Rule 9. Procedure during public hearing.

(a) Quorum. A quorum is not required for a public hearing unless expressly required by law. Unless otherwise expressly required by law, the Council may delegate the conduct of any hearing to a Council committee, Councilmember, or Council staff member.

(b) Preliminary remarks. After convening a public hearing, but before the presentation of testimony, the presiding officer must:

(1) briefly explain the purpose of the public hearing;

(2) specify the last date by which written testimony or information should be submitted;

(3) announce the date and time for worksession or final action, if known; and

(4) present any information required by law.

(c) Time limits and registration requirements. The presiding officer may announce in advance or at the hearing time limits for each speaker, registration requirements, and limits on the number of speakers. A majority of the Council may extend or shorten the time limits or change the limits on the number of speakers. The presiding officer may vote on a motion to change the time limits or the limits on the number of speakers. To cede time to another speaker, a speaker must be present at the hearing.

(d) Information from members of the public. Each member of the public desiring to speak at a public hearing first must register with the Council Clerk. When recognized by the presiding officer to speak, the person must provide the following information:

(1) name;

(2) home or business address as appropriate; and

(3) the person or organization the speaker represents, if any.

(e) Relevance. The presiding officer may temporarily suspend any testimony that is not relevant to the subject of the hearing and advise the speaker to that effect. The presiding officer may stop taking further testimony from and vacate any remaining time allocated to a speaker who, after being so advised, continues to offer irrelevant testimony.

(f) Questions from Councilmembers. After being recognized by the presiding officer, any Councilmember present may briefly question any speaker. The member and the speaker must not debate.

(g) Transcript of a public hearing. A transcript of a public hearing must be made:

(1) as required by law; or

(2) at the request of the President or a majority of the Councilmembers in office, with sufficient notice.

(h) Continuing or postponing a public hearing. A public hearing may be postponed or continued without further published notice if, after the required notice of the hearing has been published, either:

(1) at the time and place for which notice was given, the presiding officer specifies when and where the hearing will convene or reconvene; or

(2) before the hearing was scheduled to be held, the presiding officer has:

(A) informed each person who registered to testify when and where the hearing will convene or reconvene;

(B) inserted in the Council’s printed agenda or an addendum to the agenda when and where the hearing will convene or reconvene, or posted when and where the hearing will convene or reconvene at the place where notices of Council meetings are posted; and

(C) specified on the Council web site when and where the hearing will convene or reconvene.

If severe weather conditions or another emergency requires the Council to postpone a hearing, the presiding officer may do so before the hearing is held without giving one or more of the notices required by this subsection. In that case, the President must readvertise the hearing as required by Rule 4 unless the original advertisement specified when and where a postponed hearing would be held. (Res. No. 11-54; Res. No. 12-83; Res. No. 13-49; Res. No. 13-1061; Res. No. 16-59; Res. No. 18-49.)