Politics & Government
Skurnick: Corporate Governance Resolution Intended to 'Stifle Me'
Proposed resolution would limit council members' allotted speaking time, require that their points be "germane" to the topic.
Frustrated with a "disregard for rules" and the length of city council meetings, Mayor Frank Huttle and council colleagues are expected to pass a "corporate governance" resolution Tuesday night that one elected official says is designed to keep him quiet.
If approved, the new rules would cut down the time council members can discuss resolutions or ordinances to 10 minutes, with an additional 5 minutes potentially allotted once council members have all spoken. The elected officials would be allowed to speak only when recognized by the council president; Huttle currently holds that position. The resolution would further ban attacks, as prescribed in Robert's Rules of Order.
"I'm being stifled," Councilman Eugene Skurnick said. "I feel like this is premature, really unnecessary, and very limiting if we have true interactions in here and are able to ask questions and get them answered."
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He added that the measure equates to "limiting, stifling, interrupting and controlling debate."
Skurnick objected to the council president deciding what is germane and what isn't, remarking that the council president "wields enormous power."
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He found little support among council colleagues.
Councilwoman-at-large Lynne Algrant said Skurnick is largely responsible for dragging out meetings and attempts to "control discussion," though others, including herself, are complicit. She, along with Councilman Marc Forman, called for the speaking time to be cut from 10 minutes to 5 minutes.
"I dread walking in here," Algrant said at the April 10 workshop. "Half the time I'm mortified and embarrassed to be here."
Huttle called Skurnick's interpretation "radically wrong," and said his only goal is to "run the meeting and conduct city business," which has been hampered by a "disregard for rules on the books."
The measure is expected to pass on April 23.
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