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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. 11 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. 5 .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. 9 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. 10 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. 11 11.5 Attendance from a Remote Location 12 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 14 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. �!w_ .�rs�rass�r�e+ei�srn�. 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.