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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Hickory City Council Meeting - January 15, 2013 - Video Presentation



The following is a video presentation of the Hickory, NC City Council Meeting of January 15, 2012. The most relevant topics of this meeting:

Special Presentation - Business Well Crafted Award to Hickory Chair

Public Hearing regarding Amendments to Articles, 2, 6, 7, 9, and 10 of the City's Land Development Code.

Departmental Report involving contracts for the Construction of the Hickory-Catawba Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade and Expansion.

Departmental Report involving Sub-Committee of Hickory City Council Recommendations to "Decide the language for getting citizens input at the beginning of the meeting." This conversation get rather contentious with the Mayor accusing Alder Fox and Attorney John Crone of going behind his back and tricking him about the scope of the subcommittee in relation to the proceedings from the previous day - January 14, 2013.

Citizen Comments related to the Citizen Input issue by Cliff Moone and Thom Shell

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Watching this video, it is obvious that Rudy had an agenda. From the time he walked into the room and walked right around Sally Fox to shake hands with Jill Patton. The snub was obvious.

Rudy derides the airing of personal laundry, yet goes on from 1:13:46 to 1:30:56 with his own agenda, prepared remarks, and series of motions on the three minute rule and why he, Mayor Wright, isn’t wrong and is the friend of the common man. Last time I read Roberts’ Rules and apparently according to the City’s own Charter, it is the job of the Mayor to run the Council Meetings. If he doesn’t want to run the meeting, resign or don’t run for office again. No, he obviously wants all the accolades and none of the frowns of the people who come in. Cliff Moone has an excellent grasp of the position of Mayor and does an exceptional job explaining it to the Mayor. The stuff he should be doing outside of belittling the City Attorney like he was on trial and a down slant rant to Council Member Fox. Cliff, well said!

What he wants, although he isn’t quite stupid enough to say it, is complete and absolute control to allow whom he wants to speak to speak and whomever he doesn’t want to speak, to not speak. For your edification, I’ve included a copy of the State Law giving people the right to speak:

§ 160A 81.1. Public comment period during regular meetings.
The council shall provide at least one period for public comment per month at a regular meeting of the council. The council may adopt reasonable rules governing the conduct of the public comment period, including, but not limited to, rules (i) fixing the maximum time allotted to each speaker, (ii) providing for the designation of spokesmen for groups of persons supporting or opposing the same positions, (iii) providing for the selection of delegates from groups of persons supporting or opposing the same positions when the number of persons wishing to attend the hearing exceeds the capacity of the hall, and (iv) providing for the maintenance of order and decorum in the conduct of the hearing. The council is not required to provide a public comment period under this section if no regular meeting is held during the month. (2005 170, s. 3.)

You’ve got some latitude Mayor on what you can draft rules on allowing people to speak, except for the content; it’s content neutral. Meaning that a citizen need not speak on a matter on the agenda, or even a matter of public importance, so long as the citizen keeps it respectful to the body politic. Respect the position, not the person. What that means, omniWright, is that any citizen can be quite critical of or take issue with you, council en banc, or any individual member thereof, as long as they maintain decorum within that chamber.

And I’m still, Still, STILL wondering why this man is allowed to make motions and vote on his motions. That was made a point of some time ago, contrary to State law. Yet, he continues to ride roughshod. Good Job Hound!