Public Outreach Task Force Agenda and Packet 2014 04 07

Home Browse Search

SUBJECT: DATE: PUBLIC OUTREACH, PUBLIC NOTICE FEBRUARY 4, 2014 PAGE 5 OF 9 hearing is provided. In addition, the City Charter requires City Boards and staff follow additional rules regarding ethics and open and accessible government. These include: The City must provide advance notice and a reasonable opportunity for anyone to speak at and present evidence and argument at the hearing; The City must make a record of the proceeding (minutes), including all information that is considered in making a decision. The City will collect letters; e- mail messages and documents submitted before the hearing and will include them in the record of the hearing. If there is an appeal of the Council's decision, the reviewing court will look to see if evidence in the record supports the Council's decision; and, When the matter being considered is "quasi- judicial ", City Council and its recommending boards and commission members must not consider any information received outside the public hearing (this is called "ex parte" communication), so everyone has a fair opportunity to hear the evidence and argument at the public hearing. This need and desire for a fair hearing is the reason City Council and board and commission members reviewing land use or other quasi- judicial applications cannot discuss the application outside of the hearing. City Council adopted Ordinance No.1647, Series 2013 to fill some missing gaps in the public notice process for quasi - judicial proceedings. In essence, the ordinance established basic expectations of consistency in the LMC requirements to ensure there is adequate notice to impacted individuals of a pending public hearing. CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION