AGENDA ITEM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ITEM TITLE*
title
Council Procedures Manual Amendment
presenter
RESPONSIBLE STAFF, TITLE, DEPARTMENT*
Ted Voorhees, Town Manager, Town Manager’s Office
STAFF RECOMMENDATION*
Staff recommends that Council adopt the attached resolution to approve updates to the Council Procedures Manual to include:
Remove Section I. Meeting Procedures C.7 to eliminate outdated petition language.
Remove Section III. General Policies and Procedures C., which outlines the evaluation procedures for the Town Manager and Town Attorney, as these are already addressed in their respective contracts.
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ACTION/DECISION POINTS*
Council must approve or reject the removal of petition-related language from Section I. Meeting Procedures C.7, and the removal of Section III. General Policies and Procedures C., regarding evaluation procedures for the Town Manager and Town Attorney.
LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT*
This item is brought before Council to ensure the Council Procedures Manual remains accurate, legally compliant, and aligned with current practices. The petition process must comply with North Carolina General Statutes (G.S. § 160A-31 and G.S. § 160A-104), and the evaluation procedures for the Town Manager and Town Attorney are governed by their employment contracts, not Council policy.
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT*
In recent years, the Town has observed an increase in public submissions labeled as “petitions” that do not meet the legal definitions or procedural standards required by state law. This has led to confusion among community members and staff regarding how such requests should be handled. To address this, the Clerk’s Office and Attorney’s Office recommends removing outdated petition language from the Council Procedures Manual and updating the Town’s petition process to:
• Clarify the difference between formal petitions and public comment.
• Ensure legal compliance with state statutes.
• Promote transparency through a public-facing petition tracking system.
• Standardize communication with community members.
Moving forward, in response to community members’ comments made during the public comment period at Council meetings, the Clerk’s Office will compile and share a list of names and email addresses with the Community Relations Manager. If a comment includes a specific action request, the Community Relations Manager will review the request and prepare a final follow-up email. Mayor and Council will now be copied on this final response. Responses may take 3-5 business days depending on the complexity of the inquiry.
Additionally, Section III.C. of the manual, which outlines evaluation procedures for the Town Manager and Town Attorney, is redundant, as these procedures are already detailed in their contracts. Removing this section will help maintain confidentiality and reduce redundancy.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution
Excerpts from Council Procedures Manual
G.S. § 160A-31
G.S. § 160A-104
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