HomeMy WebLinkAbout(1979, 10/23) - A-10 - AmendedA -10
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PROCEDURAL RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
1. Regular Meetings. The City Council shall hold regular meetings on the
second and fourth Mondays in each month at the hour of 7:30 p.m. in
the Council Chamber of the City Hall, 3300 Newport Boulevard, in the
City, or in such other place within the City limits to which said meeting
may be adjourned. If by reason of fire, flood, or otherf emergency, it
shall be unsafe to meet in the City Hall, the meetings/may be held for
the duration of the emergency at such other place as is designated by
the Mayor or, if he should fail to act, by four members of the City Council.
When the day for any regular meeting falls on a lggal holiday, no meeting
shall be held on such holiday, but a regular meeting shall be held at the
same hour on the following business day. `
2. Study Sessions. The City Council shall mee in a study session on the
second and fourth Mondays in each month at he hour of 2:00 p.m. in the
Council Chamber of the City Hall, or at s ch other places as may be
determined by the Council, for the purp a of hearing reports from the
staff and reviewing, discussing :and ting matters of interest to the
City. Such sessions shall be ope public and press. No official
action shall be taken at a study ; provided, however, that nothing
herein shall be deemed to prevenking of an informal vote on any
matter under discussion. The paion of the public in such sessions
shall be subject to the discreti n the presiding officer.
3. Special Meetings. Special me ings may be called at any time by the Mayor,
or by four members of the Ci y Council, by delivering personally or by
mailing written noti/
otice
ch Councilman and to each local newspaper of
general circulation, r television station requesting notice in
writing. Such notice delivered personally or by mail at least
twenty -four hours be time of such meeting as specified in the
notice. The call an shall specify the time and place of the special
meeting and the busi be transacted. No other business shall be con-
sidered at such meetings. Such written notice may be dispensed with if all
Councilmen give t it written consent to the holding of such meeting, and
such consent is file in the office of the City Clerk at least 15 hours
prior to such eting. Such waiver may be given by telegram.
4. Meetin s to Public -- Exception for Executive Sessions. All regular and
special mee ings of the City Council shall be public; provided, however,
the City C unci1 may hold executive sessions during any regular, special,
or st/
reta
ssion meeting, from which the public may be excluded, for the
purpo considering the matters referred to in Sections 54957 and
54957the Government Code of the State of California and case law
ante ions of the Ral ph M. Brown Act, to wit:
A. To consult with the Attorney General, district attorney, sheriff, or
chief of police on matters posing a threat to the security of public
buildings or a threat to the public's right of access to public
services or public facilities;
Amended - October 23, 1979
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B. To consider matters affecting the national security;
C. To confer with legal counsel concerning pending or anticipated liti-
gation;
D. To enable the Council to instruct its representatives concerning dis-
cussions with employee organizations regarding salaries and fringe
benefits; and
E. To consider the appointment, employment, or dismissal of a public
employee or to hear complaints or charges brought against such
employee or another person or employee unless such employee requests
a public hearing. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this
paragraph, the City Council shall not consider the appointment to any
Board, Commission, or Committee in executive session nor shall such
appointment be voted upon by secret ballot.
No member of the City Council, employee of the City, or any other person
present during an executive session of the Council shall disclose to any
person the content or substance of any discussion which took place during
said executive session unless the City Council shall authorize the disclosure
of such information by majority vote. Provided, however, the City Council
shall publicly report at a subsequent public meeting any action taken, and •
the rollcall vote thereon, to appoint, employ, or dismiss a public employee.
5. Agenda. All reports, communications, ordinances, resolutions, contract
documents, or other matters to be submitted to the Council at a regular
meeting shall be delivered to the City Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m. on
the Tuesday preceding the meeting. The City Clerk shall prepare the agenda
of all such matters under the direction of the City Manager. The agenda
shall be delivered to the Councilmen on the Thursday preceding the Monday
Council meeting to which it pertains, and shall be made available to the
public no later than 8:30 a.m, on the Friday preceding the meeting.
6. Council Correspondence.
a) Placing on Agenda. Correspondence received in the City Clerk's office
or other offices after 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday preceding a regular Council
meeting shall not be placed on the agenda unless it concerns a matter
to be considered by the Council at the next regular meeting or is determined
by the Mayor or the City Manager to be an urgent matter which should be
brought to the immediate attention of the Council. Correspondence shall
not be read aloud at a Council meeting unless requested by a majority vote
of the Council.
b) Authority of City Clerk. The City Clerk is authorized to open and
examine all mail or other written communications addressed to the City
Council and to immediately give a copy to the City Manager. The City •
Manager shall give it immediate attention to the end that all administrative
business referred to in said communication and not necessarily requiring
Council action may be acted upon between Council meetings, or shall prepare
a staff report for the next Council meeting.
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PROCEDURAL RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS - Page Three
7. Order of Business. The business of the Council shall/be taken up for
consideration and disposition in the following order:
1. Pledge of allegiance, j
2. Call to order and roll call.
3. Special presentations.
4. Approval of the Minutes,
5. Waiver of reading of ordinances /and resolutions.
6. Public hearings.
7. Ordinances for adoption.
8. Continued business.
9. Current business.
10. Consent Calendar.
11. Disposition of items removed from the Consent Calendar.
12. Additional business.
13. Adjournment.
The order of business shall not' be changed except by majority vote of
the City Council.
8. Preparation of Minutes. The City Clerk shall have exclusive responsibility
for preparation of the minutes, and any directions for changes in the
minutes shall be made only by majority action of the City Council.
9. Reading of Minutes. Unless the reading of the minutes of a Council meeting
is ordered by a majority vote of the Council, such minutes may be approved
without reading if the City Clerk previously furnished each Councilman
with a copy.
10.
ings of the Ci
request, the M
and Mayor Pro/
whereupon a
6,T/epresenttoer
k. The Mayor shall be the Presiding Officer at all meet -
Council. In the absence of the Mayor or at the Mayor's
or Pro Tempore shall preside. In the absence of the Mayor
mpore, the City Clerk shall call the Council.to order,
orary Presiding Officer shall be elected by the Councilmen
until the arrival of the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore.
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PROCEDURAL RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS - Page Four
11. Powers and Duties of Presiding Officer.
a) Participation. The Presiding Officer may move, second, debate, and
vote from the Chair.
b) Seating Arrangement for City Council. The Mayor shall, following each
Councilmanic election and at such other time as he may deem it necessary,
establish the seating arrangement of the members of the Council. The
Mayor Pro Tempore shall always be seated immediately next to the Mayor.
c) Question to be Stated. The Presiding Officer or such member of the
City staff as he may designate shall verbally restate each question
immediately prior to calling for the vote. Following the vote, the
City Clerk shall announce whether the question carried or was defeated.
The Presiding Officer in his discretion may publicly explain the effect
of a vote for the audience, or he may direct a member of the City staff
to do so, before proceeding to the next item of business.
d) 'Signing of Documents. The Presiding Officer shall sign all ordinances,
resolutions, contracts, and other documents necessitating his signature
which were adopted in his presence, unless he is unavailable, in which 0
case the signature of an alternate Presiding Officer may be used.
e) Sworn Testimony. The Presiding Officer may require any person
addressing the City Council to be sworn as a witness and to testify
under oath, and the Presiding Officer shall so require if directed to
do so by a majority vote of the Council.
12. Rules of Debate.
a) Getting the Floor. Every Councilman desiring to speak shall first
address the Chair, gain recognition by the Presiding Officer, and shall
confine himself to the question under debate, avoiding personalities and
indecorous language.
b) Questions to Staff. Every Councilman desiring to question the City
staff shall, after recognition by the Presiding Officer, address his
questions to the City Manager, the City Clerk, or the City Attorney,
who shall be entitled either to answer the inquiry himself or to designate
a member of his staff for that purpose.
c) Interruptions. A Councilman, once recognized, shall not be interrupted
when speaking unless called to order by the Presiding Officer, unless a •
point or order or personal privilege is raised by another Councilman, or
unless the speaker chooses to yield to a question by another Councilman.
If a Councilman, while speaking, is called to order, he shall cease
speaking until the question of order is determined and, if determined
to be in order, he may proceed. Members of the City staff after recog-
nition by the Presiding Officer shall hold the floor until completion
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PROCEDURAL RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS -
of their remarks or until recognition is withdrawn by fhe Presiding Officer.
d) Points of Order. The Presiding Officer shall etermine all points of
order subject to the right of any Councilman to appeal to the Council. If
an appeal is taken, the question shall be, "Shall the decision of the
Presiding Officer be sustained ?" A majority ybte shall conclusively
determine such question of order. '
e) Point of Personal Privilege. The rigYt'of a Councilman to address the
Council on a question of personal privilege shall be limited to cases in
which his integrity, character or moti-yis are questioned or where the wel-
fare of the Council is concerned. A douncilman raising a point of personal
privilege may interrupt another Councilman who has the floor only if the
Presiding Officer recognizes the privilege.
f) Privilege of Closing Debat,6. The Councilman moving the adoption of an
ordinance, resolution or motion shall have the privilege of closing debate.
8) Limitation of Debate. 'No Councilman shall be allowed to speak more
than once upon any particular subject until every other Councilman desiring
to do so shall have spoken.
i
13. Remarks of Councilma0 and Synopsis of Debate. A Councilman may request
throught the Presid g Officer the privilege of having an abstract of his
statement on any subject under consideration by the Council entered in
the minutes. If 6e Council consents thereto, such statement shall be
entered in the nutes.
14. Protest AiRtai bt Council Action. Any Councilman shall have the right to
have the re ons for his dissent from, or his protest against, any action
of the Cou it entered in the minutes. Such dissent or protest to be
entered i the minutes shall bd'wade in the following manner: "I would
like the nutes to show that I am opposed to this action for the following
reasons "
15. Rule of Order. Except as provided in this Code, the City Charter, other
rul or practices followed by the City Council, or applicable provisions
of tate law, the procedures of the Council shall be governed by the latest
re iced edition of Roberts' Rules of Order.
Failure to Observe Rules of Order. Rules adopted to expedite the transaction
of the business of the Council in an orderly fashion are deemed to be procedural on
only and the failure to strictly observe such rules shall not affect the
jurisdiction of the Council or invalidate any action taken at a meeting that
is otherwise held in conformity with law.
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PROCEDURAL RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS - Page Six
17. Addressing the Council.
a) Manner of Addressing Council. Each person desiring to address the Council
shall step up to the microphone in front of the rail, state his name and
address for the record, state the subject he wishes to discuss, state whom
he is representing if he represents an organization or other persons, and,
unless further time is granted by majority vote of the Council, shall
limit his remarks to five (5) minutes. All remarks shall be addressed
to the Council as a whole and not to any member thereof. No question shall
be asked a Councilman or a member of the City staff without the permission
of the Presiding Officer.
b) Spokesman for Group of Persons. In order to expedite matters and to
avoid repetitious presentations, whenever any group of persons wishes to
address the Council on the same subject matter, it shall be proper for the
Presiding Officer to request that a spokesman be chosen by the group to
address the Council and, in case additional matters are to be presented
by any other member of said group, to limit the number of such persons
addressing the Council.
C) After Motion. After a motion has been made or a public hearing has
been closed, no member of the public shall address the Council from the
audience on the matter under consideration without first securing permission
to do so by a majority vote of the City Council.
18. Rules of Decorum.
a) Councilmen. While the Council is in session, the members must preserve
order and decorum. Each Council member shall conduct himself with decorum
and shall neither, by conversation or otherwise, delay nor interrupt the
proceedings or the peace of the Council, nor disturb any member while
speaking or refuse to obey the orders of the Presiding Officer. Members
of the Council shall not leave their seats during a meeting without first
obtaining the permission of the Presiding Officer.
b) Persons Addressing the Council. Any person making impertinent, slanderous,
or profane remarks, or who becomes boisterous while addressing the Council,
shall be called to order by the Presiding Officer and, if such conduct con-
tinues, may at the discretion of the Presiding Officer be ordered barred
from further audience before the Council during that meeting.
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PROCEDURAL RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS - Page Seven
c) Members of the Audience. No person in the audience shall engage in
disorderly conduct such as hand clapping, stamping of feet, whistling,
using profane language, yelling, and similar demonstrations, which conduct
disturbs the peace and good order of the meeting, or refuse to comply with
the lawful orders of the Presiding Officer. Upon instructions from the
Presiding Officer it shall be the duty of the Sergeant at Arms to remove
any such person from the Council Chamber and to place him under arrest.
d) Persons Authorized to be Within Rail. No person excpet members of the
Council and the City staff shall be permitted wtihin the rail without the
consent of the Presiding Officer.
e) Enforcement of Decorum. The Chief of Police, or such member or members
of the Police Department as he may designate, shall be Sergeant at Arms of
the City Council and shall carry out all orders given by the Presiding
Officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the Council
meetings. Any Councilman may'move to require the Presiding Officer to
enforce the rules and the affirmative vote of a majority of the Council
shall require him to do so.
19. Motions -- Second Not Required. A motion by any member of the Council,
including the Presiding Officer, may be considered by the Council-.,without
receiving a second.
20. Voting Procedure. Any vote of the Council, including a roll call vote,
may be registere&'by the members by answering "Yes" for an affirmative
vote or "No" foir a negative vote upon his name being called by the City
Clerk, or by pxassing a switch to cause a green light to show for an
affirmative v to or a red light to show for a negative vote upon a vote
being ca lle for by the Presiding Officer. The result of any vote regis-
tered by ns of a lighting system shall be audibly announced by the
City Cler and recorded in the minutes as the vote.
21. Dis ual fication for Conflict of Interest. Any Councilman who is dis-
qualif eat d from voting on a particular matter by reason of a conflict of
inter shall publicly state or have the Presiding Officer state the
ny
a of such disqualification in open meeting. Where no clearly dis-
qfying conflict of interest appears, the matter of disqualification
m at the request of the Councilman affected, be decided by the other
C ilmen. A Councilman who is disqualified by reason of a conflict of
interest in any matter shall not remain in his seat during the debate
and vote on such matter, but shall request and be given the permission
of the Presiding Officer to step down from the Council table. A Councilman
stating such disqualification shall not be counted as a part of a quorum
and shall be considered absent for the purpose of determining the outcome
of any vote on such matter.
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PROCEDURAL RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS - Page 8
22. Failure to Vote. Every Councilman should vote unless disqualified by ,
reason of a conflict of interest. A Councilman who abstains from voting
in effect consents that a majority of the quorum may decide the question
voted upon.
23. Tie Vote. Tie votes shall be lost motions and may be reconsidered.
24. Changing Vote. A member may change his vote only if he makes a timely
request to do so immediately following the announcement of the vote by
the City Clerk and prior to the time that the next item in the order of
business is taken up. A Councilman who publicly announces that he is
abstaining from voting on a particular matter shall not subsequently be
allowed to withdraw his abstention.
25. Reconsideration. A motion to reconsider any action taken by the Council
may be made only on the day such action was taken. It may be made either
immediately during the same session, or at a recessed or adjourned session
thereof. Such motion may be made only by one of the Councilmen who voted
with the prevailing side.
26. Ordinances, Resolutions and Contracts.
a) All ordinances, resolutions and contracts shall be prepared by the
City Attorney. No ordinance shall be prepared for presentation to the
Council unless ordered by a majority vote of the Council, or requested
by the Mayor, or City Manager, or prepared by the City Attorney on his
own initiative. The Planning Commission may initiate zoning and planning
ordinances,
b) Prior Approval by Administration Staff. All ordinances, resolutions
and contract documents shall, before presentation to the Coucnil, have
been approved as to form and legality by the City Attorney and shall been
examined and approved for administration by the City Manager or his
authorized representative.
27. Reading of Ordinances and Resolutions. If a motion to waive reading of all
ordinances and resolutions has been adopted at the beginning of the Council
meeting, the City Clerk will read the ordinances and resolutions by title
only. If any Councilman so requests, the ordinances or resolution shall
be read in full.
Adopted August 21, 1972 Amended - November 27, 1978
Amended - November 24, 1975 * Amended - October 23, 1979
Amended - November 28, 1977
Amended - July 24, 1978
Amended - September 11, 1978
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