Item 37 - Consider Amending City Council Meetings Rules and Procedures

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shall recognize each Councilmember who may speak up to three (3) minutes on matters of public or community interest. (b) The agenda for all regular meetings of the City Council shall provide members of the public the opportunity to address the City Council on agendized matters and non-agendized matters as required by the Brown Act. All requests to speak shall be submitted in writing to the City Clerk. No such requests shall be accepted after the public comment session begins without permission of the presiding officer. The agendas for adjourned, special, and emergency meetings of the City Council shall provide for public comment as provided in the Brown Act. (c) Subject to (d) below, members of the public shall be given a total of three (3) minutes to: (i) address the City Council on any and all matters contained on the City Council agenda as well as the agendas of any of the City's related entities, such as the Successor Agency (formerly the Community Redevelopment Agency) or the Housing Authority, if those entities have meetings scheduled at the same time, and/or (ii) address any matters of public interest provided that they are within the jurisdiction or official business of the City of Santa Ana. The presiding officer shall have the discretion to reduce the time allotted to speakers. (d) For general public hearings, members of the public shall be given three (3) minutes to address the City Council for each duly noticed hearing, unless continued prior to taking testimony. i. For public hearings related to land use, entitlements, or appeals, the applicant/appellant and/or their representative(s) whose matter is the subject of the public hearing shall be given ten (10) minutes for their initial presentation. Members of the public shall be given three (3) minutes to address the City Council on the subject of the public hearing. The applicant/appellant and or their representative(s) shall be given five (5) minutes for rebuttal comments. (e) Upon being recognized by the presiding officer, a speaker should step to the designated speaker location, state their name and address for the record, identify the matter by agenda designation (if applicable), and direct remarks to the City Council as a body and not to any individual member thereof. A speaker shall not be denied an opportunity to speak if they do not wish to state their name and address for the record. No person other than members of the City Council and the person having the floor may be permitted to enter into the discussion without permission of the presiding officer. (f) It shall be within the sound discretion of the presiding officer to set a maximum time for public comment. In setting any limit, the presiding officer shall take into consideration the level of public interest in the matters in question, the length of the meeting and the need to provide for an orderly and effective meeting. As a means of limiting time while maximizing the public's opportunity to address the City Council, if a group of people seeks to address the City Council on the same matter or topic, the