pages: OpenGovernmentCommission/2020-06-24.pdf, 12
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OpenGovernmentCommission | 2020-06-24 | 12 | The City Clerk stated regular agendas are distributed 12 days in advance, but with current COVID related issues, sometimes items that were not anticipated have has seven day notice and a special agenda has been sent out to take place on the regular meeting night; the seven-day noticing requirement prevails whether or not it falls on a regular meeting night. Chair Schwartz stated methods of dissemination of information need to be brought into the present, especially during COVID; how the issue came about was a Charter amendment item had less notice than an ordinary meeting; as a result, a lot of people who may have wanted to speak on it did not learn about it and there was inadequate participation; the Commission should adopt new standard ways to disseminate information into the current day and current times; another point to consider is the Mayor's comments that meetings go very late and public access is not increased when important issues are being discussed at ten in the evening, or midnight, or two the morning. Commissioner Little stated there needs to be a distinction between a special meeting that is dedicated to one topic, versus a special meeting that is urgent in nature; the distinction would help to sift through and provide a little more guidance and flexibility with public noticing. Chair Schwartz concurred with Commissioner Little; stated making the distinction is a great point; he agrees with Mr. Foreman that special meetings and urgent meetings being lumped together is counterproductive. Commissioner Tilos inquired whether a special meeting, as used now, is anything that is not a regular meeting, to which the City Clerk responded in the affirmative; stated there is a further distinction in the section that special meetings do not apply just to the City Council, it applies to any special meeting of all bodies; the only body that is different is the City Council which requires a 12-day notice for regular meetings and seven-day notice for any special meetings. Commissioner Pauling inquired whether a third category regarding closed sessions needs to be considered and whether whatever the Commission decides if it would apply to all Boards and Commissions or just the Council. In response to Commissioner Pauling's inquiry, the City Clerk stated sometimes litigation matters come in after the regular agenda has been published; the closed session meetings are special meetings; items can be added to the closed session within the seven-day noticing requirement; it has been a practice that is helpful and useful in getting items to the Council in closed session that are not known about 12 days in advance. Chair Schwartz stated there is not anything within the realm of the OGC's authority or persuasion to say about closed sessions; the issue will probably have to be carved out of the discussion about special meetings. Meeting of the Open Government Commission June 24, 2020 12 | OpenGovernmentCommission/2020-06-24.pdf |