HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-08-29; City Council; MinutesCITY COUNCIL
Minutes
August 29, 2017, 1 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER: 1 p.m.
Faraday Center, Room 173 B
1635 Faraday Avenue
Carlsbad, CA 92008
ROLL CALL: M. Hall, K. Blackburn, M. Schumacher, C. Schumacher, M. Packard.
City Attorney Celia Brewer introduced the meeting facilitator Dan Hentschke. Mr. Hentschke
noted that Council Member Michael Schumacher and Council Member Mark Packard are the
subcommittee members for the municipal code revisions/update.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM: None.
DEPARTMENTAL AND CITY MANAGER REPORTS:
1. CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP DISCUSSION REGARDING CMC CHAPTER 1.20-CITY COUNCIL
PROCEDURE
Council Members will engage in a facilitated discussion regarding updates to Carlsbad
Municipal Code Chapter 1.20 -City Council Procedure and provide direction to staff on
desired amendments, deletions and additions to the Code.
Facilitator Dan Hentschke opened the meeting to review and discuss revisions for Carlsbad
Municipal Code Chapter 1.20. Mr. Hentschke requested each member of the council make a
random selection from a plastic container of numbers 1-5 to facilitate assigning the speaking
order for each of the council members.
1. Michael Schumacher
2. Mark Packard
3. Cori Schumacher
4. Keith Blackburn
5. Matt Hall
Council Members agreed on the following:
The purpose of a council meeting is:
• Business meeting
• Receive public input
• Transparency and public observation
An effective council meeting requires:
• Planning and an agenda
• Consistently applied rules
• Respectful participation
August 29, 2017 Carlsbad City Council Special Meeting Page 2
Issues brought forth include:
• Speaker time and timesharing
• Length of meetings
• Manner in which speakers -both public comment and public hearing, present
questions
• Controlling disparaging remarks directed to individual council or staff by speakers
• Clarification or addition of a call for ex-parte
• Invocation -keep it or remove it
• Appointments -discuss before vote
• Speaker requirements -state and spell name
• Cap late night council meetings at 10 p.m.
• Control clapping
• Protocol for allowing the public to add items to an agenda
Mr. Hentschke called a break at 2:13 P.M.
Council reconvened at 2:20 p.m.
Mr. Hentschke resumed discussion with how best to accomplish code revision/clarity
changes.
Speaker time clarification
It was agreed that speakers will have three minutes for both public comment and public
hearing items with the caveat that the chair will have the option to decrease speaker time
based on the number of speakers and the timeliness of conducting all of the business items
on the agenda.
Group time and timesharing
Council Member C. Schumacher, Mayor Pro Tern Blackburn and Mayor Hall agreed that group
time should be continued with the expectation that this forum is used in the interest of saving
time. i.e., five speakers can elect a single speaker and that speaker will have ten minutes to
address council. It was further agreed that all members of the group must be present when
the lead speaker addresses council.
Donating time was not supported by the majority of the council. Only Council Member C.
Schumacher felt that donating time or time sharing (with a cap) should be allowed.
Length of meetings
Discussion ensued about limiting how late a meeting can go. It was generally agreed that
agenda time management and allowing the chair to alter speaking times is the preferred time
management tool. It was also recommended that presenters be made aware that long and
detailed follow up responses may be unnecessary.
August 29, 2017 Carlsbad City Council Special Meeting Page 3
Pulling items from the consent calendar
A member of the public can have an item pulled from consent by submitting a speaker card
for that item to the clerk. This represents no change to the current code. A council member
may have an item pulled by requesting the chair to do so. It was suggested that when a
council member is planning to pull a consent item, he or she inform the appropriate staff and
the other council members as a courtesy.
Speaker card submission
The majority of the council did not agree that changes are necessary. Mayor Hall stated the
speaker cards need to be submitted by the time the item is called. Some discussion ensued
about educating the public and phasing this change in over two to three months.
Adding items to the agenda
Council Member C. Schumacher stated additions to the agenda should not all go through the
city manager. Mayor Hall suggested additions by council members should be brought up
during the discussion portion at the end of council meetings. If the item gets support from a
council majority, it should be agendized. Mayor Hall further suggested that items which
would likely require considerable staff time should be brought forth during the council's
annual goal setting meeting.
Council members agreed that any items brought forth by citizens should go through their
(upcoming) district council member and/or the mayor.
Invocations
Council Members M. Schumacher, Packard and Mayor Hall agreed no changes are warranted.
Council Member C. Schumacher stated the Invocation should be eliminated and Mayor Pro
Tern Blackburn did not have an opinion either way.
In conclusion, Mr. Hentschke stated that he will meet with City Attorney Celia Brewer and
City Clerk Services Manager Sheila Cobian and will return to the City Council within 2.5
months with suggested modifications to the Code based on the discussions that took place
today.
The full audio and video recording of this meeting can be found on the City of Carlsbad's
website at http://carlsbadca.swagit.com/play/08302017-674.
ADJOURNMENT: Meeting was adjourned at 4:14 p.m.
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Barbara Engleson, CM 1
City Clerk