City Council Meeting - Tuesday!

[Michelle Marquis]

The amendment adding "sexual orientation and gender identity" to
Goshen's Civil Rights Ordinance goes before the city council for a
final vote on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st at 7:00PM in the GOSHEN HIGH
SCHOOL AUDITORIUM. Please arrive as early as 6:00pm to insure
seating.

It is important that we have a strong show of support for an inclusive
Goshen. You are encouraged to be present at this meeting and lend
your presence and/or words. If you have already, please invite others
you know to be supportive.

It has been a challenging couple of weeks for most of us and one of
the things that has touched me so deeply is the level of love and
respect that has been maintained and nurtured by those in favor of
this amendment. I'm sure that Tuesday will bring many emotions as
people speak and, even though it feels very much like preaching to the
choir, Eric and I would like to ask that we all continue to act from
this place of love and respect, both in the event that the amendment
passes and if it does not.

Below are more meeting details as published by the city:

Tuesday’s City Council meeting will be conducted in a business-like
manner and in a spirit of respect and decorum, as all other meetings.
Those addressing the Council will to come to the podium and give their
names and addresses for the record. Speakers are guided to address
only those matters that are on the agenda and over which the Council
has jurisdiction. If there is a large crowd, remarks will be limited
to three minutes and directed to the Council. Once a point has been
made, new points will be allowed; speakers are asked to not repeat an
argument that has been stated earlier in the meeting. In the case of
Tuesday’s meeting, those who spoke at the previous public hearing for
Ordinance Number 4551 will be requested to only speak again at this
meeting if they have new information to be presented. It is always
inappropriate for attendees to interrupt, cheer, jeer, applaud or in
any way respond to comments being addressed by a speaker to the City
Council.

Speakers both for and against the Ordinance will speak in random order
when called upon. The order will not be all those in favor, and then
all those against, or visa versa. Priority will first be given to
speakers who live inside the city limits, and whom council members
represent. After them will come speakers with Goshen addresses, but
who live outside the city limits. Last priority will be those who
come from outside the Goshen area.