City Council

ST MINUTESFROMTHEHUNTSVILLECITYCOUNCILMEETINGHELDONTHE1 DAYOFAPRIL 2013, INTHECITYHALL, LOCATEDAT1212AVENUEMINTHECITYOFHUNTSVILLE, COUNTYOFWALKER, TEXAS, AT5:00PM. TheCouncilmetinaregularsessionwiththefollowing: COUNCILMEMBERSPRESENT: MacWoodward,JamesFitch,LydiaMontgomery,DonH.Johnson,KeithOlson,TishHumphrey,RonaldAllen,ClydeLoll COUNCILMEMBERSABSENT: JoeEmmett OFFICERSPRESENT: MattBenoit,CityManager,LeeWoodward,CitySecretary_________________________________________________________________ WORKSHOPSESSION [5:00PM – LARGECONFERENCEROOM] – TheCityCouncilwillmeettodiscussrevisionstotheCity CouncilRulesofProcedure. Inthepresenceofaquorum, theMayorcalledtheworkshoptoorderat5:00pm. TheMayorpresentedarevisionofportionsoftheRules ofProceduredraftfromthelastworkshop, fromwhichhadbeenremovedwordingrelatingtosanctionsandprivateconversationsandto whichotherchangeshadbeenmadetoincorporateCouncilmemberpreferences. TheCouncilreviewedthisversion,evaluatingand selectingtoremoveandupdateadditionalterminology, particularlyinreferencetoCouncilRelationswiththeMedia. TheCouncildiscussedandconfirmedarewriteregardingclaimsagainsttheCity,toread “Finaloffersforlegalsettlementsforclaimsor litigationagainsttheCitymustbesubmittedinwriting.”ratherthan “Alloffers…” CouncilmemberFitchdiscussedaconcernaboutitems9.05and11.01. Conversationincluded areluctancetotietheCouncil’shandsor slowtheCity’s business,particularlyasworkshopswerepostedwiththesameamountofnoticeasothermeetingitems. MayorWoodward pointedoutthatachangetotheprovisioncouldberevisitedifitweredeterminedtobeinappropriateinaction. Wordingwasaddedto 11.01tostate, “exceptforitemsarisingunder9.05.” CouncilmemberAllenexpressedconfusionoveraccessibilityofstaff. MattBenoit, CityManager,requestedthatCouncilmembersnotify himoraDepartmentDirectoroftheirinquirywhentheywishtovisitwithstaff. Hesaidthathewouldliketohearwhatiscoveredandmay havematerialtosharealso. Mr.BenoitaddedthathehasgivenstaffaresponsibilityofbriefinghimwhentheyvisitwithCouncilmembers. CouncilmemberHumphreyremindedallthatstaffmayoftenfeeluncomfortablewhenapproacheddirectlybyCouncilmembers, astheyare technicallyemployeesoftheCityManager. CouncilmemberOlsongaveanexampleoftheCityManager’sabilitytoprovideaccesson generaltopics,suchasencouragingtheCounciltocontactFinanceDepartmentpersonnelforbudgetquestions. Itwasnotedthatmaterial intheRulesofProcedurethatdealwithinteractionsoutsideCouncilmeetingshadnowbeenplacedinadraftannextotheRules. MayorWoodwardaskedthatareviseddraftbepreparedandsenttoCouncilmembersforreviewandpossibleconsiderationattheApril16 andMay7meetings. MayorWoodwardadjournedthemeetingat6:25pm. Respectfullysubmitted, LeeWoodward,CitySecretary