WHEN YOU ARRIVE at a CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Unless otherwise advertised, City Council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers at Woods Cross City Hall.

As you enter the room you will find a table greeting you with an attendance roll and copies of the agenda. We appreciate you taking the time to be with us. Whether you are attending in person or via Zoom, please sign in with your first and name on the role and for our official record.

Note: The agenda and the full Council Packet are always available on at WoodsCross.com and Utah’s Public Meeting Notice website at PMN.Utah.gov

WELCOME/START of MEETING
The Mayor presides over the meeting. When it is time to start the meeting, the will Mayor will welcome attendees and proceed with the meeting. Note: State law requires that a quorum, or majority, of the City Council be present to conduct any business, for Woods Cross City that means three (3) Council members must be present to conduct business.

INVOCATION/THOUGHT and PLEDGE of ALLEGIANCE
The Mayor will ask a Council member to share a prayer/thought and to lead those in attendance in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. As a member of the audience, you will be invited to join in. Participation is optional.

CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
The City Council will vote on a variety of routine business items (such as approving meeting minutes, ratifying previously authorized cash disbursements, proclamations, or other items which do not require discussion) with one motion. The Mayor or Council members may propose moving any item that they feel needs more discussion from the CONSENT AGENDA to the ACTION ITEMS section later in the meeting

GUESTS/HONORS
During this portion of the meeting the Mayor may recognize promotions and may invite the City Recorder to administer oaths of office, a Council member to present Council Kudos recognition, the Youth City Council to report, or outside agencies who have arranged to be on the agenda to present.

Outside presenters must make prior arrangements with the City Recorder at AP@WoodsCross.com to be listed on the agenda, must present only information that is clearly pertinent to Woods Cross City, and limit total presentation to eight (8) minutes or less.

PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment is invited at each regular session of the City Council. This time is available for anyone in the audience to address the Council and/or Mayor concerning matters pertaining to Woods Cross City business* that do not appear on the agenda as part of a Public Hearing.

Please note: Public Commenters are asked to limit remarks to three minutes (3) minutes. Members of the public who would like to make a comment that may exceed three (3) minutes, or who are not able to attend the meeting physically or virtually, can email comments to the City Recorder at AP@WoodsCross.com. Emailed comments will be shared with the Mayor and Council but will not be read during the Council Meeting. The Mayor or City Recorder will inform a citizen when he or she has used the allotted time, if needed.

Public Comment is a time for the Council to receive new information and perspectives; Public Commenters are respectfully asked to avoid repeating positions that have already been stated.

*In all cases the criteria for response will be that comments/questions must be pertinent to Woods Cross City business, that there are no argumentative questions and no personal attacks. Items that are not pertinent to City business, or for which the City has no regulatory power, should not be addressed in the Council Meeting.

Woods Cross Civility Statement
"Woods Cross City Staff and Elected Officials are committed to civility. We strive to act and speak with dignity, courtesy, and respect at all times–Participants are asked to join us and to act and speak accordingly."

After reading Woods Cross Civility Statement (as shown above), the Mayor’s will invite Public Commenters attending the meeting physically to go to the podium and clearly state his/her name and if they are a resident of Woods Cross City or a different city. After receiving comments from those attending physically, the Mayor will provide those attending virtually the same opportunity.

The Mayor shall have discretion as to who will respond to a comment/question in the meeting, or if the response will come later through a member of staff or other organization.

*In all cases the criteria for response will be that comments/questions must be pertinent to Woods Cross City business, that there are no argumentative questions and no personal attacks. Items that are not pertinent to City business, or for which the City has no regulatory power, should not be addressed in the Council Meeting.

PUBLIC HEARING
Utah state law requires Woods Cross City Council/Planning Commission to hold public hearings when considering certain types of business. Preceding the Public Hearing, City Staff will deliver a report of relevant information. Following delivery of the Staff report the Mayor and Council may ask questions, after which the Mayor will then invite members of the public to comment on the business item at hand.

As with the Public Comment forum held at the beginning of the meeting, those wishing to make comment who are attending the meeting physically are to go to the podium and clearly state his or her name and if they are a resident of Woods Cross City or another city. Those attending virtually will be allowed the same opportunity. Public Commenters are asked to limit remarks/questions to three minutes (3) minutes each.

When all comments have been heard, the Mayor will close the Public Hearing. The City Council will resume their discussion and may then bring the item to a vote.

ACTION ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION
City Staff will deliver a presentation to provide background information on the item being considered for Action. Information shared with the City Council will be included in the City Council packet and will be available for the public to review at WoodsCross.com and on PMN.Utah.com along with the meeting agenda. Generally, the items appearing as Action Items for Consideration will have already been part of a previous City Council agenda as a Discussion Item.

DISCUSSION ITEMS
City Staff will deliver a presentation to provide background information on items for discussion and possible direction from City Council. Discussion Items may come forward as an Action Item for Consideration on a future City Council meeting agenda. Discussion Items will not be voted on.

STAFF REPORTS/UPDATES
City Staff will provide a Staff Report to the City Council at least monthly. Staff Reports that may be included are as follows: City Administrator Report, Community Development Report, Community Services Report, Monthly Finance Report, Police Department Report, Public Works Report, Safety Report, etc.

Staff Reports will be listed on the agenda and will be included as part of the City Council packet. City Council packets will be available for the public to review at WoodsCross.com along with the meeting agenda. While Staff reports/updates included on the agenda will not be presented in the City Council meeting, the Mayor will ask the Council if they have any questions on the Staff Reports.

 

COUNCIL ITEMS
Questions/Direction to Staff: This is a time that is made available for the Mayor and Council to give directions to or ask questions of City Staff. This is not the only time that the Mayor and Council can ask questions or give directions to Staff. In consideration of expediency in dealing with a concern or matter needing attention, the Mayor and Council will often contact the appropriate Staff member directly as a concern comes up. The Mayor and Council may also point a concerned member of the public to the appropriate Staff member who may best address the concern. Bringing concerns to appropriate Staff as soon as the concern arises, rather than waiting for a City Council meeting to discuss, facilitates quicker response.

Council Reports: The Mayor or City Council members may share updates of the activities of boards and committees they serve on.

 

 ADJOURNMENT

The City Council formally ends the meeting.

WORK SESSIONS
Work Sessions are not regular meetings but will be scheduled as needed. Work Sessions are designed to be a less formal venue for discussion among City Staff and Council Members. Work Sessions provide opportunities for the City Staff, the Mayor and Council to focus on long-term decisions rather than day-to-day operations. Work Sessions may be held prior to a City Council Meeting or at a completely different time. These meetings are public meetings and members of the public are always welcome. Notice is provided to the public as with any other meeting of the City Council. Generally, no public input is taken during a Work Session and no formal action will take place at a Work Session.

CLOSED SESSIONS
Within a regular City Council meeting, upon motion and a unanimous vote, the City Council may close a the City Council meeting and to hold a Closed Session for the sole purpose to discuss items which are allowed under Utah State Code, including: Acquisition or sale of real property, deployment of security systems, pending litigation, discussion of the character and/competency of an individual/s. No action will take place in a Closed Session.


TO THE PUBLIC: How to Voice Opinions, Request Help and/or Get Involved?

• Read meeting minutes and agendas. View these at WoodsCross.com website
• Report a problem/concern without waiting for the City Council Meeting/Public Comment Period.  In consideration of expediency in dealing with your concern/matter needing attention, please contact City Staff Directly. While you may also involve the Mayor or Council members, in order to address your item more quickly, the Mayor and Council will likely direct you to the appropriate Staff member who may best address your concern comes up.
• Participate in a City Council meeting by attending in person or via the online Zoom link: You may access at https://zoom.us/j/9358074960 or go to zoom.us > select JOIN A MEETING > Meeting ID: 935 807 4960. If you are participating via Zoom, please mute your microphone if you are not speaking.
• Take part in Public Comment: You are welcome to address the Mayor and Council during the Public Comment period/s outlined on the agenda. Prepare your thoughts so that you can speak concisely within the time limits of the public comment portions of the agenda.
• Submit written comments to the Mayor and Council via email to the City Recorder at AP@WoodsCross.com or to other appropriate Staff (contact information found at WoodsCross.com) Comments will be shared with the Mayor and Council but will not be read aloud in City Council meeting.
• You may also contact your City Council members via phone, email or letter. View the City Council page.
• Get involved and/or vote in the next election.

TO THE COUNCIL: How to Keep City Council Meetings Professional and Timely
To keep City Council meetings professional and concise, the following guidelines are recommended; adhering to these guidelines will create an atmosphere of respect, productivity, and focus, leading to efficient, more professional and productive meetings:

• Develop and Follow an Agenda: The agenda should be prepared in advance, distributed to Council members, and strictly followed during the meeting. Prioritize essential items to prevent time being spent on minor issues. Setting reasonable time limits for agenda items will help assure reasonable time limits for discussing each agenda item to prevent long-winded discussions.
• Start and end on Time: Meetings should start promptly, and there should be a goal to end at a reasonable hour. Starting on time sets a professional tone and respect for everyone's time.
• Response to Public Concern/Limit Public Comments: Prior to the meeting if the Mayor or Council becomes aware of a concern, contact staff or point the concerned member of the public directly to the staff member who may most quickly and effectively address the concern (such as Code Enforcement, Police, or Public Works.) This will help resolve issues and potentially preclude the need for a resident to take their time to attend City Council to bring up a matter up in the Public Comment section, when the issue could be dealt with more quickly.  Allocate a specific time for public comments, ideally the duration should be no more than three (3) minutes per speaker. The Mayor and Council should respond to comments without lengthy debate during the public comment session.
• Delegate to Staff Members and/or Refer to Other Organization: Refer detailed discussions or unresolved public comment issues to City Staff, who can dive deeper into topics outside of the main meeting and then provide summaries or recommendations during council sessions if needed. If the item is outside of the city’s regulatory authority, the individual should be referred to that organization when possible.
• Adopt/Understand Speaker Guidelines: Council members should stay on-topic and avoid repeating points that have already been made. The same guideline applies to public commenters. The Mayor is responsible for ensuring discussions don’t stray or become redundant. Council members are also responsible for helping the Mayor with these guidelines.
• Preparation for Participation: The Mayor and Council are provided with meeting materials (agenda, reports, documents) in advance so they can review and come prepared with comments or questions, avoiding unnecessary delays during the meeting.
• Use Technology for Efficiency: Utilize digital platforms and technology for document sharing and timekeeping to streamline processes and minimize delays.
• Address Disruptions Quickly: Any public comment outside of the designated comment period, disruptions, or inappropriate behavior by attendees or council members should be addressed swiftly and professionally by the Mayor/Chair.
• Focus on Actionable Decisions: Avoid unnecessary debate on issues that cannot be resolved during the meeting. The focus should be on making decisions and setting follow-up actions when needed.