Council Interest in Town Hall Meeting 1 July

[council3_rubal]

The Mayor has canceled the 1 July City Council meeting.

Given that we have a new Council and it is the beginning of the budget review process for the next FY, I would like to invite all Council members to listen to residents’ concerns and recommendations for process improvements at an open town hall meeting. I have begun preliminary coordination with our City Clerk to ensure that this would comply with the Texas Open Meeting Act.

Please advise if you would be interested in participating in a town hall meeting with our residents on 1 July at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Some General guidelines include:
1. Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA):
Notice: You must post the meeting notice in a public place accessible to all for at least 72 hours before the meeting.
Agenda: A certified agenda should be available for public review.
Meeting Format: While there are no specific rules, a common format includes opening remarks, a panel discussion (with a moderator), and a question-and-answer period.
2. Meeting Format Options:
Panel Discussion: A panel of three or four people and a moderator can present information and answer questions.
Policy Panel: Residents can present their opinions, and panelists can receive testimony from them.


open meeting reference: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.go...divisions/open-government/openmeetings_hb.pdf

 

[council4_vaughan]

I am game.

 

[council3_rubal]

It was motioned at the 17 June Council meeting for Council to support a formal town hall meeting for residents' input and a pro and con discussion regarding: 1) moving the venue tax to the general fund, 2) term limits, 3) better district representation (reduce the number of at-large council seats), and 4) budget priorities regarding infrastructure and resident safety concerns. The motion received a second from Mr. Vaughan and was discussed by the Council. The vote for the motion was: 3 for (Rubal, Vaughan, and Goolsby) and 3 against (Fitzpatrick, Putt, and Shelby), with the Mayor breaking the tie with a no vote.

Therefore, there will be no formal (official) town hall meeting with a Council quorum or staff present on 1 July at 6:30 PM. However, Council Chambers will be open (1 July at 6:30 PM) for residents to discuss the above issues or present other issues of concern.

 

[council4_vaughan]

Thanks, Bernie. I will be there. We should probably ask the city to post it just in case other members decide to come and a quorum is present.

 

[council3_rubal]

A request to post on the City Events Calendar a Residents' Meeting with Council members on 1 July at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers has been submitted. At the last Council meeting, the Mayor indicated that neither he nor City staff will be in attendance, and several Councilmembers have out-of-town commitments and are unable to attend. No quorum is anticipated; however, should Council members have changes in their plans and decide to attend, they MUST notify the City Clerk so that appropriate announcements are made to comply with the Texas Open Meeting Act.

I am very much looking forward to open discussions with residents about their concerns, and hope that this meeting will be the stimulus for regular town hall meetings with all Council and City Staff.

 

[council3_rubal]

I would like to thank both Council members, Vaughan and Goolsby, for planning to attend the 1 July Residents' Meeting with Council.

 

[council3_rubal]

I would like to express my gratitude to the residents who attended the information exchange with Councilmembers (1 July). Although our group only focused on budget and EDC concerns, it was great to get the input from residents, and hope that residents attending were able to get some insight from Council members' views and from the information that we could provide.