Members of the public will not be able to address Council meetings if further changes to Central Coast Council’s Code of Meeting Practice are passed when Council meets on Monday, September 24.
The changes are aimed at making the business of Council meetings more efficient. This will be the fifth lot of changes made to the Code since it was created in September 2016. The opportunity for speakers to address councillors within meetings is proposed to be replaced by 30-minute public forums immediately prior to each ordinary meeting. The public forum will be “for the purpose of hearing oral submissions from members of the public on items of business to be considered at the meeting.
“Public forums may also be held prior to Extraordinary Council Meetings and meetings of committees of the Council. “Public forums are to be chaired by the mayor or their nominee. “To speak at a public forum, a person must first make an application to Council in the approved form … which contains guidelines for speakers’ participation. “Applications to speak must be received by 10 am on the day of the meeting, and must identify the item of business … the person wishes to speak on, and whether they wish to speak for or against the item.”
SOURCE: Central Coast Council agenda 4.2, 24 Sep 2018
NB: This motion was passed by the Central Coast Council on Monday September 24.