The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutVI (F) Discussion/ Action re: Time Utilization in Commission Meetings AGENDA 6-03-97 "CENTER OF GOOD LIVING-PRIDE OF WEST ORANGE" Item VI F S. Stroll VANDERGRIFT Ocoee Q� ti q COMMISSIONERS CITY OF OCOEE DANNY HOWELL �art SCOTT ANDERSON j _ 150 N. LAKESHORE DRIVE SCO"Ff A.GLASS C. p OCDEE,PI nRIDA 34761-2258 NANCY I.PARKER ee , ,. ?V (407)656-2322 CITY MANAGER " Of GOGO N`fr +` F.LLIS SHAPIRO MEMORANDUM TO: The Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners FROM: Ellis Shapiro, City Manager DATE: May 29, 1997 RE: CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS At the last City Commission meeting, the Mayor asked that an agenda item be placed on the June 3, 1997 Agenda regarding time utilization at the City Commission meetings. At the Staff meeting on Thursday after this last meeting, I asked members of the Staff for their input since they have to suffer the late night meetings as much as any of us. Attached are their comments, which for the most part, represent the majority of good ideas that I could come up with as well. Respectfully Submitted, C. ' MEMORANDUM TO: CITY MANAGER FR: PEGGY •S DA: MAY 28, 1997 SU: CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS At our last staff meeting you requested that the staff offer suggestions as to how City Commission meetings can be shortened. I offer the following suggestions : 1 . It seems to me that often Planning takes up a lot of meeting time. Some of the matters they must deal with are highly technical . Most recently, Telecommunications and Palm Drive. The topics were lengthy and took up most of the evening not allowing enough time to deal with other items on the agenda. I believe when we have issues of this magnitude, we should perhaps call special meetings to deal solely with these issues . This would significantly reduce the meeting time. 2 . Sometimes on the first part of the agenda, the Mayor will allow citizens to bring up issues that have not been scheduled placed on the Agenda. I have seen these discussions exceed more than an hour of time. The example that stands out is the Gentleman in the wheel chair who was discussing the bus stop for the handicap. I believe we should have scheduled this as an agenda item. 3 . I believe that Comments from Citizens should be placed at the end of the Agenda and that a five minute time limit be set . It seems some people get to speak longer than others . "CENTER OF GOOD LIVING-PRIDE OF WEST ORANGE" MAYOR•COMMISSIONER S. SCOTT VANDERGWFT Ocoee \ �0 Q0�9$$IONLR$ CITY OF OCOEE DANNY uowIiLl.<I I SCOTT ANDERSON SCOTT A.GLASS NANCY PARKER • 150 N. LAKESHORE DRIVE d v O OaIEE,FLOR1Un 34761-2258 I. vs• ?v (407)656-2322 °IVMANAGER OF 0000 VA ELLIS Si IAPHkG MEMORANDUM TO. ELLIS SHAPIRO, CITY MANAGER FROM: D.W. FLIPPEN, BUILDING AND ZONING OFFICIAL%- • DATE: MAY 27, 1997 SUBJECT: SUGGESTION FOR TIME CONTROL OF CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS 1) Provide an information letter to the public giving general information pertaining to the Commission Meeting: Examples: a) Fill out information request forms if you wish to address the Board of Commissioners under comments from the citizens. b) Limit time of comments to five (5) minutes. c) Do not fill out an information request form if the item you wish to comment on is not an item on the agenda. 2) Install a clock in the following locations. a) Behind the City Commission. b) Above the West double exit doors. 3) Conduct work sessions with the City Commission and City Staff prior to regularly scheduled Commission Meetings. 4) Place the comments from citizens and public after Staff Reports. 5) Start the Commission Meeting at 7:00 pm and devote from 7:00 pm until 7.30 pm strictly to comments from citizens and public. Ocoee CITY OF OCOEE o 150 N. LAKE.SHORE DRIVE OCOEE,N OMDA 34761-2258 �� p, (407)656-3103 RECREATION DIRECTOR v O I.AX (407)656-8504 JIM BEECH y> Of GOOD\', MEMORANDUM To : Ellis Shapiro, City Manager From: Jim Beech, Recreation Director ]4) Date : May 28 , 1997 Re: Shorter Commission Meetings I have only a couple of suggestions with reference to help shorten the time length of City Commission meetings . I would suggest that on alternate Tuesdays there could be a workshop to discuss items of interest to Commissioners and /or City Staff . I would think that certain items could then he put nn consent agenda . I also suggest that comments from public be moved to a place on the agenda that would come after the more important matters to come before the Commission . This would surly keep a citizen from taking the floor for thirty minutes of personal interest and then leave the meeting . If what they have to say is of great importance, then they would wait , also I think there should he a time limit on this . I also think that presentations and proclamations could he made shorter . Presentations of certifications could be awarded at department meetings and this would help to have others in the department become more involved . Proclamations could be published in the paper each week . This would give citizens an oppertunity to cut-out and keep proclamations if they thought it was warranted . Another area to shorten would he the Commissioners comments . Most of their comments should have been addressed to the City Manager and would have already received their answer . Not meant to he jesting , but ---DO NOT have meetings on T . V . "CENTER OF GOOD LIVING" OCOEE FIRE DEPARTMENT 125 N.BLUFORD AVENUE-OCOEE,FLORIDA 34761-2216 RON STROSNIDER BUSINESS 656-7796 Fire Chief FAX 656-1222 MEMORANDUM TO: Ellis Shapiro,City Manager FROM: Ron Strosnider,Fire Chie f DATE: May 28, 1997 RE: SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING COMMISSION MEETINGS By placing items such as large capital items, staff reports, and change orders,which do not require a reading on the consent agenda,the Commission would have time to review all materials pertaining to the item and ask questions on Monday and Tuesday prior to the meeting. The Commission would still be able to pull any items for discussion if needed. All Budget meetings should be separate from the regular Commission Meeting. This would allow ample time to review each item. I also feel that too many five minute breaks are taken. The five minute breaks always turn into fifteen minute breaks,causing a long meeting. Since there is a Mayor and a Mayor Protem the meeting should continue. RShb.c: MEMORANDUM DATE: May 29, 1997 TO: Ellis Shapiro, City Manager FROM: James W. Shira, P.E. City Engineer/Utiliti [rector SUBJECT: City Commission Meetings I believe the following items would help these meetings proceed more effectively. • Re-order the agenda to move Comments From Citizens to later in the meeting. It seems that many of the comments do pertain to, or would be answered by items on the agenda. By moving this section toward the end, much discussion could be avoided, or at least be held with more facts available. Establish a time limit for each person to speak, then enforce it. It is usually quite evident when someone needs more time in order to continue a coherent discussion, but those who want more time simply to ramble on should be told to sit down. There are parliamentary procedures that would solve these problems if they were followed. • Have presentations and proclamations moved off the agenda to a time slot prior to the meeting. This has taken up a considerable amount of time on several occasions, during which consultants and the public have to sit by and wait for the real business of the meeting to begin. • I Lave the Commissioners agree upon the level of detail or dollar amount of an issue that would require its inclusion on the regular agenda as opposed to the consent agenda. I've noticed that several times,we have issues on the regular agenda, toward the end of the meeting, which are handled with little or no discussion. Often, the staff member who is to address the issue has only that issue on the agenda, and has had to sit and wait through the entire meeting. To do that, and then be dismissed without saying more than ten words is unnecessary. If the item is of so little consequence, it should have been on the consent agenda. If the item is of concern to one or more of the Commissioners and it is pulled for discussion, the staff member is present. If no discussion is held, the staff member is free to leave. • Have television monitors installed in Department Head offices so that we can accomplish some work while we wait for our issue to come up. As it is, we all sit in the back room killing time. Since we arc here anyway, we might as well use the time productively. These ideas are submitted for your consideration. I realize that there must be a certain degree of latitude in this type of public meeting, but just because a meeting is open to the public doesn't mean it is to be run by the public. "CENTER OF GOOD LIVING-PRIDE OF WEST ORANGE" MAYOR•COMMISSIONER S. SCOTT VANDFRGRIFT OCOGG comuss�oNr+es �` % CITY OF OCOEE DANNY IIOWIILL �Q SCOTT ANDERSON R� - 150 N. LAKESHORE DRIVE. SCOT'.A. GLASS v O OCOEE,FLORIDA 74761-225R NANCY 7. PARKER r•„ �� (407)656-2322 f. �Y ,� CITY MANAGER fq OF G000 v� ELLIS SHAI IRO MEMORANDUM DATE: May 29, 1997 TO: Ellis Shapiro, City Manager FROM: Russ Wagner, Director of Planning (.._ Suggestions for how City Commission Meetings may be shortened: 1. Limit citizen comments to five minutes and place at end of agenda. 2. All requests for money from community groups must be in the form of an agenda item. 3. Have a workshop session from 6:30 to 7:15 ahead of each City Commission Meeting to answer any questions. 4. As a policy, any Commissioner wishing to bring up any topic requiring Commission action must provide information in advance and place it on the agenda. 5. Do a better job of limiting citizen comments to reduce frivolous informational items and duplication. RBW/emk C:\EKPDFILE\M EMORAND\MFP97114.W PD