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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJUNE 13, 2005OSCAR G. ORTIZ, MAYOR STEPHEN FITZG~BBONS RONNE H. THOMPSON, MAYOR PRO-TEM CITY MANAGER COUNCIL MEMBERS: EVANGELINE "VAN" GREEN WILLie LEWIS, JR. Ci~ of CITY SECRETARY FELIX A. BARKER MARK T. SOKOLOW THOMAS J. HENDERSON CITY ATTORNEY MARTIN FLOOD JOHN BEARD, JR. DELORIS PRINCE MICHAEL "SHANE" SINEGAL Texas AGENDA City Council Special Meeting June 13, 2005 5:00 p.m. In compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, the City of Port Arthur will provide for reasonable accommodations for persons attending City Council meetings. To better serve you, requests should be received 24 hours prior to the meeting. Please contact the City Secretary's Office, at (409) 983-8115. RO. BOX 1089 · PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS 77641-1089 · 409/983-8115 · FAX 409/983-8291 Special City Council Meeting City Hall Council Chamber City Of Port Arthur 3une :13, 200S S:00PM I. ROLL CALL, INVOCATION & PLEDGE Mayor Ortiz Mayor Pro Tem Thompson Councilmember Lewis Councilmember Barker Councilmember Henderson Councilmember Flood Councilmember Beard Councilmember Prince Councilmember Sinegal City Manager Fitzgibbons City Secretary Green City Attorney Sokolow II. ITEM REQUIRING INDIVIDUAL ACTION P.R. No. 13:172 - A Resolution Supporting A Request For Adequate Funding From The U.S. Congress As it Pertains To The Project For The Operation And Maintenance Of The Sabine Neches Waterway III. AD3OURNMENT OF MEETING NOTE: If Evening Meeting Extends Past ll:59PM, The City Council May Elect To Recess The Meeting And Reconvene At 8:30AM On 3une 14, 2005. During The Recess, No Action Will Be Taken On Any Ttem Of Remaining Business And No Executive Sessions Will Be Held To Discuss Any Matters, All l~n Accordance With The Open Meetings Law. RULES OF DECORUM - PERSONS ADDRESSING COUNCIL & AUDIENCE MEMBERS 1. Recognition by Presiding Officer. No person shall address the Council without first being recognized by the Presiding Officer. 2. Spokesman for group of persons. In order to expedite matters and to avoid repetitious presentations, whenever any group of persons wishes to address the Council on the same subJect matter, it shall be proper for the presiding officer to request that a spokesman be chosen by the group to address the Council and, in case additional matters are to be presented by any other member of such group, to limit the number of such persons addressing the Council. 3. Speaking procedure; limitation on discussion and questioning. Each person addressing the Council shall step up to the microphone provided for the use of the public and give his name and address in an audible tone of voice for the records, state the subject he wishes to discuss, state whom he is representing if he represents an organization or other persons, and, unless further time is granted by maJority vote of the Council, shall limit his remarks to (5) five minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the Council as a whole and not to any member of the Council. No person other than members of the Council and the person having the floor shall be permitted to enter into any discussion, whether directly or through a member of the Council, without the permission of the Presiding Officer. 4. Improper references, disorderly conduct by persons addressing Council. Any person making, expressly or impliedly, personal, impertinent, slanderous, derogatory, discourteous, snide or profane remarks, or who willfully utters loud, threatening or abusive language, or engages in any disorderly conduct which would impede, disrupt or disturb the orderly conduct of any meeting, hearing or other proceedings, shall be celled to order by the Presiding Officer. If such conduct continues, such person may, at the discretion of the Presiding Officer, be ordered barred from further audience before the Council during that meeting. 5. Addresses affer motion made or public hearing closed. After a motion has bean made or a pubic hearing has been closed, no member of the public shall address the Council from the audience on the matter under consideration without first securing permission to do so by majority vote of the City Council. 6. Campaign Speeches. No person will be allowed to address the City Council by making campaign speeches for or against any candidate who has announced or does announce his intention to run or issue already ordered on a ballot for election. 7. Persons having complaints, allegations, or charges against individual city employees. No person shall make any complaint, specific allegation or charge against an individual city employee by name in a public meetings unless he first shows that he has pursued appropriate administrative channels. 8. Disorderly Conduc£ No person in the audience shall engage in disorderly conduct such as hand clapping, stamping of feet, whistling, using profane language, yelling, and similar demonstrations which conduct disrupts the peace and good order of the meeting. 9. Person authorized to be within rail. No person except members of the Council and the city staff shall be permitted wthin the rail without the consent of the Presiding Officer. 10. Limitations on use of supplemental lighting. Limitations on use of supplemental lighting for television and motion picture cameras to create the least amount of interference with or disturbance of the proceedings of the Council and the least amount of discomfort to the public in attendance. ENFORCEMENT OF DECORUM Warning. Ali persons shall, at the request of the Presiding Officer, be silent. Removal. If, after receiving a warning from the Presiding Officer, a person persists in disturbing the meeting, such officer may order him to remove himself from the meeting. If he does not remove himself, the Presiding Officer may order the Sergeant-At-Arms to remove him. Resisting Removal. Any person who resists removal by the Sergeant-At-Arms shall be charged with violating V.T.C.A., Penal Code 42.05. Motions to enforce. Any Councilmember may move to require the Presiding Officer to enforce this division, and the affirmative vote of a majority of the Council shall require him to do so. RULES OF PROCEDURE The City Secretary shall make public, in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings law an agenda containing all business to be discussed at a meeting of the City Council. Persons RequestinR To Be Heard On Agenda Items (1) Residents. Any resident who wishes to address the Council may do so by notifying the City Secretary no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the scheduled meeting. The person shall specify the particular subject matter of such address. The City Secretary shall place the names of those requesting to address the Council on the agenda with the agenda item. (2) Nonresidents. Any nonresident wishing to address the Council shall notify the City Secretary and specify his interest in the matter being considered. The City Secretary shall present such request to the Presiding Officer for approval before placing the name on the agenda. Upon timely notification, a nonresident shall be permitted to address the Council when the applicant claims an interest in a matter on the Council's agenda and he is so situated that the disposition of the agenda may, as a practical matter, impair or impede his ability to protect that interest. The Presiding officer shall have the power to deny a nonresident the opportunity to address the Council when his interest in the matter is not deemed by the Presiding Officer to be sufficient, or where the applicant's interest can be adequately represented by rssidenta addressing the Council. Soecific Agenda Items After a motion, second and discussion by the City Council on any specific agenda item, and before a vote is taken, the Presiding Officer shall recognize any citizen in the audience wishing to address the Council on such item, who shall be permitted to address the Council thereon for a period of (3) three minutes. Specific agenda items are defined as any items specified on the notice of meeting posted for purposes of the Texas Open Meetings Law and which becomes the subject of a motion before the Council.