Meetings will be conducted in accordance with Minn. Ch. 13D, Open Meeting Law.
Meetings shall be conducted in an orderly, courteous and disciplined manner.
SECTION 1.
A. The President/Committee Chair shall conduct all Board/Committee Meetings and be in charge of managing the Board/Committee process.
B. The President/Committee Chair shall be responsible for keeping the agenda and discussion focused on the action or issue, proceeding in a deliberate and orderly fashion. Board Members must adhere to the direction given by the President/Committee Chair. The President/Committee Chair shall place priority items at the beginning of the meeting agenda to assure this business is conducted in a timely manner.
C. It will also be the President’s/Committee Chair’s responsibility to, when the discussion gets beyond the scope of the action or issue, respectfully bring the discussion back to focus on the action/issue and to strictly enforce the time limits provided.
D. 1. During Committee meeting discussions, Board Members may speak to an issue for up to three minutes and with up to three minutes for rebuttal. No interruptions will be permitted. Only those putting on their lights will be recognized by the Chair to speak. A motion to suspend the rules and a motion to allow additional speaking time must be approved in order to allow additional time. When attending a virtual meeting of a Board committee, Commissioners shall turn on their cameras while speaking and be visible to the public and other members, unless prevented from doing so due to technical difficulties.
2. During Board meeting discussions, Board Members may speak to an issue for up to three minutes and with up to one minute for rebuttal. No interruptions will be permitted. Only those putting on their lights will be recognized by the Chair to speak. A motion to suspend the rules and a motion to allow additional speaking time must be approved in order to allow additional time. Such motions are not debatable. When attending a virtual meeting of the Board, Commissioners shall turn on their cameras while speaking and be visible to the public and other members, unless prevented from doing so due to technical difficulties.
E. At Board/Committee meetings, action items will be taken first and Study/Report items will only be allowed after the actions items have been concluded.
F. A time certain will be set for Board meetings.
G. Petitions and Communications is intended to provide for critical communications for the benefit of all Board Members Letters and written communications should be submitted to the Secretary of the Board prior to the meeting and will be entered into the public records.
SECTION 2.
During “Open Time” at full Board Meetings which are not closed to the public for personnel and litigation matters (as amended: January 18, 2023):
A. All individuals wishing to speak can call in before 3:00 p.m. the day of the meeting to be placed on the agenda or can sign up at the Board meeting prior to the start of “Open Time”.
B. “Open Time” for public input shall not exceed a total of 15 minutes with up to three minutes allowed for testimony, with the time limit to be allotted by the President.
C. “Open Time” will be scheduled at the Regular Board meetings at a time certain of 5:30 p.m. Meetings that are convened for the purpose of closed sessions do not include open time. Open time will not be held on the date when the Board meets for the annual planning session for the budget, and when the Board meets at City Hall to vote on the annual budget and tax levies, when the Board holds its annual legislative delegation meeting, and at the City Charter required annual organizational meeting held on the first weekday in January that is not a Holiday. As amended January 18, 2023.
D. During “Open Time” public testimony will be given without debate, only clarifying questions from the Board will be allowed.
As Amended: December 4, 2019 3
E. Items not allowed for discussion include:
- Pending litigation, or
- Personnel issues.
SECTION 3.
A time structure will be established for all Board/Committee meetings. The Board President is responsible for strictly enforcing time limits on the full Board meeting and Committee Chairs are responsible for strictly enforcing time limits on their respective Committee meetings. The President/Committee Chair and Superintendent, Board Secretary or appropriate Executive Level staff shall set a time limit on Study or Report items on the agenda. If an item is not completed during the allotted time frame, it can be referred to a future Committee Meeting. The Secretary will be the time keeper and any unfinished business will be continued to the next Board meeting.
SECTION 4.
It is the responsibility of Board Members to read agendas and supporting material. Study and Report material is to be submitted in advance and should not be repeated by the presenter except in a very summary manner. If a Board Member has a concern about an agenda item, they are encouraged to contact the Committee Chair, appropriate staff, President or Superintendent, respectively.
SECTION 5.
The President/Committee Chair shall conduct the meeting according to Robert’s Rules of Order, newly revised, 11th Edition. The President and Committee Chair may make or second a motion and may also speak to any motion. A motion to amend an amendment to an amendment is not in order.