RESOLUTION NO. 2021-____ RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF WOLCOTT OF WHITE COUNTY, INDIANA, ESTABLISHING POLICIE SAND PROCEDURES TO PROTECT DECORUM AND FOSTER THE EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC MEETINGS WHEREAS, the Town of Wolcott Council serves as the body of Wolcott, Indiana and WHEREAS, the Town of Wolcott Council conduct Town business during its regularly scheduled and, if necessary, special meetings, all of the which are open to the public; and WHEREAS, the Town of Wolcott Council previously adopted, and continue to follow, the general rules of parliamentary procedure as set forth in Robert's Rules of Order regarding the conduct and administration of its public meeting; and WHEREAS, the Town of Wolcott Council believe it is in the best interest of the Town, as well as those individuals who choose to attend public meetings of the Town Council, to adopt standard policies and procedures for the administration of public meetings to supplement or, as the case may be, in lieu of the parliamentary procedure set forth in Robert's Rules of Order; and WHEREAS, the policies and procedures adopted herein are intended to provide the general public with a clear and concise set of standards for public meetings held by the Town Council and, when applicable, rules regulating the conduct and decorum of members of the general public who wish to attend said public meetings; and WHEREAS, in order to protect generalmeeting decorum and foster more effective administration of public meetings, the Council now desire to adopt standard policies and procedures applicable to public meetings held by the Council accordingto the general parameters stated herein. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE COUNCILOF WOLCOTT OF WHITE COUNTY,INDIANA: 1. The Town of Wolcott Council hereby adopts the following rules which shall apply to all individuals attending public meetings of the Town Council of Wolcott Indiana: a. Members of the general public in attendance at a public meeting of the Town Council of Wolcott have no rights with reference to the meeting except other wise provided by law. b. Although members of the general public have no right to speak during a public meeting, the Town Council, at their sole discretion, may provide for a
public comment period, during which time individuals may be given an opportunity to address the Town Council. c. During any public comment period, individuals wishing to speak will be required to sign a speaker registration sheet and provide the speaker's name, address, and issue or topic they wish to address. Individuals will be called to speak in the order of which they have signed the speaker registration sheet. d. Individuals who wish speak and have signed the speaker registration sheet may waive their opportunity to speak once called upon; however, an individual who waives their opportunity to speak will not be permitted to speak at a later time. e. Once called upon, all speakers shall first state their name, their address and the issue upon which they wish to speak. Speakers may only speak from a podium and must speak loudly and clearly f. Any speaker wishing to provide documents to the Town Council at the meeting shall provide one copy for each of the Town Council Members; however, speakers are encouraged to bring additional copies of any documents they intend to distribute during the meeting. g. Each speaker may only speak once and will be given a maximum of three (3) minutes to speak unless a shorter period of time is set forth by the Town Council at the start of the public comment period. Time may not be reserved or yielded to other speakers and once an individual is finished speaking, that individual's remaining time, if any, is waived. h. Each speaker will be notified when their allotted time to speak is exhausted and any speaker that does not immediately conclude their remarks at the expiration of their allotted time will be deemed out of order and the speaker will be asked to stop. i. Comments which are duplicative or repetitive will be deemed out of order and the speaker will be asked to stop. J. Any speaker who is discourteous, argumentative, accusatory, or insulting will be deemed out of order and asked to stop. k. Once a speaker is deemed out of order for any reason, that speaker's remaining time, if any, will be forfeited and the speaker will not be granted an opportunity to make any further commentor presentation.
I. All members of the general public attending a public meeting will be expected to adhere to these rules and, any person failing to do so will be deemed out of order.
m. The Town Council Members are authorized, and have sole discretion, to request any person deemed out of order leave the meeting and, once requested to leave, a person must immediately leave the meeting room.
n. In extreme cases, if a person refuses to leave the meeting after being asked to do so and that person continues to disrupt the proceedings in a way is obviously hostile to the purpose of the meeting, the Town Council may order that the person be removed by members of the Wolcott Marshal’s office or White County Sheriff’s Department.
o. During its public meetings, the Town Council will take all measures necessary under the circumstances to maintain order. In exercising this discretion, the Town Council will be guided by a judicious appraisal of the circumstances, including the conduct and decorum of members of the general public in attendance.
2. Upon the adoption of this Resolution, a copy of the rules stated herein shall be posted outside the Town Council Conference Room and made available to the general public through the internet website Wolcott, Indiana
3.
4. This Resolution shall be effective upon adoption.
APPROVED AND RESOLVED, on this ____________ day of_____________, 2021, by the Town Council of Wolcott, Indiana.
_____________________________________ ____________________________________
Michael Johnson, Council President Cameron Emond, Council Vice President
_____________________________________ _____________________________________
Darwin Miller, Council Member Jerry Leitz, Council Member
_____________________________________
Rex Pearson, Council Member
Attest:
_________________________________________
Pamela Bennett, Clerk-Treasurer