How to run a council meeting - with Jurassic Parliament

As anyone who has attempted to facilitate a meeting with any complexity knows—it’s anything but simple. At AWC Annual Conference, Ann Macfarlane of Jurassic Parliament (JP) held an energetic session about how to hold more efficient city council meetings. Catch this synopsis to gain tips on transforming your council meeting.

Beginning with two seemingly simple essentials – the ability of the chair and the agreement of the majority of the members in your group to follow democratic principles – Macfarlane shared that whether someone is leading a council or a committee meeting, a chair must have three things:

1. Knowledge of how this system works.
2. A majority in favor of civility and this system.
3. The personal moxie, chutzpah, energy, and drive to put it all into practice.

The chair, she says, must serve as a “benevolent dictator," enforcing the rules the group has chosen. They must also enforce that individual members seek recognition before speaking. 

• If someone speaks up without being recognized, stop them.
• If someone speaks out of turn, interrupt them.
• If someone makes insulting remarks, cut them off.

The session focused attention on the eleven duties of the chair, and how to accomplish them, but Macfarlane was quick to point out that no chair operates in a vacuum:

“Everybody on the council is responsible for the conduct of the meetings. It can’t be the chair alone. The vice-chair and others must be ready to step up if needed.”
– Macfarlane

She recommended several fundamental guidelines throughout the session to help guide any chair:

• During meetings, the chair is the servant of the group, and the group is the final authority.
• Do one thing at a time.
• Do not allow anyone to speak a second time until everyone who wishes to do so has spoken once. Every member has a right to speak, and this rule makes for inclusive, robust discussion.
• Courtesy and respect are required.

While members have a duty to obey the chair’s directions (if they disagree, they can’t argue back), there are options in place for them to raise issues and concerns—a point of order, or an appeal.

A point of order, according to JP, is a motion claiming that a procedural mistake has been made. It can only be made by a member of the body itself, according to Robert’s Rules, but JP recommends that key staff also be authorized to do so.

Any two members can appeal a ruling of the chair (one appealing and the other seconding), with an exception for any ruling in which there cannot be two reasonable interpretations. What follows would be a debate and vote (unless it’s a matter pertaining to proper use of language and decorum, in which case debate is not allowed).

Toward the end of the session, Macfarlane reminded attendees of the importance of understanding their roles and staying in their lane:

“Legislation is the prerogative of the council. City managers or strong mayors support council, but do not decide. Administration is the prerogative of the city manager or strong mayor. Council may not interfere.”

JP emphasized a bottom line: that in a democracy, how we decide things is more important than what we decide [and that] courtesy and respect (no surprises, no unilateral action, no end-runs) are essential for the system to work.

For deeper dives, JP shared some book recommendations, including:

• The Art of Gathering, How We Meet And Why It Matters, by Priya Parker;
• Compelling People, The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential by John Neffinger and Matthew Kohut;
• Citizen’s guide to effective conduct of public meetings using parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order in Washington State; and
• The Jurassic Parliament publications, blog, cheat sheets, and advice columns.

Macfarlane ended with the same valiant energy as she began, reminding city leaders to:

“Take pride and joy in what you are doing—it is a miracle. Everyday operations in our communities depend on you. You’re not here because you want to get rich, or because you have a private army—you are here because you care, and I honor you for it.”

If you missed this great session, check out the PowerPoint materials.