3a - Council Rules of ProcedureCouncil Rules of Procedure Ethics Code
Council Rules of Procedure
City Council Meeting
February 4, 2020
Proposed Changes to Council Rules to be discussed
Set Regular Meeting schedule to reflect practice of cancelling or rescheduling certain meetings every year
Change of title from Deputy Mayor to Council President
Move Citizen Comment to occur before Presentations
Rule stating Council will not pass a budget after 10:00 pm
Process used for a proposal and approval of council proclamations
Regular Meetings Schedule
Current Practice:
Council's regular meetings held the first and third Tuesdays of each month with the exception of:
First meeting in August – Moved to the second Tuesday in August
Second meeting in August – Cancelled
Second meeting in December – Cancelled
Proposal:
Include the August and December changes in the Council Rules to avoid the necessity of taking action every year.
Does Council want to make a rule covering the first meeting in November?
Change Title of Deputy Mayor
Proposal: Change the title and references within the Council Rules from Deputy Mayor to Council President.
Under a code city mayor-council form of government, state statute uses the titles “deputy mayor” or “mayor pro tempore” to describe a councilmember designated by a majority of council
to serve in the absence of the elected mayor. RCW 35A.13.035.
Some code cities use the term “Council President” to refer to a position with special leadership duties within a council similar to those duties assigned to the deputy mayor in our Council
Rules. This use is an internally created position that usually resides with the same person designated as the deputy mayor.
Move Citizen Comment to beginning of meeting
Proposal: Move Citizen Comment to occur prior to Proclamations and Presentations.
Require that the budget be passed before 10:00 p.m.
Proposal: Council will not approve the city budget after 10:00 p.m.
Council Rules 2.1 already requires that Regular Council Meetings adjourn no later than 10:00 p.m.
Just as Council routinely waives the 10:00 p.m. adjournment rule when necessary to get through an agenda, Council could suspend this rule by a majority vote.
Even if Council does not suspend such a rule, a majority vote taken during a Regular Council Meeting at any time is legally binding
Council Proclamations
Proposal: memorialize in writing the process currently used to decide to issue a Council Proclamation
The agenda setting process outlined in Council Rules controls the topics to be considered for council proclamations
Councilmembers who wish to promote a proclamation in supporting a particular group or topic will provide a draft of the proposed proclamation and identify a person or persons who have
agreed to receive the proclamation at a council meeting.
Questions?