AGENDA #3a(5)

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Petition from The Chapel Hill Herald to Use the Town Council Meeting Room for Local Election Candidate Forums

 

DATE:             August 25, 2003.

 

 

The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend that the Council consider action this evening on the petition of The Chapel Hill Herald.  The Council may wish to consider the attached resolution that would modify the policy for use of the Town Council Meeting Room to allow local election candidate forums sponsored by organizations other than non-profit organizations.  Attachment 1 is a copy of the petition.

 

BACKGROUND

 

The Chapel Hill Herald submitted the foregoing petition requesting that the Council modify the policy for use of the Town Council Meeting Room to allow The Herald and any other organization that might wish to do so to use the Council Meeting Room for local election candidate forums.

 

Petitions normally are received by the Council and referred to the Manager and Attorney for a follow-up report at a subsequent meeting.  The Council’s Procedures Manual provides that petitions ordinarily are not acted upon at the time they are presented except in case of urgency.  We believe that the Council could determine that The Herald’s petition merits action this evening, because of the timing and scheduling challenges inherent in arranging local election candidate forums.  We have prepared this report in case the Council wishes to act this evening.  The Council could choose to follow the normal process and act a subsequent meeting.

 

The present policy for use of meeting rooms (please see Attachment 2) limits use to “non-profit community organizations.”  The Herald is not a non-profit community organization and cannot use the Council Meeting room under the current policy.

 

A variety of non-profit community organizations have used the Council Meeting Room to conduct candidate forums for local elections in past years.  The room is made available under the policies provided in Attachment 2.  The policies are intended to allow community use that does not interfere with regular Town business.

 

 

DISCUSSION

 

We believe that the Town’s present policy has worked well and that the Council could reasonably conclude that there is no need for change.  We also believe that it would be reasonable for the Council to consider allowing expanded community use of the Council Meeting Room for the purpose of facilitating local election candidate forums.

 

Language could be approved that would allow the Council Meeting Room to be used by non-profit and other community organizations for the purpose of conducting local election candidate forums.  Bans on commercial activity would continue, as would requirements that programs be free of charge and open to the public. 

 

The Resolution as drafted would apply to candidate forums for this fall’s municipal and school board elections.

 

If the Council wishes to modify the present policy for the 2003 General Election, we recommend adoption of the attached Resolution.  The Resolution includes language that would establish the new policy as an experiment for this election.  The Council could consider a further change to the policy prior to the local elections scheduled for 2004 or prior to the next municipal election in 2005.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

We recommend that the Council consider action on the petition of The Chapel Hill Herald.  If the Council wishes to modify the policy on use of the Town Council Meeting Room, it could adopt the attached resolution.  This is a policy matter for decision by the Council, and we believe that the Council could reasonably modify or not modify its present policy.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

  1. Petition from The Chapel Hill Herald (p. 4).
  2. Pages 5-33 through 5-36, Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual (p. 5).

 

A RESOLUTION TO ALLOW USE OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR LOCAL ELECTION CANDIDATE FORUMS (2003-08-25/R-1)

 

WHEREAS, the current policies for use of the Chapel Hill Town Council Chambers limit its use by non-Town groups to “non-profit community organizations”; and

 

WHEREAS, the Council finds that the use of the Council Chambers for local election candidate forums this fall sponsored by a group that is not a “non-profit community organization” will be of benefit to the community by allowing further opportunity for the citizenry to acquire information regarding the issues and candidates;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby authorizes the use of the Chapel Hill Town Council Chambers for local election candidate forums sponsored by any community organization, subject to all of the other terms and restrictions contained in the Policies attached to the Town Manager’s memorandum to the Town Council of August 25, 2003.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this policy is for purposes of allowing such forums for the General Election in November, 2003, only, and that any further use of the Council Chambers for privately sponsored election forums shall require further Council consideration and approval.

 

This the 25th day of August, 2003.