EXCERPTS FROM PROCEDURAL RULES OF
DES MOINES CITY COUNCIL
Rule 11. Agenda Deadline. Any member of the Council, the City Manager, Corporation Counsel and City Clerk may have an item included upon the Agenda by requesting the City Clerk to include the item by 5:00 P.M. on the Wednesday preceding the Council meeting.
Rule 16. Citizen Agenda Requests. Any citizen may request the right to have an item placed on the Agenda (including a request to speak) by filing such request in writing with the City Clerk prior to 5:00 P.M. on the Wednesday preceding the Council meeting.
Rule 27. Citizen’s Right to Address Council. Persons other than Council Members shall be permitted to address the Council only upon specific Agenda items.
Rule 28. Manner of Addressing Council. A person desiring to address the Council shall step to the podium, state his or her name, address, and group affiliation (if any) and speak clearly into the microphone.
Rule 29. Time Limit on Citizen’s Remarks. Citizens shall be limited to five minutes speaking time per item, unless additional time is granted by the presiding officer. Total citizen in-put on any subject under Council consideration can be limited to a fixed period by the presiding officer. A majority vote of the Council may extend the time limitations of this rule.
Rule 30. Remarks of Citizens to be Germane. Citizen comments must be directed to the subject under consideration. The presiding officer shall rule on the germaneness of citizen comments. Citizens making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks shall be barred by the presiding officer from further comment before the Council during the meeting.
Rule 31. Matters not on the Agenda. The Council may in its discretion allow citizens who wish to raise a matter not on the Agenda and who have not filed a request under Rule 16 to address the Council at the end of the regular Agenda.
Rules is available
in the City Clerk’s Office