The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly holds regular meetings beginning at 6:00 p.m. on alternate Thursdays of each month unless the presiding officer schedules
otherwise.  All regular and special meetings, committee meetings, and gatherings of more than three  assemblymembers, shall be public meetings.  The regular meetings are aired live on Public Radio (KUAC-FM, 89.9).

 ORDER OF BUSINESS

1.     Call to order;

2.     Non-Sectarian Invocation;

3.     Pledge of Allegiance;

4.     Roll call;

5.     Approval of agenda and consent agenda:

a.  Approval of consent agenda passes all items indicated by an asterisk   (*) on that agenda;
b.  Consent agenda items are not considered separately except as provided in subsection 2.09.030 E (7);

6.  Citizen's comments:  Citizens' comments shall be heard in the manner provided in Section 2.09.080C.
Citizen's comments shall terminate at 6:50 p.m.;

          a. A citizen may speak on an agenda item that is not scheduled on the agenda for public hearing except that citizens' comments on board of adjustment matters are not permitted.
 b.  Items other than those appearing on the agenda (this is the section to speak on
 anything Not Scheduled on the agenda).

7.     Approval of minutes;

8.     Communications to the assembly;

        a.  Bid awards
        b.  Contract awards
        c.  Memoranda requiring concurrence of assembly;

9.     Messages from the borough mayor;

10.    Reports of standing and special committees;

11.    Special orders -- public hearing;

12.    Consideration of calendar -- unfinished business;

13.    Consideration of calendar -- new business:

       a.  Resolutions
       b. Ordinances to be Referred to Committee or Commission
       c.  Ordinances to be Advanced;

14.  Citizen's comments on items that are not scheduled on the agenda- continuation;

15.  Assembly member’s comments;

16.  Adjournment. 

A.     Rules Applicable to Citizens' Comments. Citizens' comments shall be heard in the manner provided in subsection A and subsection C of this section.  Each person's comments shall be limited to three minutes unless a different time is designated by the presiding officer. A person who has previously spoken at a meeting during
citizens' comments may not speak again unless all other persons desiring to speak have been heard and time scheduled for citizens' comments remain available. A person speaking a second time may only do so for one minute, unless the presiding officer designates a different time and subsection C of this section.

 B.     Rules applicable to Public Hearing.

        1.     The presiding officer shall permit all persons desiring to speak on an item scheduled for public hearing to speak for not more than three minutes when the
item is called.  The person, who has signed an application to rezone real property, or his representative, may speak during public hearing on the rezone request for not
more than ten minutes.

        2.     The presiding officer may alter the times specified in this subsection, so long as the alteration does not unreasonably deny any person an opportunity to speak at the public hearing.

        3.     The clerk shall make available sign-up sheets on which persons desiring to speak on items scheduled for public hearing may indicate their desire.  The presiding
officer shall request comment from persons in the order in which they have signed up on said sheets, and then shall take comments from all other persons desiring to make them.

        4.     No person who has previously spoken during the public hearing on a particular item may speak again unless all other persons desiring to give testimony at the public hearing have spoken.  A person speaking for a second time shall give testimony for not more than one minute, unless the presiding officer designates a different time.

        5.     No person may speak on an item after public hearing on that item has terminated, unless the presiding officer determines otherwise.

 C.  Rules Applicable to Both Citizens' Comments and Public Hearings.

        1.     No person shall speak during an assembly meeting until that person is recognized by the presiding officer.  Upon recognition that person shall position himself or herself as directed by the presiding officer and shall state his or her full name, spelling the last name, and address.

        2.     All persons shall immediately cease speaking when notified by the presiding officer that the allotted time has expired.

        3.     Citizens giving testimony may ask questions of the assemblymembers or the mayor during their testimony on a public hearing item. The presiding officer may
request an answer to a factual question from a citizen, asked during the three (3) minutes of testimony, should the question and answer be useful to the item at issue, or desirable for public understanding of the issue, in the view of the presiding officer. Assemblymembers or the mayor may ask questions of citizens giving testimony. Assemblymembers shall refrain from using question formats to engage in discussion or statements to the person testifying. The time allotted to a citizen for public testimony shall be extended automatically to provide
additional time, which is reasonably sufficient to answer all questions posed by the assemblymembers and the mayor.

        4.     All writings, photographs, plats, maps or other items presented by a citizen during public testimony for consideration by the assembly shall be retained by the clerk and affixed to the record of the proceedings.

        5.     Citizens may present written testimony by filing said testimony with the clerk at or before the time scheduled for public hearing on the item or the time scheduled for citizens' comments if the item is not scheduled for public hearing.

 D.     A citizen, acting alone or with a group, shall not disrupt an assembly meeting.
(Ord. No. 2001-01)

ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS

 Ordinances are laws of the municipality.  Governing bodies are authorized to adopt ordinances as long as they do not conflict with the laws and the Constitutions of the
State of Alaska and of the United States.   

Code Ordinances: permanent in nature; included in the Code of Ordinances. 

Non-code Ordinances: non-permanent in nature; not included in the Code of Ordinances 

Emergency Ordinances: address an emergency situation; 60 day limit; non-code ordinances. 

Resolutions:  are official statements by the governing body of its opinion or position on issues that are important to the municipality, the state, or the nation.  A resolution may be introduced and passed at the same meeting with a simple majority vote.

OTHER MEETINGS

Special Meetings/Special Work Sessions: scheduled for action on matters that cannot wait until the next regular meeting.  The Assembly shall not transact any business at a special meeting except business relating to the purpose stated in the notice of the meeting.

 Executive Sessions: Are closed sessions to the public.  By a majority vote the assembly may recess from a public meeting, work session or other gathering of the assembly to an executive session.  An executive session is called only for discussion of subjects; that the immediate knowledge of would clearly have an adverse effect on the finances of the borough; or subjects that tend to prejudice the reputation and character of any person, provided the person may request a public discussion; or subjects which by law, borough charter, or ordinances are required to be confidential.  The assembly shall not take official action in an executive session, except to give direction to an attorney or labor negotiator regarding
the handling of a specific legal matter or pending labor negotiations.  Only those voting members of the Assembly and such other persons shall attend the executive session, as the presiding officer shall deem necessary.

 Finance Committee: meets regularly twice a month to review all ordinances with a financial nature after their first reading by the Assembly.  The Finance Committee may make recommendations on the ordinances.  The Finance Committee has the authority to award contracts, contract modifications or change orders greater when the amount exceeds one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).  The Finance Committee also makes recommendation(s) to the assembly on the proposed fiscal year budget appropriation ordinance.   

Committee of the Whole: meets regularly twice a month to review all nonfinancial ordinances after their first reading by the Assembly and resolutions as the presiding officer deems necessary.  The Committee of the Whole may make recommendations.

 Work Sessions: scheduled for review of a subject in greater depth than is possible during a regular meeting. No voting or public comment takes place, but the public is welcome to attend and listen.