CITY OF HOMER
HOMER, ALASKA
Heimbuch/Wythe
RESOLUTION 06-115(A)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL REVISING THEIR OPERATING MANUAL, SECTION 3. POLICIES
OF THE HOMER CITY COUNCIL, UNDER POLICY DIRECTIVES, BY AMENDING "CITY COUNCIL AND
COMMISSION, BOARD MINUTES" AND BY ADDING A SECTION "CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION,
BOARD MEETING PUBLIC COMMENT/TESTIMONY AND AUDIENCE COMMENT TIME LIMITS" AND
DIRECTING THE COUNCIL'S ADVISORY BODIES TO AMEND THEIR BYLAWS AND POLICY AND
PROCEDURE MANUALS ACCORDINGLY.
WHEREAS, It is becoming more and more apparent that, in general, most of meeting time, minutes recording and
preparation are spent on public comment, public testimony and audience comment; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative that the Council and its advisory bodies receive public input through written submittals and
during meetings through the public comment, testimony and audience comment agenda items; and
WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of all concerns to synoptically summarize public comments, testimony and audience
comments; and
WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of the City that the points of deliberations be recorded only and never in a he
said/she said format; and
WHEREAS, The City Clerk's Office posts the current audio recordings of regular meetings of the Council and its
advisory bodies on the internet; and
WHEREAS, A time limit is not only appropriate to keep the meeting moving along, it is a fairness and reasonable matter
to provide for the highest and best receipt of information from the public; and
WHEREAS, When everyone has the same time limit everyone knows the time limit in advance; and [a time limit
then everyone knows how long they 7th have to address the body they are addressing and that everyone else has that
same amount of time; and ]
WHEREAS, Time limits tend to eliminate preferences and also assist[s] the public in being more prepared; and
WHEREAS, Research completed by the City Clerk's office confirmed that a high percentage of municipalities, including
the Kenai Peninsula Borough, employ the 3 minute time limit and many municipalities set a cap on public comment
periods from 20 to 30 minutes; and
WHEREAS, Council amended their Operating Manual via Resolution 06-54 to employ a time limit of 3 minutes;
and
WHEREAS, The Homer Economic Development Advisory Commission established a three minute time limit in their
Bylaws for public comments, public testimony on public hearing items and audience comments in compliance with the
Council's time limit; and
WHEREAS, The Homer Advisory Planning Commission has, generally, set a time limit of three minutes as the Chair sees
the need due to public attendance; and
WHEREAS, The Homer City Council finds that it is in the best interest of the public to set time limits for all advisory
bodies; and
WHEREAS, The City Council's Advisory bodies are the Library Advisory Board, Economic Development Advisory
Commission, Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, Advisory Planning Commission and Port and Harbor Advisory
Commission.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED That the Homer City Council hereby revises their Operating Manual, Section
3. Policies of the Homer City Council, under Policy Directives, by amending "City Council and Commission Minutes" and
by adding a section "City Council and Commission/Board Public Comment/Testimony and Audience Comment Time
Limits" to read as follows; and:
Policy Directives
City Council and Commission and Board Minutes
"It is a general consensus that the official record of proceedings, the minutes of City Council and Commission meetings,
will be in the "action" format which state clearly the subject considered and the action. Points made in deliberation shall
be reflected only. Individual comments of the Council, Commissions and Board are summarized under "Council
Comments", "Commission Comments" or "Board Comments". Statements for the record are prefaced with a
directive that the comment "is for the record." Public Comments, Public Testimony on Public Hearing Items and
Audience Comments shall reflect the subject of the comment or testimony, whether the commenter/testifier is for
or against the subject of his/her comments/testimony and shall reflect, in synopsis format, any historical
perspective."
CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION, BOARD MEETING PUBLIC COMMENT/TESTIMONY AND
AUDIENCE COMMENT TIME LIMITS
The meeting chairperson [Whoever is Chairing the meeting ] shall note for the audience's benefit that there is a
three minute time limit each time there is a place in the agenda for public comment/testimony or audience
comments. Any individual wishing to address the City Council or any of its Advisory Bodies shall adhere to a
three minute time limit. It is the responsibility of the Chair to announce under Public Comments, Public
testimony on public hearing items and Audience Comments that there is a 3 minute time limit. Time limits may
be adjusted by the 2 minutes up or down with the concurrence of the body in special circumstances only such as
agenda content and public attendance.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED That the Homer City Council hereby directs its advisory bodies to amend their Bylaws
and Policy and Procedure Manuals accordingly and to forward those amendments to the City Council by November 1, 2006.
PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 28th day of August, 2006.
CITY OF HOMER
_____________________________
ATTEST: JAMES C. HORNADAY, MAYOR
_____________________________________
MARY L. CALHOUN, CMC, CITY CLERK
Fiscal Note: NA, although should improve efficiency of meetings and minutes preparation.
/mlc