Minutes 10/27/1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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October 27~ i992 Motion of Mr. Hawks and seconded Mr. Epperson, to suspend the rules to allow the applicant to speak, despite her not having submitted a speaker's card prior to commencement.O~ the meeting, and was adopted by unanimous vote. Kathleen Carlson, 118 ChOwan Drive, spoke in support of the appt icatioin. Motion of Mr. King and seconded by Mr. Griffin, to approve UP-92-13 on first reading, and was adopted by unanimous vote. 92-345 - Ordinance to amend Chapter 2 of the Code of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, 1988 by amending Sections 2-63 (a), (b), and (6), and 2-68 (a) thereof, pertaining to the procedural- ~ces~es for conducting City Council meetings business, deferred from the Regular Meeting ~of October 13, 1992. On m~o.tion of Mr, Epperson and seconded.by Mr, King, the following ordinance was adopted and by the folIowing vote: "AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 2 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, 1988, BY AMENDING SECTIONS 2-63(a), (b), AND (c) and 2-68 (a) THEREOF, PERTAINING TO ORDER OF BUSINESS". ~ Ayes: Clemons, Epperson, Griffin, Hawks, King, Webb Nays: Pitts Mr. Pitts, requested that the following statement be included in the minutes: "I would like to explain to my colleagues and those present why I intend to vote against this rules change Ordinance number.92-245. I support all of the rules except the one only providing five minutes for non-agenda speakers scheduled before agenda items. This piaces an unfair high cost on business agenda petitioners who have lawyers present represent them. On September 8~ 1992, an attorney for a business petitioner had to wait through two hours of non-agenda speakers at a possible $185 a hour billing rate. Even though he had paid for all the documents and jumped through all the hoops as required by the city, he was still penalized ower $300 in extra lawyer's fees because it was an agenda item. This same occurrence haPPened agai~ last Cou~nciI meeting on Octobe~ 13, 1992 as the attorney for Earl Industries sat through 1 1/2 hours of non-agenda speakers before his agenda item was recognized. The motion to defer to October 27, 1992 that I made suggested that we offer a 1 1/2 minute non-agenda speaker position for people who wish to speak before the agenda items and offer a five minute non-agenda speaker position for people who wish to speak longer after the agenda ~tems have been considered. This would give the choice to the citizens and yet remove the feeling held by our new business prospects~of treated as second class citizens. Since I do not have the privileg~ of line item veto and since I feel I still don't have enough support for this motion, I will nOt make it at this time~"