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Home My WebLink About2018-0820A Order Adopting Public Presentations PolicyTROPHY CLUB MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO.1 ORDER NO. 2018-0820A ORDER ADOPTING PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS POLICY STATE OF TEXAS § COUNTIES OF DENTON AND TARRANT § WHEREAS , Section 49.057(g) of the Texas Water Code, as amended, provides that the board of directors of a water district may adopt rules to govern the affairs of the district; WHEREAS, Section 551.023 of the Open Meetings Act authorizes a governing body to adopt reasonable rules to maintain order at its meetings; WHEREAS , the Open Meetings Act provides that a meeting that is "open to the public" under the Act is one that the public is permitted to attend, and the Act does not entitle the public to choose the items to be discussed or to speak about items on the agenda except as otherwise authorized by the governing body; WHEREAS, the Open Meetings Act allows a governmental body to set reasonable limits on the number, frequency and length of presentations, but it may not unfairly discriminate among speakers for or against a particular point of view; and · WHEREAS, the Board of Directors desires to adopt a policy giving members of the public an opportunity to speak during citizen communications at public meetings in accordance with certain rules and procedures intended to maintain public order and allow for the efficient conduct of business at District meetings, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TROPHY CLUB MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO.l, THAT: Section 1. Presentations by citizens or representative(s) of organized groups during citizen comments portion of the agenda. 1) Any citizen wishing to speak or speaking during the citizen comment segment of a board meeting must fill out a "Citizen Comment Form" and file it with the District Secretary. 2) Topics of presentations should be limited to matters over which the Board has authority. 3) Presentations by citizens during the citizens comments segment of a Board of Directors meeting, with or without prior notification, shall be limited to a total of four ( 4) minutes or as allowed by the presiding officer. 4) If a member of the public makes an inquiry about a subject for which notice has not been given, the Board's actions are limited to the following: a) a statement of specific factual information given in response to the inquiry; b) a recitation of existing policy in response to the inquiry; c) a statement that District staff may follow up and communicate with the citizen regarding the inquiry outside of the public meeting; or d) respond that the matter shall be placed on a future agenda for deliberation. Any deliberation of or decision about the subject of the inquiry shall be limited to a proposal to place the subject on the agenda of a subsequent meeting. Section 2 . Presentation by citizens or representative(s) of organized groups during agenda items other than citizens comments . 1) Any citizen wishing to speak or speaking must fill out a "Citizen Comment Form" and file it with the District Secretary. 2) Presentations by citizens, with or without prior notification, shall be limited to a total of six (6) minutes. The speaker will be limited to four ( 4) minutes of time to complete their comments prior to Board discussion and two (2) minutes of time after Board discussion but before the presiding officer calls for a vote. Time limits may be adjusted by the presiding officer. The designated timekeeper shall maintain the time and advise the speaker when their time has expired. The speaker shall then complete his sentence and take their seat. 3) A person may not give their speaking time to another. 4) Persons wishing to express their position on an agenda item but who do not wish to speak shall complete a speaker's form and indicate their support or opposition. The name and respective position of such person(s) shall be read into the record. Section 3. Rules of conduct applicable to citizen' s presentations for agenda items, citizen's presentations, and for public hearings. 1) Each person addressing the Board shall step up to the microphone, shall give his or her name and address in an audible voice for the record. If representing an organized group , the speaker shall identify the group represented. All remarks shall be addressed to the Board as a body, and not to any individual member thereof. 2) No member of the public, other than the person having the floor, shall be permitted to enter into any discussion between the citizen making comments and the Board of Directors. 3) No que?tions shall be asked of the Board of Directors, except through the presiding officer. 4) All citizens shall refrain from private conversations in the chamber while the Board is in session. :5) Citizens attending Board meetings shall refrain from disruptive behavior that would impede the orderly conduct of meetings. Without limitation, members of the public may speak only when authorized, shall limit comments to matters of public concern, and shall not make any statements or presentations that are abusive, indecent, profane or vulgar so as to result in an immediate breach of the peace or that would disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting. Any persons engaging in such disruptive behavior shall be asked to remove themselves from the boardroom. If necessary, the presiding officer may direct staff to contact law enforcement to remove the individual(s) from the premises. Once removed, that person shall be barred from further attendance before the Board during that meeting . 6) Unauthorized remarks from the audience, stamping of feet, whistles, yells and similar demonstrations shall not be permitted by the presiding officer. If necessary, the presiding officer may direct staff to contact law enforcement to remove the individual(s) from the premises. In case the presiding officer shall fail to act, any other Director may move to require the presiding officer to enforce the rules, and the affirmative vote of three Directors present shall require the presiding officer to act. In the event the presiding officer fails to act notwithstanding such vote, then the Board of Directors may enforce these rules by majority vote . Once removed, that individual(s) shall be barred from further attendance before the Board during that meeting. 7) No placards, banners or signs of any kind shall be permitted in the Board room unless those exhibits, displays and visual aids are used in presentations to the Board, provided that such exhibits, displays and visuals aids do not disrupt the meeting. Section 4. Written communications to the Board. 1) General. Interested parties, or their authorized representatives , may address the Board by written communication regarding. any matter concerning District business .or over which the Board has control , at any time. 2 ) Agenda items. A written communication related to an item posted for consideration on a District agenda may be submitted by direct mail to the Board or by delivery of the communication to the District Secretary at least four ( 4) hours prior to the time for commencement of the Board meeting at which an item will be discussed. Upon timely receipt of a communication, the District Secretary shall distribute copies to each of the Directors and shall make copies available for public review at a designated location in the Board room. The names of those persons submitting the communication and the topic addressed will be entered into the record without the necessity of reading the input, provided sufficient copies are av ailable at the me eting for review by members of the public . Order 20 l4-1 2 04 B is hereby repealed in its entirety as of the effective date hereof. This Order shail be effecti.ve as of September 1, 2018. PASSED, ADOPTED, ORDERED AND APPROVED by the Board of Directors of Trophy Club Municipal Utility District No. l, Trophy Club, Texas this : .f,. day of tit~ 2018. 11-v /)? -U )L \,,,,1111111/,,,, Greg 'r W i -:::t:!P;esi~~ -#~\,\}~ !~~NtcJ$ ~ ~~ .·~~RAN~··a -1~ r; ") ~~~-. 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