01.04.22 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

City Council Meeting Minutes January 4, 2022 Mayor Hughson stated if amending the ordinance would like to add a deadline of two weeks prior to a meeting and identify who the items are sent. She suggested to email city manager and assistant city managers and city manager's office staff, city clerk and city attorney and unless three people have already discussed it also to send the Mayor. Council Member Baker stated Mayor's suggestions are reasonable. He stated that all topics requested should go to the council and not to a committee. He would like to include background information on discussion items and would like to see a Powerpoint or staff notes of phone calls and attach relevant emails related to the agenda item. Mayor Hughson noted that the only time a request item was referred to a committee is when the requestor was asked if that would be OK, noting that one of the council committees might be working on a similar topic. If the request was to go directly to a council meeting agenda, that is what was done. Council Member Baker expressed concern that if the requester is not on the committee, but emails the committee, then there would be four council members conferring on the topic which can violate Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA). Mayor Hughson stated she would never want to violate TDMA. Mayor Hughson asked Mr. Cosentino if two council to members have a topic and they reach out to a council committee member now more council members have discussed. Mr. Cosentino stated depending on how much verbal exchange was taken it might. If it were just an email stating the request it might be permissible but the potential violation can be present. Mayor Hughson noted that when a request is made, it goes on the rolling agenda, and then a decision is made as to which agenda to place it. She doesn't feel she has ever removed a request from an agenda, but sometimes a request is placed on a later agenda than the council member wanted. She has asked requesters if a delay would be OK and the requester agreed. She has had several items she waited for several meetings to place on a shorter agenda. Mayor Pro Tem Scott noted that a request to push an item to a future agenda is reasonable and he has been fine with that in the past. Mr. Cosentino explained Section 2.044, stating the deadline for two council members to make a request to place a discussion item on an agenda before the mayor sets the agenda for the meeting. He observed during the years the City of San Marcos Page 12