OPEN FORUM
Welcome to this meeting of Council
You are most welcome to ask questions during Open Forum at monthly Council Meetings. (Special meetings do not contain an Open Forum section). To streamline the process and allow Council staff time to prepare answers for you, we ask that you follow the procedure below.
Open Forum Procedure
A. Visitors present at an Ordinary Meeting may ask up to three (3) questions of the Council, but shall do so only after having written those questions on a form and provided them to the Chief Executive Officer or Chairperson at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the meeting commencing. No question may be dealt with unless the visitor is present in the public gallery.
B. The Chairperson shall, at his sole discretion, allow the visitor so submitting a question to verbally ask that question and be verbally answered or advised that the question will be taken on notice and a written response provided to the question.
C. Questions submitted after the thirty (30) minute period may be answered at the next Ordinary Meeting or, at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer, may be answered in writing instead.
D. An answer must only be given to the Meeting if the Chairperson has determined that the relevant question:
i. does not relate to a matter beyond or outside the Council's power;
ii. is not defamatory indecent, abusive or objectionable;
iii. is not repetitive of a question already asked (whether at that meeting or a previous meeting);
iv. is not asked to embarrass a Councillor or a member of Council's staff; or
v. does not involve the disclosure of confidential information or private information the disclosure of which is prohibited by law. No debate on questions asked or answers given is permitted.
E. The time allowed for questions and the relevant answers and the number of questions from any one visitor shall be at the sole discretion of the Chairperson.
Other Local Law No. 3 clauses relating to community interaction at meetings
Outside of Open Forum the gallery is required to be silent and to “not interject or take part in the debate” Local Law No. 3 section (46) (g).
In cases of the Local Law being breached the Mayor has the power under Local Law No. 3 section (47) (a) to adjourn the meeting to a later time on the same day or to some later day as appropriate.
Penalties apply for breaches of Local Law No. 3 – Meeting Procedures and Common Seal.
Thank you for participating in this meeting
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