City Council approves agenda; declines special hearing and notes 19 citizens signed up to comment on pending item

Mayor Wade called the Sept. 2 council meeting to order and the council approved the agenda by voice vote after a motion to adopt was moved and seconded. City staff and council discussed whether to add a special public-comment period for a contentious item. The city attorney advised that the council could add a comment period but should not call it a public hearing because it had not been formally advertised; counsel also advised that an agenda amendment should occur before the agenda’s approval if the council wished to add items. Council members noted that 19 additional people had signed up to comment on the topic and that, because the item is scheduled as the first of two readings, the council was not planning to vote on it tonight. One council member observed that public comments could be heard during the regular public-comment periods at the start or end of the meeting. The council approved the agenda and proceeded with scheduled presentations; no vote occurred on the underlying substantive item during the meeting.