In order to ensure that Council meetings can be meaningful to you and other members of the public, the City Council uses a set of rules to govern the conduct of its meetings. These "Rules of Procedure" are for the convenience of those attending the meeting. The City Council follows "Robert's Rules of Order" for conducting official business. The following is a brief summary of the order of business for a City Council meeting.
The schedule for a Council meeting is shown on the Agenda. An agenda is simply a list of business to be considered at a meeting and includes:
- Roll Call & Pledge of Allegiance
- Adopt Agenda/Approve Minutes
- Recognitions & Presentations
- Consent Agenda
- Public Hearings
- Old Business
- New Business
- Legislative/Intergovernmental Affairs Update
- Economic Development Authority
- Administrative Agenda
- Visitors to be Heard (10 Minute Total Time Limit)
- Executive Session
To find out about specific agenda items, refer to the corresponding City Council Agenda on the City Website or call the Municipal Center at (651) 675-5000. Agendas are available at the entrance to the Council Chambers at the time of meetings.
The City Council welcomes the public to all Council meetings, workshops, and hearings and you are encouraged to express your opinion during these meetings. To keep the agenda moving smoothly, the Council has adopted basic guidelines for making presentations before the Council. The purpose of the guidelines is:
- To provide for an orderly meeting.
- To provide equal and adequate time for review and consideration of agenda item.
- To provide equal rights to all members of the public who address the presiding officer.
- To provide the City Council with an equal and rational approach to all decisions.
The City Council has established the following guidelines for the conduct of City Council meetings:
- Persons attending a Council meeting may address the Council at the time at which specific items appear on the agenda.
- When addressing the Council, the presenter shall approach the podium and begin presenting by stating his/her name and address.
- All persons who speak must address the Mayor.
- At public hearings, all questions and remarks from an audience member are limited to four (4) minutes and shall be addressed to the Mayor. Each person is limited to one turn. The Mayor may use discretion whether to allow repeat statements from the same person.
- Presentations concerning items will be heard only upon approval of the Mayor.
- To help maintain order, applause or other disturbances are discouraged.
- Petitions should be presented to the City Administrator.
- Audience members are encouraged to address the Council but can't make motions or otherwise participate in the meeting.
Individuals wishing to appear at regular meetings of the City Council relative to items not included on an agenda may speak or make presentations under the sections of the agenda entitled, Visitors to be Heard.* The Visitors to be Heard section is scheduled at the end of the meeting and the total time limit for all speakers is 10 minutes. No Council action on a visitor's presentation should be expected at this meeting, since the Council will want to study all proposals or requests before making a decision.
*Listening Sessions are held prior to each regular City Council meeting (generally beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Eagan Room of City Hall), also for the purpose of addressing items not included on the City Council agenda. Individuals wishing to address the City Council may speak or make presentations in this less formal meeting format. You may contact the
The Eagan City Council uses a Consent Agenda procedure for routine items needing little or no deliberation. Those items are identified on the agenda and are approved with one vote unless a Council Member or citizen requests that the item be discussed or considered separately.
Certain items on the agenda are identified as Public Hearings. These are formal proceedings giving citizens an opportunity to express their concerns on a specific issue. Some issues on which the Council is required to hold public hearings are the annual budget, public improvement projects, and levying of special assessments.
The Council endeavors to complete action on each issue the same night as the hearing. However, there may be circumstances where additional information or action is needed making it desirable to defer action until a later date. Depending on the situation, the hearing may be closed or continued to a future meeting date.
- Mayor opens the hearing.
- Staff describes the proposal.
- Those wishing to comment are heard.
- Formal action is taken to close the hearing.
- Council Members have an opportunity to comment and ask questions on the issue.
- Council takes action on the issue or defers decision.
Three members of the Council constitute a quorum. A majority vote is needed to adopt motions and general resolutions. A vote of 3/5 is required for most ordinances. Hearings on preliminary reports for improvements, comprehensive plan revisions, and zoning ordinance changes require a 4/5 vote. Publication of an ordinance in the official newspaper of the City is required before it actually takes effect.
With few exceptions, the City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Center Building, 3830 Pilot Knob Road. The City Council also meets in special session as needed. Occasionally meeting dates are changed to avoid conflicts with holidays or other events. For information on specific meeting dates and agenda items, check the calendar on the City Website or by calling the Administration staff at (651) 675-5000.
With few exceptions, the regular City Council meetings are televised "live" over the City's Cable Television Access Eagan-TV on Channel Sixteen (16).These meetings are also recorded for replay. Away from television, meetings can be viewed live or at a later time on the City Website.
