4 - Council Rules of ProcedureCouncil Rules Section 11—
Counci1 Member Attendance
at Meetings
City Council Meeting
CITY OF
Federal Way
Attendance in Person
Council leadership believes that in -person attendance of
Council Meetings and Council Committee meetings is an
important part of elected service. Presented Rules changes
are meant to prioritize in -person participation.
Rules Changes presented today are a starting point for
discussion.
If a consensus is reached on what a the rule should be, a
draft rule will be presented to Council at a Regular Meeting
for a vote.
Section 11.1 Excused Absences
Issues:
• Absences for vacations are not addressed.
• Definition of a family member is missing nieces and
nephews.
Section 11.1 Excused Absences
(a) Death of immediate family member
"Immediate Family" is defined as the Council
Member's parent, spouse or domestic partner, child,
sister, brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-
law, brother-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, aunt,
uncle, niece, nephew, or the step -relation equivalent to
those listed.
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Section 11.1 Excused Absences
(c) Absences for Council Business
A Council Member who is absent because of other
commitments representing Council or because of circumstances
beyond the Council Member's control, such as due to
unforeseeable traffic, weather, or , n , cci d ont other exigency.
(d) Vacations
A Council Member will be excused from one Regular Council
Meeting Der vearwhen necessary to facilitate a scheduled vacation.
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.2 Characterizing Absences
Issue:
Current Council Rules do not describe a mechanism
for determining if an absence is excused or not
excused.
11.2 Characterizing Absences
11.2 CHARACTERIZING ABSENCES
a) The Presidin
Officer of a Regular Council
Meeting will state that an absence is excused when
appropriate as defined above. The Presiding Officer will
then ask if any Council Member wishes to take a Council
vote on the issue. If no vote is requested, the absence will
be entered into the meeting minutes as an excused
absence. If the chair believes that the absence is best
characterized as an unexcused absence, the Council will
vote to determine if the absence is unexcused.
11.5 Attendance from a Remote Location
Issue:
In person attendance of meetings is to be encouraged
and remote attendance limited.
11.5 Attendance from a Remote Location
(a) Purpose. The City Council believes that regular
in -person attendance at Council Meetings and Council
mmittee meetings is an imnortan
f service in
an elected position. However. Council recognizes the
benefits of the fullest practicable attendance and
participation by its Members and by the Mayor and
hereby allows attendance from a remote location of
Regular, Special, and Committee Meetings of Council
through the use of electronic two-way communication
methods such as speakerphones or Internet
communication platforms, subject to the constraints
described in this section.
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11.5 Attendance from a Remote Location
(b) The Presiding Officer of a meeting shall be physically
present at the meeting location.
(c) Attendance of an executive session of a Council Meeting
from a remote location is not permitted for executive sessions.
(d) Effect. Votes cast by the Council Member attending
remotely consistent with these rules will have the same effect as
votes cast by members physically present at the meeting. The
Presiding Officer must be physically present at the meeting.
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11.5 Attendance from a Remote Location
(e) Intent. Attendance from a remote location is
intended to bean infrequently -used alternative a�
method for participation at
meetings by Members of the Council. A Council
Member may attend a Regular City Council Meeting
remotely a maximum of -A times Der calen
r. An
remote participation in excess of 3 times per calendar
year will be considered an absence.
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11.5 Attendance from a Remote Location
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Summary of Changes
Nieces and nephews added to definition of immediate
family member
i vacation a year added as excused absence
Chair excuses members but any Council Member may
ask for a vote if they believe absence should be
unexcused. Unexcused absences voted on by Council.
Remote attendance to be used infrequently and no
more than 3 times per calendar year.
Caps on number of Council Members who can attend
remotely at once removed.
Council Discussion
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SECTION 11. COUNCIL MEMBER ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS
11.1 EXCUSED ABSENCES
Excused absences are defined as follows:
(a) Death of immediate family member
"Immediate Family" is defined as the Council Member's parent, spouse or domestic
partner, child, sister, brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-
in-law, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or the step -relation
equivalent to those listed.
(b) Illness
Illness of a Council Member or of an immediate family member, as defined above,
requiring the member to personally attend and care for the immediate family
member provided that the illness does not necessitate an absence longer than six
(6) months.
as Fel;e� IGG.iI 1 F! i i LS! V• 11 . «
(d c) Absences for Council Business
A Council Member who is absent because of other commitments representing
Council or because of circumstances beyond the Council Member's control, such
as due to unforeseeable traffic, weather, or an acei e other exigency.
(d) Vacations
A Council Member will be excused from one Reizular Council Meeting per year
when necessary to facilitate a scheduled vacation.
11.2 CHARACTERY-ING ABSENCES
(a) The Presiding Officer of a Regular Council Meeting will state that an
absence is excused when appropriate as defined above. The Presiding Officer will
then ask if any Council Member wishes to take a Council vote on the issue. If no
vote is requested, the absence will be entered into the meefing minutes as an
excused absence. If the chair believes that the absence is best characterized as an
unexcused absence, the Council will vote to determine if the absence is unexcused.
11.3 VACANCY OF OFFICE
A Council position shall become vacant if the eouneilmemr.o, Council Member fails to
attend three (3) consecutive Rregular Peetings of the .,••.,ned Council Meeti= without
being excused by the c-Council. (RCW 35A.12.060)
11.4 Council Members will inform the Mayor, the Council President, or City Clerk if they are
unable to attend any Council meeting, or if they knowingly will be late to any meeting and
state the reason for tliei r absence if the Council Member wishes the absence to be excused.
11.5 ATTENDANCE FROM A REMOTE LOCATION
(a) Purpose. The City Council hclieves that regular in -person attendance at Council
Meetings and Council Committee iiieetiiigs is an iipportant part of service iil an
elected position. However. Council recognizes the benefits of the fullest practicable
attendance and participation by its Members and by the Mayor and hereby allows
attendance from a remote location of Rregular, Sspecial, and Ceommittee
Mmeetings of Council through the use of electronic two-way communication
methods such as speakerphones or internet communication platforms, subject to the
constraints described in this section.
(b) The Presiding Officer of a meeting shall be physically present at the ipeetin
location.
(c) Attendance of an executive session of a Council Meeting from a remote location is
not permitted for exeet4ive se
(d) Effect. Votes cast by the Council Member attending remotely consistent with these
rules will have the same effect as votes cast by members physically present at the
meeting. The Pr-eiiding ni eeF must be .-,i-,ysieally „ o of
(e) Intent. Attendance from a remote location is intended to be an infrequently -used
alternative and Fein! i.,Fe1), inffegtient1.- used method for participation at meetings by
Members of the Council. A Council Member may attend a Regular City Council
Meetina remotely a maxMiLini of 3 times oer calendar vear. Any- rcniote
participation in excess of 3 times per calendar year will be considered an absence.
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11-071
(f g) System Requirement. All communication to and from the remote location must be
clearly heard by all others in attendance.
(g) Protocol. In any meeting involving remote attendance, at the beginning of meeting
the Presiding Officer will inform all present that a particular Member of the Council
or Mayor is attending remotely via electronic means and confirm that all
participants can hear each other clearly. This confirmation will be recorded in the
meeting minutes.
If the Council Member or Mayor who is attending from a remote location will not
be participating through the entire meeting, the presiding officer will announce
through what portion attendance by remote location will occur.
If remote communication is irreparably broken or significantly degraded during the
meeting; the presiding officer will confirm the loss of the connection and close the
remote attendance. The Presiding Officer will at this time state if quorum for the
meeting has been affected by the loss of the connection.