Goodyear City Council members spent a work session on Jan. 13, 2025, reviewing an updated set of meeting rules of procedure that staff plans to bring back for formal adoption at the council's Jan. 27 meeting. Acting City Clerk Jasmine Pernecono presented the proposed changes and described how they would affect public hearings, public comment, and voting procedures.

The proposed revisions reorganize the agenda order, add a dedicated public-hearing section and a 10-minute applicant presentation, eliminate the prior requirement that speakers provide their full home address (replacing it with a residency question), and formalize the use of the council's electronic voting tablets, Pernecono said. "The updated rules of procedure are scheduled for adoption at the January 27, 2025 city council meeting," she said.

Why it matters: the rules define when and how public business is deliberated and decided. City staff and the city attorney also used the session to reiterate obligations under Arizona's open meeting law, guidance on executive sessions, and limits on councilmember communications outside public meetings.

Key procedural points presented

- Work sessions: staff emphasized that work sessions are for discussion and direction to staff only and "no formal action or voting takes place during a work session," Pernecono said. Councilmember Marcano asked for clarification that work sessions should not show "indication of approval or disapproval," and the city attorney confirmed votes should not be taken unless the item was properly noticed for a vote.

- Public comment and applicant time: public comment during regular meetings remains limited to three minutes per speaker, but the mayor has discretion to modify that limit for logistical reasons, the city attorney said. Applicants for public hearings would be allowed a 10-minute presentation under the revised rules; Pernecono noted that change was added to formalize an existing practice.

- Electronic voting and abstentions: the rules formalize use of the council's electronic voting system on the tablets. Pernecono explained the system and said motions and seconds are registered through the software; the city attorney added that votes must be recorded and that abstentions are permitted only for conflict-of-interest reasons under the charter.

- Executive sessions and legal guidance: City Attorney Rourke walked through the statutory exceptions for executive session and stressed the open-meeting principle, saying, "The overriding public policy is that all decisions, be made in public." He reminded council that executive sessions may be used to receive legal advice, discuss negotiations, or consider personnel matters, but decisions must be adopted in an open meeting.

Other practical reminders

Staff reminded council members to use city email and city devices for city business to ensure compliance with public records and litigation-hold obligations. Pernecono noted agendas are typically posted five days in advance but must be posted at least 24 hours before a meeting and explained the process for amended agendas.

What's next

The revised rules are scheduled to come back for adoption at the Jan. 27, 2025 city council meeting; staff said the changes largely formalize practices already in use and provide flexibility to remove empty agenda headings when there is no business.

Ending note

Councilmembers asked several clarifying questions about timing, enforcement, and public perceptions of fairness between resident speakers and applicants; staff said they would finalize language and return the item for formal action at the next regular meeting.