12-09-02 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING DECEMBER 9, 2002 Councilmember Pfeifer made a motion to continue this bill until the January 27, 2003 meeting of the Council. Councilmember King seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. RESOLVE INTO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE At 7:05 p.m. Councilmember White made a motion to resolve into the Committee of the Whole. Councilmember Coleman seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. Chairman King presiding. Councilmember King noted that this is the portion of the meeting in which members of the Council meet as the Committee of the Whole in order to hear presentations and public comment on bills for ordinance consideration that will be coming before the full Council later this evening. After the hearing on each bill the committee will vote on the disposition of the bill which typically is to send it to the Council with either a favorable or an unfavorable recommendation. Councilmember King explained that the South Bend Municipal Code requires that before the hearings are begun by the Committee of the Whole the Chairman shall review for everyone present the procedure that will follow. The Committee of the Whole operates in accord with the Council Rules and Procedures and Roberts Rules of Order and Council Attorney Kathleen Cekanski- Farrand serves as the Council Parliamentarian. The procedure for the Public Hearing on each bill is conducted in the following steps: The title of the bill is read by the City Clerk. 2. Reports are presented from the pertinent Common Council Committee and/or the Area Plan Commission. 3. A formal presentation in favor of the bill which is not subject to a time limit is heard. 4. Comments are heard from members of the public who wish to speak in favor of the bill. Each such member is limited to five (5) minutes for his/her presentation and must begin by stating his /her name and residential address. 5. Any formal presentation against the bill or Resolution which is not subject to a time limitation is heard. 6. Comments are heard from any members of the public wishing to speak against the bill. In these presentations, each member of the public speaking against the bill is limited to five (5) minutes for his /her presentation and must begin by stating his/her name and residential address. The total time for comments by members of the public speaking against the bill is limited to the amount of time that was used by the members of the public who spoke in favor of the bill or thirty (30) minutes whichever is greater. 7. A five (5) minute rebuttal period is allowed for the persons who gave the formal presentation in favor of the bill after which the public portion of the hearing is closed. 8. Finally, the Council portion of the hearing is held in which members of the Committee of the Whole discuss the bill and vote on its disposition. Councilmember King advised that Bill No. 72 -02 will be postponed until the January 27, 2003 meeting of the Council and Bill No. 95 -02 will be postponed until the January 13, 2003 meeting of the Council and appropriate action to do so will take place later in the meeting. -2-