MTAS To Work With Livingston Officials On Agenda Procedures

MTAS is set to meet with Livingston officials next week to discuss how the city forms its agendas.

At a recent city meeting, Alderman Kelly Coleman requested that agenda practices be included on the August agenda. Municipal Management Consultant Warren Nevad said practices can vary from city to city.

“We’re looking at that along with looking at the city’s charter to make sure that any type of procedures that we develop whether it is agenda, budgeting or personnel to make sure that policies meet the standards established in the charter,” Nevad said.

Nevad said there are several options. For example, some charters require agendas to be prepare a week before a meeting while others allow agendas to be changed during a meeting.

“I have not been formally requested, but I will be meeting with them on the first and that’s some of the things that we will be talking about,” Nevad said.

In Livingston’s case, the city has the procedures adopted through an ordinance, not its charter. It lists the order of business for a Board of Aldermen meeting thus setting the format of each agenda.

Typically, a mayor is who puts an agenda together. Nevad said the agenda format should also follow Robert’s Rule of Order, which is a guide of parliamentary procedure.