City Council - Rules, Ethics, and Administration Committee Hearing on Docket #0475

• Date: August 13, 2026
• Time: 10:08 AM
• Governing Body: Rules, Ethics, and Administration Committee
• Meeting Type: Committee Hearing
• Chair: Councilor Liz Breadon (President)
• Councilors in Attendance: Erin Murphy, Edward Flynn, John Fitzgerald, Sharon Durkan, Benjamin Weber, Miniard Culpepper.
• Panelists: Alex Geourntas (City Clerk), Michelle Goldberg (Central Staff Director).

The committee reviewed Docket #0475, an order for a hearing to review the application and intent of Rule 15. Rule 15 governs the filing of matters that are duplicative or substantially similar to matters already in committee or previously acted upon during the municipal year.

• Rule Definition: Councilor Murphy noted that Rule 15 "provides that it shall not preclude filings whose content is on a different subtopic or for which a hearing or debate would not result in the same hearing, or the same debate as a previous filing."
• Clerk's Role: The City Clerk is the primary arbiter of Rule 15, responsible for placing only the first filed matter on the agenda when duplicates are identified.
• Determination Process: Clerk Geourntas explained that he reviews dockets for similar themes and outcomes, often focusing on the closing paragraph to determine intent. He noted that in 2026, there have been 16 Rule 15 determinations thus far.

The Clerk and Central Staff Director highlighted the logistical difficulties of enforcing Rule 15 under current deadlines.

• The 'Race for 12': Dockets are due by 10:00 AM on Monday, and the agenda must be posted by 12:00 PM to comply with the Open Meeting Law. This two-hour window is often insufficient to review the high volume of filings.
• Increased Volume: Clerk Geourntas reported a significant increase in filings:
  • 2019: 1,700 dockets
  • 2025: 2,114 dockets
  • 2026 (to date): 1,588 dockets
• Proposed Solution: The Clerk suggested that councilors file dockets as early as Friday afternoon to allow staff more time for review on Monday morning.

The discussion clarified the distinction between different rules used to manage duplicative legislation:

• Rule 15: Applied by the Clerk before the agenda is published.
• Rule 5: Allows the Council President to rule a matter out of order on the floor if it is deemed duplicative, even if it passed the Clerk's initial review.
• Rule 33: Allows a councilor to object to a filing on its first day, requiring a suspension of the rules for immediate passage.
• Clarification on Objections: Councilor Durkan and Director Goldberg noted that citing Rule 15 as a reason for an objection on the floor is technically improper, as Rule 15 is a clerical function, whereas Rule 5 is the appropriate mechanism for the body to address duplication during a meeting.

Councilors discussed ways to improve the legislative process and reduce friction regarding duplicative filings:

• Appeal Mechanism: Councilor Culpepper suggested formalizing an appeal process for Rule 15 decisions so that the Clerk is not the "sole arbiter" in cases of intense disagreement. Director Goldberg noted that Rule 5 currently serves as a de facto appeal through the full Council.
• Collaboration vs. 'Scooping': Councilor Durkan emphasized the need for better communication between offices to prevent councilors from being "scooped" on issues they are working on. She suggested that councilors should reach out to colleagues to co-sponsor similar matters rather than filing separate, duplicative dockets.
• Case Study: Councilor Murphy discussed a specific instance involving a Women's History Month resolution where minor language changes were made to distinguish her filing from a colleague's, allowing both to proceed.

No members of the public signed up to testify. The hearing was adjourned following closing remarks from the councilors and the Chair.