The Council meets in regular session the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month (with the exception of the fourth Tuesday of December) beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 715 Princess Anne Street. The Council Chambers are located in the lower level of City Hall, with access off Hanover Street. Public Hearings can be scheduled for either of the regular session evenings or for the third Tuesday of the month. Special sessions and informal work sessions are called as needed.

The Council's regular sessions are televised live on Channel 24 and rebroadcast on Wednesday at noon and on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Items for consideration by the Council are outlined on an agenda and available for review on Channel 24 prior to the meeting time. The sections of a typical agenda include: Citizen Comment, Council, Adoption of Minutes, Planning, City Manager Consent, City Manager Regular, City Attorney, and Closed.

•   Citizen Comment - This section is for citizens desiring to speak before Council on various issues. Each is given five minutes to address the Council. Citizens are asked to call the City Clerk/Clerk of Council at (540) 372-1010, Ext 228, prior to the meeting, in order to be included on the list of speakers.

•   Council - This section is for use by the Council Members to place an item on the agenda accompanied by a recommended course of action.

•   Adoption of Minutes - This section is for use by the City Clerk/Clerk of Council to submit for review, adoption, and transmittal of all the Council's regular session, special session, and public hearing minutes.

•   Planning - Under this section, zoning, rezoning, special use permit, subdivision plat and plan, Zoning Ordinance text amendment and map recommendations are submitted for review and action.

•   City Manager Consent - This section generally consists of items or reports generated by the City Manager, his staff, or the City Clerk/Clerk of Council, such as Council work session minutes, correspondence, monthly financial, building or transit reports, board and commission minutes, and, in general, items requiring little or no deliberation.

•   City Manager Regular - This section typically generates the bulk of the discussion and includes the City Manager's recommendations on resolutions, funding appropriations, lease agreements, contracts, ordinances, and policy revisions. Board and commission appointments, as well as activity updates and schedules of upcoming meetings and events, are included under this section.

•   City Attorney - This section includes the City Attorney's reports, legal opinions, and various proposed City Code amendments.

•   Closed - This section is reserved for closed meetings conducted for the discussion of sensitive material, as provided under the State Code for specific reasons, such as the discussion of personnel, acquisition or disposition of real property, and actual or potential litigation.

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