...Title
Effective Council Discussion and Debate. (Cohen and Davis)
...Recommendations
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Council discussions that will build consensus, inform decision-making and improve public engagement by implementing the following:
1. Agenda items should have an orderly speaker rotation among Councilmembers that starts with an initial limit of 10 minutes from each Councilmember who wishes to speak followed by successive rounds of discussions in 5-minute increments.
2. The Rules and Open Government Committee should review the order of items on the agenda and place items that may generate considerable public comment to minimize the uncertainty of timing and excessive waiting. The “Time Certain” designation shall be used when appropriate to aid the public in scheduling their participation in providing input to the Council on key policy discussions.