressing the City Council, speakers will abide by the Rules of Decorum as set forth in the Municipal
Code p.01.145(A)4 as well as rulings of the Mayor in support of respectful conduct and language. Alt
speakers must avoid disruptive activity. Any speaker, whose manner of presentation disregards these basic
standards of propriety and accepted public speech, will be directed by the Mayor to cease.
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