Port Arthur City Hall, 444 4th Street, Room 430, P.O. Box 1089, Port Arthur, TX 77641-1089, Phone: (409) 983-8115 Fax: (409) 983-8128 E-mail: citysecretary@portarthurtx.gov

Any nonresident wishing to address the Council shall notify the Secretary and specify their interest in the matter being considered. The Secretary shall present such request to the presiding officer for approval before placing the name on the agenda.

For evening meetings, the city Secretary shall limit the number of speakers to five (5) as it pertains to items that are not listed on the Council Agenda for action. Additional speakers can be added to the next agenda. If a public hearing is called, there shall not be a limit as to the number of speakers who can address the City Council.

No person shall address the Council without first being recognized by the Presiding Officer.

Limitation on discussion and questioning. Each person addressing the Council shall step up to the microphone provided for the use of the public and give his name and address in an audible tone of voice for the records, state that subject he wishes to discuss, state whom he is representing if he represents an organization or other person, and unless further time is granted by majority vote of the Council, shall limit his remarks to five (5) minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the Council as a whole and not to any member thereof. No person other than members of the Council and the person having the floor shall be permitted to enter into any discussion, whether directly or through a member of the Council, without the permission of the Presiding Officer.

Disorderly Conduct By Person Addressing The Council; Any person making, expressly or impliedly, personal, impertinent, slanderous, derogatory, discourteous, snide, or profane remarks or who willfully utters loud, threatening or abusive language, or engages, in any disorderly conduct which would impede, disrupt, or disturb the orderly conduct, the order by the Presiding Officer, and if such conduct continues, may, at the discretion of the Presiding Officer, be ordered barred from further audience before the Council during that Meeting.

After a motion has been made or a public hearing has been closed, no member of the public shall address the Council from the audience on the matter under consideration without first securing permission to do so by majority vote of the City Council.

No persons will be allowed to address the City Council by making campaign speeches for or against any candidate who has announced or does announce his intention to run, or issue already ordered on a ballot for election.

No person in the audience shall engage in disorderly conduct such as hand clapping, stamping of feet, whistling, using profane language, yelling, and similar demonstrations, which conduct disturbs the peace and good order of the meeting.

Limitations on use of supplemental lighting for television and motion picture cameras to create the least amount of interference with or disturbance of Council proceedings and/or discomfort to the public.

No person shall make any complaint, specific allegation, or charge against an individual City Employee by name in a public meeting unless he first shows that he has pursued appropriate administrative channels.

Warning. All persons shall at the request of the Presiding Officer, be silent. Removal. If, after receiving a warning from the Presiding Officer, a person persists in disturbing the meeting, such Officer may order him to remove himself from the meeting. If he does not remove himself, the Presiding Officer may order the Sergeant-at-arms to remove him.

Resisting Removal. Any person who resists removal by the Sergeant-at-arms shall be charged with violating V.T.C.A, Penal Code 42.05.

Motions To Enforce. Any Councilmember may move to require the Presiding Officer to enforce this division, and the affirmative vote of a majority of the Council shall require him to do so.

The City Secretary shall make public, in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Law, an agenda containing all business to be discussed at a meeting of the City Council.

Persons Requesting To Be Heard On Agenda Items (1) Residents. Any resident who wishes to address the Council on any matter may do so by notifying the City Secretary in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Law. (2) Nonresidents. Any nonresident wishing to address the Council shall notify the City Secretary and specify his interest in the matter being considered. The City Secretary shall present such request to the Presiding Officer for approval before placing the name on the Agenda.

Specific Agenda Items. After a motion, second and discussion by the City Council on any specific agenda item, and before a vote is taken, the Presiding Officer shall recognize any citizen in the audience wishing to address the council on such item, who shall be permitted to address the Council thereon for a period of three (3) minutes. “Specific Agenda Items” are defined as any item specified on the Notice of Meeting posted for purposes of the Texas Open Meetings Law and which becomes the subject of a motion before the Council.