Municipal clerks are the unsung heroes
May is the month when we celebrate municipal clerks, and Jurassic Parliament is delighted to join in offering kudos to these unsung heroes of our society. When you look under the hood of local government, you find clerks everywhere.
Read MoreGuidelines for Meeting Minutes in Local Government
Meeting minutes recording the actions taken by your council or board are a fundamental part of the meeting process. These are our guidelines for meeting minutes in local government.
Read MoreWhen should you interrupt a speaker?
We see so many instances of rude behavior in public life today that it is not easy to keep our bearings about civility. Polite people who have been well brought up sometimes feel stymied when public discourse disintegrates. Thus, it might be helpful to review some circumstances in which people should be interrupted during a…
Read MoreUnanimous consent will slash your meeting time
Unanimous consent is one of the most useful tools in Robert’s Rules of order. Yet this method of voting is little known. Use it well, and your meetings will be much more efficient. Your members will also be grateful!
Read MoreRobert’s Rules as spiritual discipline
Readers of this blog know that I am conflicted about Robert’s Rules of Order. On the one hand, they offer key insights for fair and democratic meetings. On the other, the official book is too long, too complex, and too hard to read for most of us.
Read MoreParliamentarian schools City Council
Readers may enjoy this article published by the Auburn Reporter about a recent Jurassic Parliament assignment. Parliamentarian schools City Council on how to be civil council
Read MoreGovernance geeks will love fabulous blog by Sarah Merkle
On the first evening of my exciting trip to Alaska, Lon Garrison and Timi Tullis treated me to dinner. We spent the entire evening in energetic discussion of Robert’s Rules and meeting management. Lon’s wife shook her head when he got home and said,
Read MoreDon’t try to count a voice vote
Sometimes after a voice vote that is not unanimous, we see an odd scenario. The chair or the clerk starts trying to figure out who voted for and who voted against.
Read MoreGuidelines for Public Comment in Local Government
The public comment period is an essential part of local government meetings. These are our guidelines for public comment periods in local government.
Read MoreDon’t include detailed public comment in meeting minutes
When city councils, school boards or other public bodies hold their meetings, it is usual to reserve a time in the meeting for members of the public to speak to their elected officials. One common name for this is the public comment period.
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