Who wrote this FAQ? Maher Maso, former Frisco Mayor Pro Tem. Input was received from City Staff, City Council Members and the Citizens of Frisco.

Where can I find the latest copy? You can email me or download it from here. Other web sites may make it available.  Please feel free to share this FAQ. I only ask that you check back often for any updates or simply link to this FAQ in your e-mail or from your web site.

Why did you write this FAQ? Many Citizens come to speak before the Council for the first time. Their comfort level is low since, at times, it can be overwhelming. I would hope this FAQ helps them feel more at ease in addressing the Council so that they can better articulate their thoughts. The City Council is also constantly amending the ordinances, some of which deal with presentation at Council Chambers. For example, the 5-minute time limit has been through several changes. This document will help Citizens keep up with those specific changes.

How can I help? If you recently spoke at a Council Meeting and something confused you, please send me a note and I'll try to clarify it in this FAQ so that everyone benefits.

Disclaimer: Any views or comments made by me in this document are strictly my own and do not necessarily represent the views of The Frisco City Council or Mayor. This is NOT an official document. I highly recommend you contact the Frisco City Secretary at (972) 292-5010 to confirm any information and/or receive up-to-date information if you plan on speaking. With the rapid growth we are experiencing in Frisco, any Ordinance or Policy stated in this document can easily become out of date.

Question: When are the Frisco City Council Meetings held?
Answer: The City Council meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month @ 5:30 pm. Special City Council meetings are held as needed (which seems to be about 10 times a week these days!). To view current agendas, go to the City Web Site and click on "Meetings" at the top of the page. You can also subscribe to my e-mail list by "clicking here" since I send out the City Council agendas on my list.  Council meetings can be rescheduled, so be sure to check the Agendas. 

Question: The meeting starts at 5:30, but when I came to watch, the Council went into executive session and I did not see them again until 6:30?

Answer: City Council meetings used to start at 6:30 p.m.  Executive Session was usually held during the meeting, which increased the length of time Citizens had to wait for certain agenda items.  In an attempt to reduce the inconvenience to Citizens, the Mayor and City Council made a decision to hold the executive session before the start of the public meeting. The Mayor will call the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. and then the Council will go into Executive Session. The public portion of the meeting will start at 6:30 p.m.  At times, we may run late in executive session.  The public portion of the meeting never begins before 6:30PM.

Question: Where are City Council Meetings held?
Answer: Regularly scheduled City Council meetings are held at the George A. Purefoy Municipal Complex at 6101 Frisco Square Blvd., Frisco, Texas 75034.  This is the new City Hall and Library at Frisco Square.

Question: Are the meetings open to the public?
Answer: Yes. All City of Frisco government meetings are open to the public and must abide by all open meeting laws. Notices are posted in front of City Hall and on the City web site.

Question: Can I speak at the City Council Meetings?
Answer: Yes. The Mayor and Council encourage the Citizens to express their viewpoints and comments through any and all means available to them. There are three types of public input allowed.

1. Citizen Input: This is the opportunity for any Citizen to come before the Council and share any comments or concerns that are NOT on the regular agenda. If you are attending the Council Meeting in regards to an agenda item, you would not use the Citizen Input time to discuss the item. You must sign up to speak by filling out a speakers card found in the back of the room. Fill the card out and give it to Nan Parker, our City Secretary.  There is a time limit (see below). Citizen Input starts at approximately 7:30 p.m.
2. Agenda Item, public hearing: If you are at the Council Chambers to give your input on a public hearing, you would not use the Citizen Input time to discuss the agenda item. You do need to sign up to speak.  Please give the card to Nan Parker, our City Secretary. The Council will open the public hearing and then the Mayor will ask if there is anyone to speak in favor of the item. After those in favor of the item have had their opportunity to give their input, the Mayor will ask if there is anyone to speak against the item. When all those who came to speak on an item have had an opportunity to offer their comments, the Council will close the public hearing. At that point, there are no further comments from the audience regarding the agenda item unless the Council needs a clarification and requests it. There is a time limit (see below).
3. Agenda Item, not a public hearing: You may speak on any agenda item. You will have to register to speak on the agenda item that interests you before the item actually comes up for discussion. There are signup sheets available near the entryway to the Council Chambers. You fill out the sign-up sheet and give it to the City Secretary (Nan Parker). This needs to be done before the agenda item comes before the Council. Please note: You will NOT be able to speak if you have not signed up to do so. There is a time limit (see below).

In all cases, please be prepared. Move to the front and be ready to approach the podium when it is your turn.  In all cases, the speaker must give his or her name, address and, if they are there representing someone else, state who they are representing.

Question: Is there a time limit for addressing the Council?
Answer: Yes. Unless there is extenuating circumstances, you are limited to 5 minutes. The City Secretary has created a helpful hints sheet that is available in the back of the room. This will help you in identifying ways to present your views in a clear and concise manner. The time limit is in place to insure everyone has the opportunity to express his or her views. It is not unusual for the Council Session to last until midnight.  To be fair to all those that wait for agenda items that are towards the end, we must enforce this policy. There is a timer on the podium that will alert you when your time is up. Please close your statements as soon as possible to allow the next person to speak.

Question: What are extenuating circumstances and what if I need more than 5 minutes?
Answer: The Council decides any extenuating circumstances. You may have a short film or presentation to give that may take longer than 5 minutes. You must request a time extension prior to the agenda item you are interested in (including Citizen Input). The Council will take a vote prior to your presentation on whether you will be granted the extra time. It is usually a good idea to contact Nan Parker before the Council meeting to let her know that you will need extra time and how long you need. It is highly recommended that you keep all presentations short!

Question: I spoke during the Citizen Input session. Why didn't the Council discuss the issues I raised? Don't they care about what I had to say?
Answer: By law, we must post any items that are up for discussion to allow all interested parties the opportunity to be heard and to offer their input. The Council cannot discuss any item that is not on the agenda. We can instruct staff to follow up with a Citizen or gather information for future presentation as an agenda item. While it may seem like we don't care by our lack of discussion, that is not the case. Many of the agenda items that we are discussing have come about from the input we received during Citizen Input at prior meetings. Our citizens are a valuable resource as we manage the growth in our City and we look forward to hearing your comments.

Question: What information should I give when addressing the Council?
Answer: You should always state your name and address (including city). Also, if you are there representing someone other than yourself, you should state who you are representing.

Question: Are you serious? Do the meetings really run until midnight?
Answer: Yes, at times, they can run until midnight. A few years ago, meetings routinely ran until 2 or 3AM.  Frisco is experiencing rapid growth. The size of our agenda makes for very long meetings.  Please be patient with us as we chart our future.

Question: The agenda is confusing, what do the different sections mean?
Answer: The agenda is organized in order which the items will be called. Generally, the agenda is organized in this manner:

1. Call to Order
   The Mayor will call the meeting to order at 5:30 for regularly scheduled meetings. We will then adjourn to go into executive session. The public meeting will start at approximately 6:30 pm.
2. Invocation
   The Mayor or a pastor from one of the local churches will give the Invocation.
3. Pledge of Allegiance
   The Deputy Mayor Pro Tem will call for the Pledge of Allegiance. Usually a Citizen will lead us.
4. Special Proclamations or items
   For example, canvassing a local election may go here.
5. Citizen Input
   Citizen Input will generally be skipped until 7:30 p.m. to allow Citizens to appear that may not be able to do so at an earlier time.
6. Staff Reports
   Any special reports by the City Staff will be presented at this point. This can include City Manager updates as well as progress reports.
7. Consent Agenda
   The consent agenda contains items that are considered routine in nature and are considered non-controversial. The entire consent agenda is voted on in one motion. If there is something on the consent agenda that you want to discuss, do not wait for that item to come up because it won't. You need to request that one of the Council Members pull that item off the consent agenda. Removal from the Consent Agenda requires a majority vote of the Council, however it has been policy of the Council to remove items upon request.
8. Legislative Agenda
   These items may legally require council action, but by council policy should be the City Managers responsibility. The entire Legislative Agenda is voted on in one motion. If there is an item on the Legislative Agenda that you want to discuss, do not wait for that item to come up because it won't. You need to request that one of the Council Members pull that item off the Legislative Agenda. Removal from the Legislative Agenda requires at least two council votes.
9. Regular Agenda
   These are the regular City Council items that will be discussed during the evening. Things such as zoning cases, council policy, purchasing decisions and over-all city business. Some of these items are public hearings (see notes on public hearings in this document). These items take a majority of the City Council meeting time. Please be patient as our agendas are, at times, very long. The City Council can decide to go into executive session (also called "closed session") at any time, although there is an agenda item for a closed session towards the end of the regular agenda. The Council may take action after reconvening from the executive session.
10. End of Agenda
    The agenda ends with a review of the evening by Council. Staff will be instructed to place items on future agendas as needed. For example, items that come up from Citizen Input may need to be addressed at a future meeting. A City Council member will grade the rest of the Council. This is basically a report card for us to use to improve the meetings.

Question: I'm interested in watching the Council, but with all the commitments I have, I cannot attend the Council Meetings. Are the meetings televised?
Answer: Yes. You can watch the Council Meeting broadcasts on Cable Channel 6 or 12 on Tuesday at 9 a.m.; Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:00 p.m.  For an up-to-date schedule, click here. You can also purchase tapes of all recorded meetings. Videotaped dubs of Frisco City Council meetings are now available at the Frisco Public Library at the George A. Purefoy Municipal Complex at 6101 Frisco Square Blvd in Frisco Square.  Two videotape copies are available for check out or viewing at the library by Thursday mornings, following Tuesday night council meetings. City Council Meetings are available in VHS or DVD format.

Question: I have some concerns or questions; do I need to wait until the Council Meeting?
Answer: No. There are many ways to reach the City Council and City Staff. The City operates a web site at http://www.friscotexas.gov. You can find the email addresses of the individual Council Members on that web site. You can also send an email to mayorandcouncil@friscotexas.gov and every City Council Member and our City Manager will receive it. You can also call City Hall at 972-292-5000 and ask for the voice mailbox of any Council Member. There is a message board on the City website that you can utilize for questions. Please note, the City message board is moderated. Only city related questions are allowed. We have a very responsive City Council that is always willing to listen to any Citizen.

FAQ last updated on 05 January 2007

Join the Friscofirst E-Mail List and Newsletter Email:

Maher Maso
469-556-2631 (cell)
www.friscofirst.com (my web site)
mmaso@ncc.com

- Pol. Adv. Paid for by Maher Maso for Mayor, Val Maso Treasurer, 10902 Ormond Lane, Frisco, Texas 75035