Section 2.12.025 City Council Meetings Opening Ceremony Procedures.

A. Meetings of the City Council, except where otherwise authorized to be closed by law, shall be conducted in an open and public meeting consistent with Utah law.

B. The Mayor of the City, or in his absence the designated chairperson of the meeting, shall conduct the meeting of the City Council and set the agenda for the meeting.

C. The City Council shall, at the beginning of its meeting, have an opening ceremony including a pledge of allegiance to the flag and a prayer, invocation or uplifting thought.

E. The elected officials, on an equal and rotating basis, shall be afforded the opportunity to lead the Pledge of Allegiance and to offer an opening prayer, invocation, or uplifting thought.

F. Members of the public in attendance at the public meetings of the City Council are invited to hear and observe the discussion, deliberations and decision making of the City Council.

G. Those members of the public desiring audience at a City Council meeting may request to be placed upon the agenda of the City Council to speak concerning the business before the Council and must identify the issue of City business for which they wish the City Council to take action.

H. The setting of the agenda and placement of an item on the agenda is within the discretion of the Mayor provided that an item may be placed upon the subsequent agenda of the Council by majority vote of the Council.

I. Those persons in attendance at City Council meetings must not speak or act or otherwise behave in a manner that disrupts or interferes with the orderly conduct of the business of the City Council.

J. The Mayor or chairperson of the meeting may, in his or her discretion, call for input from a member of the public in attendance at a meeting or may, in its discretion, call upon a person in attendance at a meeting wishing to provide input.

K. No person, other than an elected official of the City, shall be deemed to have any right to speak at a regular business meeting of the City Council.

L. no person other than an elected official of the City shall be offered an opportunity to present or participate in the opening ceremony of the Council meeting. The offering of an opportunity to lead the Pledge of Allegiance or offer the prayer, invocation or uplifting thought shall be afforded equally to each elected official of the City and the prayer, invocation or uplifting thought shall not proselytize nor either promote or discriminate against a particular religious belief or thought or lack thereof nor indicate a preference for any religious group or organized religion in general.

M. It is the intent of the City that those participating in the opening ceremony of the City Council meeting shall do so in a manner that recognizes the solemnity and importance of the decisions to be made that promotes a sense of working together to conduct the public's business for the public good and that focuses the thoughts of those in attendance on the faithful performance of the duties of the Mayor and members of the City Council.

N. The authorization of a person to be on the agenda shall be granted without regard to the person's religious or non-religious beliefs, however, it is the intent of the City Council that those matters placed upon the agenda be related to issues and concerns which are legitimately before the City and as to which the City Council has responsibility, authority and jurisdiction to act.

O. So that the time and resources of the City officials and others are not wasted, those wishing to speak to the City Council regarding matters not directly related to the conduct of the City Council's business, will not be accommodated at a City Council meeting. Person's with issues or concerns relating to particular individuals or other matters that should better be handled administratively, will be referred to the proper procedure for addressing the concern or complaint. Generally, administrative remedies should be exhausted prior to requesting that a matter be brought before the City Council for consideration.

P. No person shall be allowed to engage in speech or conduct in a public meeting of the City Council which is obscene or promotes violence or hatred toward an individual or group or which either promotes or disparages the religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs of any person or which is otherwise inappropriate or disruptive of the purpose of the meeting. Any member of the public engaging in conduct which is disruptive of the meeting may be ruled out of order by the Mayor or chairperson of the meeting and requested to leave. Any person may be expelled by two-thirds vote of the City Council. Disruption of a public meeting may also constitute a criminal offense which may be referred to the police department or prosecutor for action.

Q. On those occasions when a public hearing is called before the City Council, persons in attendance will be afforded the opportunity to speak to the matter of the public hearing in accordance with the rules of procedure and orders of decorum established by the City Council. Otherwise, meetings of the City Council are declared not to be unlimited public forums, but rather meetings of the elected officials of the City that are conducted in a public setting.

R. Willful or intentional disruption of a Vernal City Council meeting is declared to be a class B misdemeanor subject to penalty of up to six (6) months in jail and/or a fine of $1,000, or both.