Fr. Richard Visconti with Christ Episcopal Church

(The City does not endorse the religious beliefs of any speaker.)

Citizen comment will be accepted during the Citizen Comment portion of the meeting on any non-agenda item, agenda item, future agenda item or topic of relevance to the City. Comments will be accepted on the public hearings at the appropriate time.

Please place all cell phones on silent!

PRIOR TO COUNCIL MEETING: Appointments on the agenda, all items from Department Directors and other interested parties must be submitted before 4:30 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding the Council meeting. Anyone wishing to be placed on the agenda must contact Tamara Melton, City Clerk, at City Hall by phone 941-932-9463 or email: tamara.melton@bradentonfl.gov and give their name, business name (if applicable), whether they are resident taxpayers of the City and their business before Council. Appearances before Council will be authorized by the Mayor or Councilperson in charge of the meeting. NOTE: The Mayor may ask a city department to look into an issue prior to the meeting to see if the issue can be resolved. If the Mayor or Councilperson in charge of the meeting feels the request is justified, they will instruct the City Clerk as to its placement on the agenda.

Non-Discrimination Statement: The City of Bradenton prohibits discrimination in all of its services, programs or activities on the basis of race, color, age, disability, sex, national origin, religion, genetic information or marital status. Persons with a disability needing a reasonable accommodation to participate in, or who require assistance or an alternative means for communication of program information such as Braille, large print, etc., should contact as soon as possible, but at least 48 hours in advance:

La ciudad de Bradenton proveera servicio de interprete a las personas quienes su primer lenguage no es el ingles. Si necesita estos servicios, usted o su representante puede comunicar al ADA/Title VI Coordinator, 101 Old Main Street, Bradenton, FL 34205. Tambien puede llamar al (941) 932-9470 o enviar correo electronico a ADACoordinator@cityofbradenton.com

AT COUNCIL MEETING:

Citizen comment will be accepted during the Citizen Comment portion of the meeting on any non-agenda item, agenda item, future agenda item or topic of relevance to the City. Citizen comment related to any public hearing item shall be provided during the duly noticed public hearing in order to maintain an accurate record of the proceedings. All citizen comments related to quasi-judicial items are required to be under oath and such comments will be invited to be presented during the duly noticed public hearing for such items.

If an individual (or agent) wishes to address the City Council, they should complete a comment card available at the back of the Chamber and submit such card to the City Clerk.

At the appropriate time during the meeting, the Mayor will call speakers to come forward. After being recognized by the Mayor, the individual should come to the podium and, for the public record, state their name and address, and then provide any relevant comments or testimony related to the item they wish to address. In the case of an agent, they shall identify themselves and the party they represent. The speaker should then proceed to state their position or present their information.

An individual appearance for citizen comment will be limited to three (3) minutes unless additional time is permitted by the Mayor or consensus of the Council. Additional time will be allowed (up to 10 minutes at the discretion of the Mayor or consensus of the Council) for public hearing items if the speaker is officially representing a group of five or more people, provided that written authorization is provided that the person is authorized to speak on behalf of the group.

Note: If handouts are being distributed, please provide a minimum of ten (10) copies to the City Clerk. If you wish to display a drawing or rendering, contact Tamara Melton, as indicated above, prior to the meeting. Any submissions commented on, photographs, letters, renderings, etc. will be kept by the City Clerk for the official record.

PURSUANT TO FLORIDA STATUTE 286.0105: If an individual decides to appeal any decision made by the board, council, agency, or commission at this meeting, such individual will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

PLEDGE OF PUBLIC CONDUCT We, the Mayor, City Council and Employees of the City of Bradenton, agree to: *Establish a process to promote positive interaction among ourselves and the citizens of Bradenton in a positive and non-threatening environment. *Encourage visible, involved and active participation among all. *Promote improved communication through active listening, providing feedback and honest expression of ideas. *Utilize consensus for decision making. *We realize that though we may disagree, we will be respectful of each other. *We will direct all comments to the issues and will avoid personal attacks.