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Housing Commission <br />November 17, 2022 <br />Page 1 of 1 <br /> <br />5. Receive Information About Updated Commissioners Handbook <br /> <br />Ms. Seto advised commissioners that in July 2022 City Council updated its “City Council Meeting Rules <br />of Procedure” for how meetings need to be conducted and directed that the applicable changes be <br />made to the Commissioner’s Handbook. She noted that substantive parallel modifications incorporate <br />Rosenberg’s Rules of Order and other procedural requirements. <br /> <br />Commissioners were informed by Ms. Seto that the substantive changes made to the Commissioner’s <br />Handbook are described as: <br /> <br />Rosenberg’s Rules of Order – The simpler rules of parliamentary procedures in Rosenberg’s Rules of <br />Order have been adopted (replacing Roberts Rules of Order). These rules continue to provide that the <br />chairperson conducts the meeting; the process to make and amend basic motions is not altered; and <br />sets forth how to raise questions of procedure and points of privilege. <br /> <br />Continuing an item – when an individual commissioner continues an agenda item (not subject to a legal <br />or City deadline), the commissioner must now “state the reason for such continuance.” This is a new <br />requirement.” The commissioner handbook has also been updated to clarify that a continuance by an <br />individual commissioner may only occur one time for an item (a vote by the commission is needed to <br />continue the item a second time). <br /> <br />Present and voting – counting votes has changed to the “present and voting” rule. If a commissioner is <br />present, but is silent or abstains from voting, the vote tally will reflect that the commissioner was <br />present for determining a quorum but will be listed as not voting or abstaining if due to a conflict of <br />interest. <br /> <br />Review of written materials / oral presentations – after agenda materials are distributed, commissioners <br />remain encouraged to ask staff any clarifying questions before the meeting. The handbook has now <br />been changed to state that: “Responses provided by staff may be shared with the entire commission as <br />supplemental agenda material.” <br /> <br />Public hearing / comment – during the public hearing or public comment period for an agenda item, <br />commissioners still can ask questions of speakers, each other, or staff. The handbook has been <br />amended to clarify that: “Commissioners are limited to asking technical or clarifying questions on the <br />items and shall not at this portion of the meeting express personal opinion or debate the merits of an <br />item under consideration.” Those opinions and debate are to occur during the later Commission <br />Deliberation and Action period. <br /> <br />Matters initiated by commission for discussion / action – this section has been streamlined to retain the <br />ability for an individual commissioner to obtain information from staff or have an item placed on a future <br />agenda if a majority of the commission present agree. <br /> <br />Items considered after 11:00 p.m. – change to provide that at or prior to 10:30 p.m., the commission, <br />after consultation with staff, will vote to determine which items remaining on the agenda are to still be <br />considered that evening – with goal to complete items by 11:30 p.m. <br /> <br />Chairperson applies rules – the chairperson remains the presiding officer for the meeting. Decisions by <br />the chairperson regarding procedural rules are final, unless overruled by a majority of the commission <br />present. <br /> <br />Non-Substantive amendments – other changes to the Commissioner’s Handbook were to reflect actual <br />practices, including update Order of Agenda Items: referenced current technology used to record <br />meetings: and clarify emergency situations allowing for action on items not on the agenda per state law.