Saturday, February 09, 2008

Council Bill 2008-052

Mike Brothers of City Connect posted the new events calendar for the week of February 11 - February 15:


Events Calendar Now Posted

The City's weekly events calendar is now posted. Some of the highlights include Monday's City Council meeting and a special City Council meeting at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The special council meeting is being called to vote on a proposed resolution concerning the redesign concepts for Park Central Square. Immediately following the special meeting, Council will have its regular weekly lunch session in the Busch Building fourth floor conference room.

Since the council bill (2008-052) is not listed on the Upcoming Council Meeting Agenda, I can only assume it is going to be added to the agenda Monday night because I don't believe the Council can vote, as Brothers writes they will do at the Special Council meeting on Tuesday, without having a first reading of the bill and giving the public an opportunity to speak on the bill.

Trouble is, if you follow Brother's link in his posting "Weekly Events Calendar" and click on the link, "Special City Council Meeting," the link to the bill is not a hot link, meaning citizens cannot access the bill and read it prior to the Monday night City Council meeting where it is not listed on the agenda.

How can citizens properly weigh in on the issue when it is not listed as part of the Monday night agenda, cannot be accessed for reading online and then will be voted on at a special 11:30 a.m. meeting the next day?

I've had to make some assumptions based on past experience and the information available to me tonight. It's Saturday, so the City offices are not open for questions. If I am incorrect in my assumptions, perhaps Louise Whall, if she happens by the blog will correct me.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"How can citizens properly weigh in on the issue when it is not listed as part of the Monday night agenda, cannot be accessed for reading online and then will be voted on at a special 11:30 a.m. meeting the next day?"

Wasn't there a book that started this way? Oh yes- The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.

Anonymous said...

They need to do away with all the "power lunch and power donut" meetings and plan their Councl work well enough so they can vote on the agenda, in public, every other Monday night.

How many "emergency agenda bills" do they have each year?? I would guess from 50 to 100.

Anonymous said...

I need some education. What do you suppose the scenerio would be if someone submitted a form wishing to address
the Council regarding 2008-052?

Jackie Melton said...

arainbo,

I assume you mean at tomorrow night's regularly scheduled council meeting?

IF, and that's IF, the City Clerk adds Bill 2008-052 to the agenda tomorrow night then citizens would be able to sign one of the nifty cards in the back of the pew to speak on the issue.

I have some ideas about what may have happened but I'm going to wait and see what I find out tomorrow before just speculating into the wind, if you know what I mean. ;)