City Council Personal Hearings Monroe, LA

Procedures for persons wishing to be heard by the Monroe City Council

1. Any person wishing to address the City Council shall so indicate that fact by signing their name and their intended subject matter on a sign-up sheet which shall be located near the entrance to the Council Chambers. The sign-up sheet shall be collected prior to the Citizens Participation portion of the meeting and delivered to the presiding officer of the meeting. The Citizens Participation portion of the council meeting is not a forum for debate but is simply an opportunity for interest persons to speak on any matter or issue relating to city government.

2. The presiding officer of the meeting shall arrange the order of the persons wishing to speak in any way he or she deems advisable.

3. Persons addressing the Council shall be limited to no more than three (3) minutes. Provided however, that questions from the Council to the speaker shall not detract from the speaker's time allotment. The presiding officer of the meeting may grant additional time to any speaker in advance.

4. At the beginning of the Citizens participation portion of the council meeting the presiding officer of the meeting shall read aloud the names of the persons wishing to address the Council in the order in which they will be allowed to speak. The presiding officer of the meeting shall also at this time indicate any person to whom he has granted additional time and the reasons therefore.

5. At this time any members of the Council may appeal the ruling of the presiding officer of the meeting as to the time granted to any individual, including the denial or grant of additional time, in the manner set forth in section 4.4 of the Rules of Procedure of the City Council.

6. The presiding officer of the meeting shall then call, the first speaker, who shall come to the podium located near the front of the council chambers otherwise directed by the presiding officer of the meeting.

7. The speaker shall state his or her name and address for the record and then address the Council. The presiding officer of the meeting shall advise the speaker of the expiration of his or her time allotment and then shall call the next speaker.

8. Speakers shall not be allowed to give all or a portion of their time to another speaker.

9. Speakers shall be courteous and shall conduct themselves in a manner befitting the dignity and nature of the meeting.

10. The presiding officer of the meeting shall have the authority to terminate the time allotted to any speaker who is abusive, argumentative, repetitive, or disruptive.

11. The presiding officer of the meeting shall have the authority to have any person removed from the council chambers if such person refuses to leave the podium.

The presiding officer of the meeting shall have the authority to have any person removed from council chambers if such person is abusive, argumentative, unruly or disruptive.

AS SET FORTH IN RESOLUTION #3280