City Council - Rules & Government Relations Committee

CITY OF EASTHAMPTON OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL Easthampton Municipal Building 50 Payson Ave., Ste. 100 Easthampton, Massachusetts 01027-2260 Telephone #: (413) 529-1460 RULES and GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Meeting 02/11/2021 Attendees: R&GR Committee Members: Councilor Thomas Peake, Chair Councilor Peg Conniff, Clerk Councilor Dan Rist Other Attendees: Member of the Public - Jack Favaro Owen Zaret - City Councilor Homar Gomez - City Councilor Meeting called to order at 5:00 pm. The meeting was recorded. Minutes from 01/28/2021 approved. 3-0 1. CONTINUING BUSINESS A. PILOT Program: Not discussed B. Committee E-mails: New IT person has been hired and we will try to get her to attend the next meeting C. Anti-Bias Training: Councilor Rist spoke of a meeting with the Mayor around this topic and whether we make it a City Council Rule and if we do make it a rule how will we enforce it. D. City Charter Article 3-1(c): Councilor Peake would like to hear from Councilor Kwiecinski, but was unable to reach him. The Committee unanimously voted to remove this item without prejudice. Councilor Rist made the motion, Councilor Conniff seconded. Passed 3-0 E. Amendment to City Council Rule 5C: (add to end) Any such measure must be verbally introduced at a meeting of the full council, and no motion to refer shall  be accepted without such introduction. Introduction of any new measure shall include a summary of the measure and any associated documents. Councilors may ask clarifying questions, but may not debate any new measure, except as stipulated in rule 15. Debate may occur as to which committee a measure will be referred. Such discussion shall be of reasonable duration and may be suspended by the city council president as needed. Councilor Zaret spoke that this change was to bring more transparency to new business being introduced. Often the public is unaware of the issue. Councilor Conniff: The asking of clarifying questions may move into the realm of debate and may be improper. Councilor Rist: Be- lieves the new business should be made verbally but not allow clarifying questions. Councilor Peake: Questions why this new abbreviated method of introducing business is now happening. Seems to have changed around 2020. Councilor Conniff: As President, Councilor Conniff made a conscious choice to keep intro- duction of new business very brief but is open to a more focussed summary of the new business…perhaps create a new template. Councilor Conniff will create a new template and reword the new rule and bring back to this committee. 5:45pm - Motion to adjourn by Councilor Rist, seconded by Councilor Conniff. Next Meeting: 2/25/2021 @ 5:00PM