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CM:KL:CCSTART:WP Santa Monica, California
Council Meeting, January 12, 1993
To: Mayor and City Council
From: City staff
Subject: Recommendation Regarding Proposal to Modify starting
Time of city Council Meetings
INTRODUCTION
On December 8, 1992, City Council directed staff to evaluate
possible changes to the starting time of city Council meetings.
As stated by the council, the primary purpose of starting the
meetings earlier is to complete the proceedings earlier. This
report presents information on options available to the Council
regarding modification of the starting time of Council meetings.
BACKGROUND
At the December 8 meeting, a proposal was presented to change the
starting time for city Council meetings. The original proposal
presented to the council involved hearing a number of more
routine agenda items starting at an earlier time and then waiting
until 7:30 p.m. to hear agenda items that generate greater public
input and interest. This proposal would require the Council to
wait until 7:30 p.m. to hear agenda items such as appeals and
ordinances regardless of what time the council completed its
action on the routine matters. The Council discussed this
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Jn~~ J.. :S93
proposal and polled its members to determine their general
preference. councilmembers expressed a preference not to begin
the meeting before 6:30 p.m. Staff was directed to conduct
further evaluation of the timing of items and return to Council
with additional information and options.
ANALYSIS
Staff evaluated the proposal to hear a number of more routine
agenda items starting at 6:30 p.m. and then hear other agenda
items beginning at 7:30 p.m. The analysis indicated that there
would be a significant time gap between the end of hearing the
routine items and 7:30 p.m.
Staff also evaluated a number of alternatives regarding when to
start Council meetings in order to accomplish the goal of
completing the agenda by a reasonable hour. Staff concluded that
there are two options the Council may wish to consider. One
option involves maintaining the current order of agenda items and
starting the Council meeting at 6:30 p.m. and continuing with the
meeting until all items are heard. This option allows the
Council to proceed with its agenda while maximizing the
possibility of concluding the meeting at an earlier hour.
The second alternative also maintains the current order of agenda
items but changes the changes the start of the meeting to 7:00
p.m. Analysis determined that if the meetings were to begin at
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7:00 p.m. and the Council maintained the current order of agenda
items, the Council could complete the routine agenda items by
approximately 7:30 p.m. and then take up the remaining items.
staff believes that any modification to the Rules of Order and
Procedures for the Conduct of City Council Meeting should not
require a break between the conclusion of the routine items and
the hearing of the other items on the agenda such as appeals and
ordinances. It is believed that a break of this nature, so early
in the meeting, would be disruptive to the meeting proceedings.
Staff contacted the management of KCRW to determine the
possibility of beginning radio coverage when the council meeting
commences as opposed to the current starting time of 8:00 p.m.
Staff was informed that KCRW intends to continue to cover the
council meetings beginning at 8:00 p.m.
Attachments A and B are the alternative Resolutions to Amend the
Rules of Order and Procedure for the Conduct of City council
Meetings that include the provision to begin the meeting at 6:30
p.m. or 7:00 p.m., respectively. These resolutions maintain the
provision which allows the Council to hear Closed session matters
beginning at 6:00 p.m.
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BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT
There are no significant budget or fiscal impacts associated with
changing the time Council meetings will commence.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council consider alternatives
regarding when to begin Council meetings.
Prepared By: John Jalili, city Manager
Lynne C. Barrette, Assistant city Manager
Katie E. Lichtig, Senior Management Analyst
Attachment A: Resolutions to Amend the Rules of Order and
Procedure for the Conduct of City council Meetings
that include the provision to begin the meeting at
6:30 p.m.
Attachment B: Resolutions to Amend the Rules of Order and
Procedure for the conduct of city Council Meetings
that include the provision to begin the meeting at
7:00 p.m.
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CA:RMM:jld807/hpca/pc
City council Meeting 1-12-93 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION Nill~BER (CCS)
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(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SANTA MONICA AMENDING RESOLUTION NUMBER 8489 (CCS)
TO AMEND THE RULES OF ORDER AND PROCEDURE
FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES RESOLVE
AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Resolution Number 8489 (CCS) is amended to read
as follows:
RULES FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
RULE 1. TIME AND PLACE FOR HOLDING REGULAR MEETINGS.
Pursuant to the provisions of section 611 of the Santa
Monica city Charter, the City Council does establish as the days
and time for the holding of regular meetings, the second and
fourth Tuesday of each month. The regular meeting shall commence
at 7:00 p.m. The only agenda item that may be considered between
6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. is a Closed Session. All other agenda
items shall commence after 7:00 p.m. The amount of time
necessary for the Closed Session shall be determined by the Mayor
in consultation with the Clty Manager and the city Attorney.
However, if any such Tuesday falls on any day designated by law
or by the City Council as a day for publlc feast, thanksgiving,
or holiday, such regular meeting shall be held on the date of the
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regular meeting next following said Tuesday at the hour
heretofore fixed. The City Council Chamber in City Hall is
established as the place for holding its regular meetings.
RULE 2. QUORUM.
In accordance w1th Sect10n 614 of the Santa Monica City
Charter, four councilmembers shall constltute a quorum for the
transaction of business, but a smaller number may adjourn from
time to time until a quorum 1S present and those present may
obtain the attendance of the absentees. Except as otherwise
provided in the Charter, or by law, action taken by the City
council shall be taken by a majority vote of the entire
membership of the City Council.
Whenever any councilmember raises the question as to the
presence of a quorum, the Presiding Officer shall forthwith
direct the city Clerk to call the roll and shall announce the
result, and such proceedings shall be without debate; but no
Councilmember, while speaking, shall be interrupted by raising
the question of the presence of a quorum. Every Councilmember
present must make response when his or her name is called.
The City Council shall judge the qualifications of its
members as set forth by the C1ty Charter.
RULE 3. MEETINGS TO BE PUBLIC -- EXCEPTION FOR CLOSED
SESSIONS.
( a) All regular, adjourned regular and special meetings of
the City council shall be public; provided, however, that the
City Council may hold Closed sessions during a regular or special
meeting, from which the public may be excluded, for the purpose
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of considering the matters referred to in Government Code Section
54957 or Government Code Sectlon 54957.6 relating to Closed
Sessions of the legislative body, or pursuant to other provisions
of law.
(b) The above subdivision lS specifically limited by the
following:
(1) Restrictlons regarding Closed Sessions do not
apply to meetings of committees of the city Council consisting of
less than a quorum of its members.
(2) Closed Sessions may not be held to consider the
broad category of "personnel" matters.
(3 ) Closed Sessions relating to personnel are
limited to those relating to the appointment, employment, or
dismissal of a public officer or employee or to hear complaints
or charges brought against such officer or employee.
(c) The general categories permitting Closed Sessions
shall include, but not be li~lted to:
(1) To consider the employment or dismissal of a
public officer or employee, or to hear charges brought against
such person unless the officer or employee in question requests a
public hearing, in \.,rhich event a public hearing shall be
permitted.
(2) To discuss wlth the City Attorney litigation
pending, proposed, or anticlpated where a public dlScussion would
benefit the city's adversary and be detrimental to the public.
(3 ) To meet \i i th the Attorney General, District
Attorney, Sheriff, or Chlef of Police (or their deputies) on
matters poslng a threat to the security of public buildings or a
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threat to the public's right of access to public services or
public facilities.
(4 ) To instruct city representatives concerning
salaries, salary schedules, or compensation paid in the form of
fringe benefits prior to or during negotiations with employee
organizations.
(5) To negotiate and discuss with employee
organization representat~ves follow~ng the intervention of a
state labor conciliator in a labor dispute.
(6) To consider matters affecting the national
security in the case of a body operated by a private corporation
on which City officers serve in their official capacity and which
is supported partially or totally by City funds.
(7) To consider those matters which by law are
properly the subject of a Closed Session.
(d) No councilmember, employee of the city, or any other
person present during a Closed Session of the City Council shall
disclose to any person the content or substance of any discussion
which took place during said Closed Session unless the City
Council shall authorize the disclosure of such information by
majority vote, or unless such disclosure is required, and only to
the extent so required, by the prov~sions of Government Code
Section 54957.1.
RULE 4. AGENDA.
( a) The City Clerk shall prepare the Agenda under the
direction of the city Manager as follows:
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(1) The CJ.ty Manager shall consult with the Mayor
and Mayor Pro Tempore in the preparation of the agenda.
(2 ) The Agenda with all supporting matters shall be
delivered to Councilmembers on the Thursday preceding the Tuesday
city council meeting to which it pertains.
(3) At any time prior to posting of the Agenda, any
Councilmember or the City Manager may dlrect any matter to be
placed upon the Agenda.
(4 ) At least 72 hours before a regular City Council
meeting, the Clty Clerk shall post a copy of the Agenda in the
city Clerk's office and in the lobby of the Police Department.
In connection with any special meeting of the city Council, the
notice calling the meeting and Agenda shall be posted 24 hours
prior to the special meeting. The City Clerk shall maintain on
file in the office of the City Clerk declarations establishing
compliance with the posting requirements.
(5) No action shall be taken on any item not
appearing on the posted Agenda unless the item is added to the
Agenda as follows:
(i) Upon a determination by a majority vote of
the legislative body that an emergency situation exists, as
defined in Government Code section 54956.5.
( ii) Upon a determlnation by a two-thirds vote
of the legislative body, or, if less than two-thirds of the
members are present, a unanirrtous vote of those members present,
that the need to take action arose subsequent to the Agenda being
posted.
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(iii) The item was posted for a prior meeting
of the legislative body occurring not more than five calendar
days prior to the date actlon lS taken on the item, and at the
prior meeting the item was continued to the meeting at which
action is being taken.
(6) Matters directed to be placed on the Agenda by
Councilmembers shall be llsted thereon in the order of receipt of
such direction.
(b) Dates for public hearings required by law or on
matters of special public interest shall be set by the City
Council or the City Manager. Those matters set for public
hearing by the City Council may be so set in the following
manner: The city Manager shall place on an Agenda the item,
"Motion to fix time and date of hearing . . . II The city
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council shall only hear comments regarding the time and date, and
not the substantive matter under this heading.
( c) The time and date flxed for public hearings shall be
such that large numbers of citizens can be accommodated in the
City Council Chambers and also can be heard early in the evening
and such notices as required by lavl or requested by the City
Council of the same shall be sent out not less than 15 days prior
to the hearing, unless another time is otherwise specified by
law.
(d) Where a matter requires a formal public hearing prior
to final action by the city Council, no person shall be heard
thereon except at the time of the public hearing.
( e) No public discussion shall be permitted on second
reading of ordinances, or such other items when public discussion
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occurred at a prior City Councll meeting or when state law so
permits I unless consent lS glven by two-thirds {2J3} vote of the
Councilmembers present.
RULE 5. CITY COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE.
(a) Non-Councll Items. \Vritten communications addressed
to the City Councll, the subject matter of WhlCh comes within the
jurisdiction of any Board, cotll'lission, or Department of the City,
may be referred to such body or department, or both, by the City
Manager, and such communications shall not be placed upon the
City Council Agenda.
All communications directly relatlng to the work or
jurisdiction of a Boardl Commisslon, or Department of the City
shall be referred thereto, notwithstanding the fact that direct
city Council action may be sought ln such communications; such
communications shall not be placed upon the City Council Agenda.
Any person submlttlng a wrltten coml"lunication to the city
council which is subsequently referred to a Board, Commission, or
Department of the City shall be notlfied of such referral by the
city Manager. If dissatisfied with either the action of the city
Manager or the action of the Board, commission, or Department to
which the communication was referred, such person may appeal to
the City Council.
(b) Authority of the Clty Manager. The City Manager is
authorized to open all mall or other written communications
collectively addressed to the City council and to give it
immediate attention to the end that all administrative business
referred to in said communlcations which do not necessarily
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require City Council action may be acted upon between City
Council meetings.
(c) council Items. Correspondence collectively addressed
to the City Council shall be received and opened by the city
council's Secretary, transmitted to the appropriate public
officer having jurisdiction over, and placed on the Agenda if
city council action IS deemed appropriate by the Mayor, city
Manager, or City Clerk, except that no communication shall be
placed on that Agenda that contaIns material which:
( 1) Is profane.
(2) Is In the nature of a criminal or civil slander,
or is potentially slanderous or libelous.
( 3) Advocates or opposes the candIdacy of any person
or party for any elective office.
(4) Is primarily an advertIsement or promotion or
has as a substantial purpose the advancement of any cause the
major benefIt of WhICh 1S prIvate and not public.
(5) Does not necessitate City Council action.
(d) Availability to the Public. Correspondence addressed
to individual Councilmembers shall not be opened by the city
Council Secretary unless authorized to do so by individual
Councilrnembers. Such COrrltlUn1cat1ons shall not become public
records until received and flIed by the city Council at a
regular, special, or adjourned meeting of the City Council, or
retained or used as provided in Government Code section 6250 et
seg. Correspondence received in the City Clerk's office or other
city offices after 5:00 p.F.I. tHO l>'Iondays prior to the City
Council meeting shall not be placed on the Agenda unless it
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concerns a matter to be considered by the City Council at the
next regular meeting or is determined by the city Manager to be
an urgent matter which should be brought to the immediate
attention of the c~ty Counc~l. Correspondence shall not be read
aloud at a City council meeting unless requested by a majority
vote of the Council. No ~tem \vhich ~s exempted from disclosure
by Government Code Section 6254 shall be disclosed or treated as
a public record.
RULE 6. ORDER OF BUSINESS.
The business of the City Councll shall be taken on for
consideration and disposition ln the following order:
(a) Closed Session. Closed Session may be held between
6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. , or as part of a Staff Administrative
Item.
(b) Call to Order.
(1) Salute to the Flag.
(2 ) Inspiration.
( c) Roll Call.
( d) Special Agenda Items. (Such as commendations, award
of service pins, introductlon of spec~al guests, presentations
and reports by the Santa Monica Rent Control Board, Board of
Education of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, and
Board of Trustees of Santa Monlca College.)
( e) Contl.TIued Items. Agendized items of a previous city
council meeting not considered at such meeting.
( f) Consent Calendar. The consent calendar shall consist
of the approval of minutes of prevlous meetlngs and those other
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items determined at the pre-Council agenda meeting to be of a
non-controversial nature and T..-lh1Ch under the City council Rules
do not generally require a public hearing. The consent calendar
shall be considered one 1tem regardless of the number of matters
appearing on it and may be approved by a single motion to approve
the consent calendar, unless a Councilmember wishes to be heard
on an item. The t1tle to the 1nd1vidual consent items need not
be read unless a request to do so is made by any Councilmember.
(With some exceptions, such as the second reading of ordinances,
approval of minutes and statements of official action, public
discussion 1S permitted but a specific request to speak must be
made in accordance w1th these Rules. Members of the public shall
have no more than one opportun1ty to address the C1ty Council
concerning items on the consent calendar. Members of the public
shall be heard prior to the Clty Council voting on the consent
calendar. )
(g) Administrative Proceedlngs. Administrative
proceedings in which the City council is required to make a
decision concerning an lndividual application or appeal. (Public
discussion permitted.)
(h) Ordinances.
( l) Introduct1on and F1rst Reading. (Public
discussion permitted.)
(2 ) Second Reading and Adoption. (No public
discussion permitted.)
(i) staff Admin1strative Items. (Public discussion
permitted but a specific request to speak must be made in
accordance with these Rules.)
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{j} Public Hearings. Public hearings the time for which
has been set previously or set by law. (Public discussion
permi tted. )
{k} Reports of Boards and Commissions. (Public discussion
permitted but a specific request to speak must be made in
accordance with these Rules.)
{ l} Resolutions. (Public discuss~on permitted.)
em} Vvri tten Communicatlons other Than Reports of
Commissions and Officers. The Clty Clerk shall list written
communications in order of receIpt. (Public discussion permitted
but a specific request to speak must be made in accordance with
these Rules.)
en) councilmember Discusslon Items. The City Clerk shall
list Councilmember discussion ~tems in order of receipt. (Public
discussion permitted but a specIfic request to speak must be made
in accordance with these Rules.)
The order of business shall not be changed except by
majority vote of the city CouncIl.
( 0) Public Input. Members of the public may address the
City council on items of interest to the public that are within
the subject matter jurisdiction of the city council. Each
speaker may address the City Council for 3 minutes. If there are
more than 10 speakers, the city council may further linli t the
time of individual speakers or the total time on a particular
issue. No action may be taken on the ltem of interest to the
member of the public unless the item appeared on the Agenda in
accordance with Rule 4.
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RULE 7. PREPARATION OF MINUTES.
The City Clerk shall have exclUSlve responsibility for
preparation of the Minutes, and any directions for changes in the
Minutes shall be made only by najority vote of the City Council.
RULE 8. READING OF MINUTES.
Unless the reading of the Mlnutes of a City council meeting
is ordered by a maJority vote of the Clty Council, such Minutes
may be approved without readlng lf the City Clerk has previously
furnished each Councilme~ber wlth a copy.
RULE 9. PRESIDING OFFICER.
The Mayor shall be the Presiding Officer at all meetings of
the City Council. In the absence of the Mayor, the Mayor Pro
Tempore shall preside. In the absence of both the Mayor and
Mayor Pro Tempore, the City Clerk shall call the City Council to
order whereupon a temporary Preslding Officer shall be elected by
the Councilmembers present to serve until the arrival of the
Mayor or Mayor Pro Tenpore or until adjournment.
RULE 10. POWERS AND DUTIES OF PRESIDING OFFICER.
( a) Partlclpatlon. The Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore or such
other member preslding May move, second, and debate from the
chair, subject only to such limitations of debate as are imposed
upon Councilmembers by these rules and shall not be deprived of
any of the rlghts or privlleges of a Councilmember by reason of
his or her acting as the presidlng Officer.
(b) Duties. The Presiding Officer shall preserve order at
all meetings of the Clty Council. Such Offlcer shall state each
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question coming before the City Council, announce the decisions
of the City CouncIl on all subjects, and decide all questions of
order; subject, hOvlever I to an appeal by the City Council, and a
majority vote of the C1ty Council on any question of order shall
govern and determine conclusively such question of order.
(c) Signing of Docunents. The Presiding Officer shall
sign all ordinances, resolutlons, and other documents
necessitating signature ,-lhleh Here adopted in his or her
presence, unless he or she 1S unavaIlable, in which case the
signature of an alternate Presid1ng Officer may be used. The
City Manager shall execute all contracts on behalf of the City
unless otherwise ordered by the CIty Council. No contract shall
be of any force or effect unless authorized by the City council
and approved prior thereto by the CIty Attorney as to form and
legality.
RULE 11- SWORN TESTIMONY.
The Presiding Officer may require any person addressing the
city Council to be SHorn as a witness and to testify under oath,
and the Presiding Officer shall so reqUIre if d1rected to do so
by a majority vote of the C1ty Council. Any Councilmember may
request that anyone appear1ng before the city Council on any
matter shall be sworn. On receipt of such a request, all
proceedings shall be suspended and the city council will, without
debate, iI'lPlediately vote on ..lhether the individual should be
sworn. A majority vote of the Councilmembers present shall
determine whether the speaker shall be placed under oath. All
oaths will be administered by the City Clerk.
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The city council shall have the power and authority to
compel the attendance of witnesses, to examine them under oath,
and to compel the production of evidence before it. Subpoenas
may be issued in the name of the City and be attested by the City
Clerk. Disobedience of such subpoenas, or the refusal to testify
(upon other than constitutional grounds) shall constitute a
misdemeanor.
RULE 12. RULES OF DEBATE.
( a) Getting the Floor. Every Councilmember desiring to
speak shall first address the Chair, gain recognition by the
PresidIng Officer, and shall confIne hImself or herself to the
question under debate, aVOIdIng personalities and decorous
language.
(b) Questions to Staff. Every Councilmember desiring to
question the city Staff shall, after recognition by the presiding
Officer, address his or her questions to the city Manager, or the
city Attorney, who shall be entitled to answer the inquiry
himself or herself or to designate a member of his or her staff
for that purpose.
( c) Interruptions. A Councllmember, once recognized,
shall not be Interrupted when speakIng unless called to order by
the Presiding Officer, unless a pOInt of order or a personal
privilege is raIsed by another Councllmember, or unless the
speaker chooses to yield to a question by another Councilmember.
If a Councilmember, \-lhIle speaking, is called to order, he or she
shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined
and, if determined to be In order, may proceed. Members of the
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city staff, after recognltlon by the Presiding Officer, shall
hold the floor until completlon of their remarks or until
recognition is withdrawn by the presiding Officer.
(d) Points of Order. The preslding Officer shall
determine all points of order subject to the right of any
Councilmember to appeal to the Clty Councll. If an appeal is
taken, the question shall be: "Shall the decision of the
Presiding Officer be sustained?T1 A majority vote of the
Councilmembers then present shall conclusively determine such
question of order.
(e) Point of Personal Privilege. The right of a
Councilmember to address the City Council on a question of
personal privilege shall be linited to cases in which the
Councilmember's integrlty, character, or motives are questioned
or where the welfare of the City Council lS concerned. A
Councilmember raising a point of personal privilege may interrupt
another Councilmember 'dho has the floor only if the Presiding
Officer recognizes the prlvilege.
(f) Prlvllege of Closlng Debate. The Councilmember moving
the introduction or adoption of an ordinance, resolution, or
motion, shall have the privllege of closing debate, after all
other Councllmembers have been given an opportunity to speak.
(g) Motlon to Reconslder. A motion to reconsider any
action taken by the clty Council may be made only by one of the
Councilmembers on the prevaillng slde and may be seconded by any
Councilmember. Such motlon by a prevailing Councilmember may be
made at any time and shall have precedence over all other motions
or while a Counc i lmerlber has the floor and said motion shall be
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debatable. A motion by a non-prevailing Councilmember or a
request by a member of the public for reconsideration may be made
only if one year has passed Slnee the action was taken.
(h) calling for the Quest1on. Neither the moving party
nor the party seconding any mot1on 1S allowed to call for the
question.
(i) Limitation of Debate. No Councilmernber shall be
allowed to speak more than once upon any particular subject until
every other Councilmember des1ring to do so shall have spoken.
Each councilmember speak1ng on any one item on the Agenda shall
be limited to 10 m1nutes per 1ten to state his or her opinion and
views.
RULE 13. REMARKS OF COUNCILMEMBERS AND SYNOPSIS OF DEBATE.
A Councilmember may request through the Presiding Officer
under the privilege of having an abstract of his or her statement
on any subject under consideration by the city council entered in
the Minutes. If the City council consents thereto, such
statement shall be entered in the Minutes.
RULE 14. PROTEST AGAINST CITY COUNCIL ACTION.
Any Councllmember shall have the right to have the reasons
for his or her dissent fron, or his or her protest against, any
action of the City Counell entered ln the M1nutes. Such dissent
or protest to be entered in the Minutes shall be made in the
following manner: "I \v'ould llke the Minutes to show that I am
opposed to this action for the followlng reasons II
. . . .
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RULE 15. RULES OF ORDER.
Except as otherYlise provided herein, the city Charter,
other rules adopted by the City Councll, or appllcable provisions
of state la.." the procedures of the City council shall be
governed by the latest revised edition of Roberts Rules of Order.
The City Councll rules, or any one thereof, may be
suspended by a vote of t\1o-thlrds (2/3) of the Councilmembers
present.
RULE 16. FAILURE TO OBSERVE RULES OF ORDER.
Rules adopted to expedlte the transactlon of the business
of the Clty Council ln an orderly fashion are deemed to be
procedural only and the fallure to strictly observe such rules
shall not affect the jurlsdlction of the City Councll or
invalidate any action taken at a meeting that is otherwise held
in conformity with law.
RULE 17. ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL.
( a) Registration. Each person wishing to address the City
council regarding items on the Agenda where public discussion is
permitted shall register first r,.vi th the city Clerk his or her
name and address prior to any dlScusslon of that item, and
preferably shall register prlor to the start of the City Council
meeting.
(b) Manner of Addressing the CJ..ty Council. Each person
desiring to address the City Council shall step up to the
microphone in front of the rall, state his or her name and
address for the record, state the sUbJect he or she wishes to
discuss, state whom he or she is representing if he or she
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represents an organizatIon or other person. Unless further time
is granted by JI1ajority vote of the City Council, a person shall
limit his or her remarks to three minutes per iteml except if he
or she is the applicant or appellant on an Administrative
Proceeding item, in which case a person shall limit his or her
remarks to ten minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the
city council as a whole and not to any member thereof. No
questions shall be asked of a CouncllmeMber or a member of the
city staff without the permISSIon of the PresIding Officer.
(c) Discretion to LimIt Duration and Number of Speakers.
Where more than one person deSIres to speak on a particular item,
it shall be vii thIn the discretion of the Presiding Officer to
limit the number and duration of presentations to not less than
10 minutes for each side gIVIng equal t~me for each position or
side. It is recommended that a spokesperson for each side be
chosen prior to the meetIng and the CIty Clerk shall advise
persons of thIS recoMmendation. If a spokesperson has not been
selected prIor to the meetIng, the Item may be called and the
Presiding Officer may either pass the I ten or grant a recess to
permit the selection of a spokesperson. The Presiding Officer
may also determine vlh I ch persons have a predominate or
proprietary interest in an Iten and permit such person or persons
to speak first. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to
preclude the PreSIding Officer or a ITlajority of Councilmembers
present from allowing extended debate on any matter.
( d) Consent Calendar and Persons Speaking on More than One
Item. Any one person wishing to speak on more than one item
shall limit his or her remarks to three minutes on the item he or
- 18 -
she considers most lmportant, tHO P1inutes on the item he or she
considers next most important, and one minute on any other item
unless further time is granted by a ma]Orlty vote of the City
Council. ~'1 i th regard to matters appearing on the Consent
Calendar, each member of the public wishing to speak will be
given no more than one opportunity to address the City Council
concerning items on the consent calendar. For purposes of these
rules, the consent calendar as a 1tlhole shall be considered one
item regardless of the number of matters appearing on the consent
calendar. Members of the public \1ho request to speak on the
consent calendar may speak for no more than three minutes on
matters appearing on the Consent Calendar as provided for in
these rules. This Rule does not apply wlth respect to a Report
from a Board or Commission nor to an applicant or appellant
speaking on an Administratlve Proceeding item.
(e) After Motlon. After a motion has been made or a
public hearing has been closed, no member of the public shall
address the City Councll from the audience on the matter under
consideration wlthout flrst securlng permlSSlon to do so by a
majority vote of the city Counell.
( f) Special Tlme Llmltatlons. Not~n thstanding any other
provision of these Rules, if fifteen or more persons wish to
speak on such an ltem, or if 40 or More requests to speak on any
combination of items, each speaker's remarks shall be limited to
two minutes. This Rule shall not apply with respect to a Report
from a Board or commisslon nor to an applicant or appellant
speaking on an Administratlve Proceeding item.
- 19 -
RULE 18. RULES OF DECORUM.
( a) Councilmembers. When the City Councll lS ln session,
councilmembers must preserve order and decorum, and a
Councilmember shall neither by conversation or otherwise delay or
interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the city council nor
disturb any Councllmember l,ihi le speaking or refuse to obey the
orders of the Presiding Officer. Councilmembers shall not leave
their seats during a Meeting without first obtaining the
permission of the Presidlng Officer.
(b) Employees. Members of the city staff and employees
shall observe the same rules of order and decorum as are
applicable to the Clty Council, vli th the exception that members
of the City staff T,Nho are not seated at the City Council table
may leave their seats during a Meeting without first obtaining
the permission of the Presldlng Officer.
(c) Persons Addressing the councll.
(1 ) No person other than a Councilmember and the
person having the floor shall be permitted to enter into
discussions, either directly or through a Councilmember, without
permission of the preslding Officer.
(2 ) No questions shall be asked a councilmember
except through the Presidlng Officer.
(3 ) All remarks shall be addressed to the City
Council as a body and not to anyone member thereof.
( 4 ) Any person making i:r.lpertlnent, slanderous, or
profane remarks, or Hho becomes boisterous Hhile addressing the
City council, shall be called to order by the Presiding Officer
and, if such conduct contlnues, may at the discretion of the
- 20 -
Presiding officer, be barred from further audience before the
City Council during that meeting.
( d) Members of the AudIence.
(1) Any person in the audience or at the city
Council table who engages in disorderly conduct such as hand
clapping, stamping of feet, whIstling, using profane language,
yelling, and SImIlar demonstratlons, or ..lho disturbs the peace
and good order of the meetIng, or who refuses to comply with the
lawful orders of the Presiding Officer shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor and upon Instructions from the Presiding Officer,
with the consent of the maJorIty, through the city Manager, it
shall be the duty of the Sergeant at Arms to remove any such
person from the City Council Chambers and to place him or her
under arrest.
(2 ) No person shall be permitted to interrupt the
individual Councilmembers or the city Clerk when the City council
is in session.
(3 ) Except with prior authorization of the Presiding
Officer, no placards, signs or posters, packages, bundles,
suitcases, or other large objects shall be brought into the city
council Chambers.
(4) Unless addressing the CIty Council or entering
or leaving the city Council Chambers, all persons in the audience
shall remain sittIng in the seats prOVIded. No person shall
stand or sit in the aisles or along the walls nor shall the
doorways be blocked.
- 21 -
(5) Except with prior authorization of the Presiding
Officer, the distribution of l~terature, of whatever nature or
kind, is prohibited.
( e) Persons Authorlzed to be \'11 thin Rai 1. No person
except Councilme11lbers and City staff and recognized
representatlves of the neTdS media shall be permitted within the
rail without the consent of the Preslding Officer.
(f) Enforcement of Decorum. The Chief of Police or such
member or members of the Pollce Department as he or she may
designate I shall be Sergeant At Arms of the City council and
shall carry out all orders given by the Presiding Officer through
the city Manager for the purpose of nalntaining order and decorum
at City Council meetings. Any Councllmember may move to require
the Presiding Officer to enforce the rules and the affirmative
vote of a ma]Orlty of the Clty Council shall require him or her
to do so.
RULE 19. VOTING PROCEDURE.
Any vote of the city counci 11 including a roll call vote,
may be registered by the members by answering lIAye" for an
affirmative vote or IINo" for a negative vote upon his or her name
being called by the Clty Clerk. Unless a member of the city
Council states that he or she is not voting, silence shall be
recorded as an affirmative vote.
RULE 20. DISQUALIFICATION FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
Any Councilmember Fha is disqualified from voting on a
particular matter by reason of a confllct of interest shall
publicly state or have the Presldlng Offlcer state the nature of
- 22 -
such disqualificatlon in an open meetlng. Where no thoroughly
disqualifying conflict of interest appears, the matter of
disqualificatJ.on may, at the request of the Councilmember
affected, be decided by the other Councilmembers. A
Councilmember who is disquallfled by reason of a conflict of
interest in any matter shall not remain in hlS or her 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 city councll table and leave the City council Chambers. A
Councilmember stating such dlsquallficatlon shall not be counted
as part of a quorum and shall be considered absent for the
purpose of determlnlng the outcome of any vote on such matter.
RULE 21- FAILURE TO VOTE.
Every Councllmember is entitled to vote unless disqualified
by reason of a confllct of interest. A Councilmember who
abstains from voting in effect consents that a majority of the
quorum may decide the questlon voted upon.
RULE 22. TIE VOTE.
Tie votes shall be lost motions and may be reconsidered.
RULE 23. CHANGING VOTE.
The vote of a CouncilmeP1ber I'1ay be changed only if he or
she makes a tlmely request to do so immediately follm.,ing 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.
- 23 -
-- - --- - -- - ----
RULE 24. PROCEDURE ON AGENDA ITEMS REQUIRING A MOTION.
The follmving procedure shall be followed In connection
with any Agenda item requlrIng a motion:
(a) city Clerk reads the title.
( b) Explanation by CIty Manager, if called for by the
Presiding Officer.
(c) QuestIons to city Manager by Councllmembers.
(d) All background materIal complete at thlS point.
(e) Public to be heard sUbJect to the limitations set
forth herein.
(f) Close of publIC discussIon.
(g) Presiding Officer to ask for a notIon and second.
(h) Motion and discussIon by the City Council.
(i) The maker of the motion to have a chance for further
discussion.
(j) Presiding Officer to restate the motion.
(k) vote on the motion.
RULE 25. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, AND CONTRACTS.
( a) The preparation of ordinances shall be ordered only by
a majority vote of the City councill except for those ordinances
specified in Section 619 of the city Charter. All ordinances
shall be prepared by the CIty Attorney.
(b) Ordinances shall be prepared according to three
prioritIes. ~'lhen requestlng the preparation of ordinances, the
City Council shall instruct the city Attorney as to whether the
request is "urgent." The City Attorney shall classify all other
requests for ordinances as Ilnorrral" or "extended."
- 24 -
(c) Ordinances designated as "urgent" shall be returned to
the city council at the next subsequent city Council meeting.
Likewise, ordlnances for second read1.ng shall be returned to the
city council at the next subsequent meeting. Ordinances
designated as "normalll or "extended" shall be returned according
to the schedule of due dates prepared by the city Attorney.
( d) Specific due dates for each ordinance, other than
those designated lIurgent," shall be determined by the City
Attorney and due dates for all ordinances shall be communicated
to the City Council ln the next subsequent Agenda package.
Insofar as practicable, the C1.ty Attorney shall endeavor to
return ordinances to the City council which have been designated
as "normal" Wlthln four weeks of the request therefor.
( e) Ordinances des1.gnated as IInormalll shall be processed
in the following manner:
(1) The C1.ty Attorney shall schedule due dates for
such requests on the day follm.nng the CIty council meeting at
which the request is made.
(2 ) By 12:00 noon one calendar \<leek and two days
followlng said meeting (the second Thursday following), the city
Attorney shall submIt drafts of requested ordinances to the city
Manager for review.
(3 ) By 12:00 noon one calendar "-leek and six days
following said meetIng (the second Monday following) , and
following his reVIew, the CIty Hanager shall return sa1.d drafts
to the city Attorney.
( 4 ) By 10:00 a.m. two weeks and two days following
said meeting (the thlrd Thursday following) , the City Attorney
- 25 -
shall submit final documents of requested ordinances to the city
Manager, to be included in the Agenda package for the next
subsequent city council meeting for first reading.
( f) Resolutions shall be prepared, ~..lh e n requested by the
city Council, in the same manner as ordinances in the "normalu
cycle.
(g) Ordinances and resolutions may be voted on in a group
rather than separately, unless a councilmernber expresses a desire
to debate a particular ordinance or resolution, where there is a
division of votes IIproll or licon," or where a specific number of
votes is required by law, in which cases the particular ordinance
or resolutIon shall be consIdered separately.
(h) A resolutIon, unless laId over by a maJority vote of
the City Council, shall be acted upon on the day of presentation.
( I) Hatters cornIng before the CIty Council In the form of
recommendations WhICh reqUIre the preparatlon of an ordinance and
subsequent first and second readings shall be open to public
discussion, except at the tIme of second reading.
(j) The Presiding OffIcer, before calling for a motion on
the adoption of any resolutlon, shall first inquire if there is
anyone who desires to be heard on said proposed resolutIon. All
persons desiring to be heard Dust have registered with the City
Clerk, prior to the discussion of the resolution, their name and
address, and the resolution Item they \".11 sh to speak on and the
Presiding Officer wllI call upon speakers from that list. Public
hearings held at the tlme of first reading and Introduction of
ordinances shall be conducted, Insofar as applicable, in the same
manner.
- 26 -
(k) At the time of adoption of an ordinance or a
resolution, it shall be read in full unless after reading the
title thereof, further read~ng 1S waived by a unanimous vote of
the Councilmembers present. Such consent may be expressed by a
statement of the Pres1d~ng Officer that "If there is no
objection, the further readIng of the Ordinance or Resolution is
waived."
(l) Resolut1ons I!1ay be adopted by the C1ty Council by
title only, and the City Counc~l May dIrect that the resolution,
other than the title, be drafted following such adoption. In
this event, it is not necessary that resolutions so adopted be
returned to the City council after the date of thelr adoption.
(m) Contracts for wh~ch aMounts have been budgeted
previously by the C1ty CounCIl shall be deemed approved by the
budgeting of such aJ110unts and shall not be required to be
presented to the CIty Council for further approval or
authorization for the CIty Hanager to execute the same, so long
as the amounts represented by such contracts are the same as
those amounts approved and budgeted.
RULE 26. PRIOR APPROVAL BY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.
All ordinances, resolutIons, and contract documents shall,
before presentation to the CIty Council, have been approved as to
form and legality by the city Attorney, and shall have been
examined for administration by the City Manager or hIS or her
authorized representative. No request for the preparation of an
ordinance or other item by the City council shall be placed on
- 27 -
the Agenda before the final, reviewed document has been received
by the City Manager.
RULE 27. INFORMAL MEETINGS.
The city CouncIl, sUbJect to notice and other requirements
imposed by law, may hold Informal meetings in the City Council
Chamber of city Hall at such tiMes as may be designated in an
order for a special meeting. At any such informal meeting, the
city CouncIl shall not take any formal or binding actIon upon any
formal motion, resolutIon, ordinance, nor any other action
required by la\ol to be taken by the CIty CouncIl. Such informal
sessions shall be devoted exclusively to the presentation and
exchange of InformatIon.
RULE 28. JOINT MEETINGS WITH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
The CIty Council, durIng the year, shall meet with the
individual Boards and CommiSSIons at least once, ""hen feasible
with the Agenda of the City Council, said meetings to be
calendared as study sessions, to be held in the City Council
Chamber at such tIme as is convenIent to the Councilmembers.
RULE 29. COMMUNICATIONS BY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
No City Board or CommIssion shall transmit an official
resolution or any other correspondence of said Board or
Commission on any matter of CIty POlICY to any non-City Agency,
Board, or Commission vIi thout a vote of such Board or Commission
to do so, nor WIthout the prior approval of the City Council that
such communIcation be so transmItted.
- 28 -
RULE 30. PRESENCE OF CITY STAFF AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
The City Manager, Clty Clerk, and City Attorney, or, in
their absence, their authorlzed representative, shall attend and
be present durlng all City council meetings and gl.ve necessary
service and advice. HOHever, any of the above is permitted to
leave the city Councll Chamber after seeklng and obtaining
permission from the Presiding Officer and be absent therefrom for
a period of tlme not to exceed 10 minutes without said absence
causing a halt in the C~ty Councll proceedings.
RULE 31- ADJOURNMENT.
All Clty Council meetlngs shall adJourn at 11:00 p.m. ,
unless otherwise determined by a tvlO-thirds vote of those
Councilmembers present.
RULE 32. RECORD OF MEETINGS.
All public meetings of the City Council shall be recorded
by tape recorder. The recordlng shall be made by the City Clerk
and shall be part of the records of the city Council. The use of
other recording or televl.sion equipI'1ent lS permitted so long as
it is not disruptive of the meetlng.
RULE 33. INTERPRETATION AND MODIFICATION OF THESE RULES.
These rules shall be lnterpreted ll.berally in order to
provide for the optlmum ln the free interchange of information
and public debate Hithout an unnecessary waste of time or
duplication of effort. These rules may be amended by resolution.
SECTION 2. Resolution Numbers 4525 (CCS) , 4548 (CCS) , 4570
(CCS) , 4631 ( CCS) , 4848 (CCS) , 4909 (CCS) , 6387 (CCS) , 6744
- 29 -
( CCS) , 7212 (CCS) , 7279 (CCS) I 7353 (CcS) I 7417 (CCS) , 7447
(CCS) , 8168 (CCS) , 8489 ( CCS) , and each of them, and any other
resolution adopting, amending, or relatlng to Clty Council Rules
of Order, are hereby repealed in its entlrety.
SECTION 3. The Clty Clerk shall certify to the adoption of
this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be
in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
L_~o ~ .L_
JOSEP~::r{{~~~
Acting ty Attorney
- 30 -
,
CA:RMM:jld808/hpcajpc California
City Counc11 Meeting 1-12-93 Santa Monica,
RESOLUTION NUMBER 8525 (CCS)
(City Counc1l series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SANTA MONICA AMENDING RESOLUTION NUMBER 8489 (CCS)
TO AMEND THE RULES OF ORDER AND PROCEDURE
FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES RESOLVE
AS FOLLmvS:
SECTION 1. Resolut1on Number 8489 (CCS) is amended to read
as follows:
RULES FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
RULE 1. TIME AND PLACE FOR HOLDING REGULAR MEETINGS.
Pursuant to the prov1sions of Sect10n 611 of the Santa
Monica City Charter, the C1ty Council does establish as the days
and time for the holding of regular meetings, the second and
fourth Tuesday of each month. The regular meeting shall commence
at 6:30 p.m. The only agenda item that may be considered between
6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. is a Closed Session. All other agenda
items shall commence after 6:30 p.m. The amount of time
necessary for the Closed Session shall be determined by the Mayor
in consultation with the c1ty Manager and the city Attorney.
However, if any such Tuesday falls on any day designated by law
or by the City council as a day for public feast, thanksgiving,
or holiday, sucQ_regular meetIng shall be held on the date of the
- 1 -
regular meeting next follow1.ng said Tuesday at the hour
heretofore fixed. The city Council Chamber in City Hall is
established as the place for holding its regular meetings.
ROLE 2. QUORUM.
In accordance with Section 614 of the Santa Monica City
Charter, four Councilmembers shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business, but a smaller number may adjourn from
time to time until a quorum 1.S present and those present may
obtain the attendance of the absentees. Except as otherwise
provided in the Charter, or by law, action taken by the City
council shall be taken by a majority vote of the entire
membership of the City Councll.
Whenever any Councilmember ral.ses the question as to the
presence of a quorum I the Presiding Officer shall forthwith
direct the City Clerk to call the roll and shall announce the
result, and such proceedings shall be without debatei but no
councilmember, tvhile speaking, shall be interrupted by raising
the question of the presence of a quorum. Every Councilmember
present must make response when his or her name is called.
The city Council shall judge the qualifications of its
members as set forth by the City Charter.
ROLE 3. MEETINGS TO BE PUBLIC -- EXCEPTION FOR CLOSED
SESSIONS.
(a) All regular, adjourned regular and special meetings of
the city Council shall be publici provided, however, that the
city Council may hold Closed sessions during a regular or special
meeting, from which the public may be excluded, for the purpose
- 2 -
of considering the matters referred to ln Government Code section
54957 or Government Code Sectlon 54957.6 relating to Closed
Sessions of the legislative body, or pursuant to other provisions
of law.
(b) The above subdivision is specifically limited by the
following:
(1) Restrictions regardlng Closed Sessions do not
apply to rneetlngs of committees of the city Council consisting of
less than a quorum of its members.
(2 ) Closed Sessions may not be held to consider the
broad category of "personnelll matters.
(3 ) Closed SeSSlons relating to personnel are
limited to those relating to the appointment, employment, or
dismissal of a public offlcer or employee or to hear complaints
or charges brought against such officer or employee.
( c) The general categories permitting Closed Sessions
shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) To conslder the employment or dismissal of a
public officer or employee, or to hear charges brought against
such person unless the offlcer or employee ln question requests a
public hearing, in which event a public hearing shall be
permitted.
(2) To discuss with the City Attorney litigation
pending, proposed, or anticipated where a public discussion would
benefit the City's adversary and be detrimental to the public.
(3) To meet TN 1 th the Attorney General, District
Attorney, Sheriff, or Chief of Pollce (or their deputies) on
matters posing a threat to the security of public buildings or a -
- 3 -
threat to the publl.c's rl.ght of access to public services or
public facilities.
(4) To instruct city representatives concerning
salaries, salary schedules, or compensation paid in the form of
fringe benefits prior to or during negotiations with employee
organizations.
(5) To negot1ate and discuss with employee
organization representatives following the intervention of a
state labor conciliator 1n a labor dispute.
( 6) To consider matters affecting the national
security in the case of a body operated by a pr1vate corporation
on which city off1cers serve in their official capacity and which
is supported partially or totally by City funds.
(7) To consider those matters which by law are
properly the subject of a Closed Session.
(d) No Councilmember, employee of the city, or any other
person present dur1ng a Closed Session of the City Council shall
disclose to any person the content or substance of any discussion
which took place during said Closed Session unless the city
council shall authorize the disclosure of such information by
majority vote, or unless such disclosure is required, and only to
the extent so required, by the prov1sions of Government Code
Section 54957.1.
RULE 4. AGENDA.
(a) The City Clerk shall prepare the Agenda under the
direction of the City Manager as follows:
-
- 4 -
(I) The City Manager shall consult \-1 i th the Mayor
and Mayor Pro Tempore in the preparatlon of the agenda.
(2 ) The Agenda wlth all supporting matters shall be
delivered to Councilmembers on the Thursday preceding the Tuesday
City council meeting to which It pertains.
(3 ) At any time prior to posting of the Agenda, any
Councilmember or the city Manager may direct any matter to be
placed upon the Agenda.
(4) At least 72 hours before a regular City council
meeting, the City Clerk shall post a copy of the Agenda in the
City Clerk's office and ln the lobby of the Police Department.
In connection with any special meeting of the city council, the
notice calling the meeting and Agenda shall be posted 24 hours
prior to the speclal meeting. The City Clerk shall maintain on
file in the office of the clty Clerk declarations establishing
compllance with the posting requirements.
(5) No action shall be taken on any item not
appearing on the posted Agenda unless the item is added to the
Agenda as follows:
(i) Upon a determinatlon by a majority vote of
the leglslative body that an emergency situation exists, as
defined in Government Code section 54956.5.
(ii) Upon a determinatlon by a two-thirds vote
of the legislative body, or, if less than two-thirds of the
members are present, a unanlnous vote of those members present,
that the need to take action arose subsequent to the Agenda being
posted.
- 5 -
( iii) The item was posted for a prior meeting
of the legislative body occurring not more than five calendar
days prior to the date action is taken on the item, and at the
prior meeting the item was contlnued to the meeting at which
action is being taken.
(6) Hatters directed to be placed on the Agenda by
councilmembers shall be listed thereon in the order of receipt of
such direction.
(b) Dates for public hearings required by law or on
matters of speclal public lnterest shall be set by the City
council or the C1ty Manager. Those matters set for public
hearing by the City council may be so set in the following
manner: The Clty Hanager shall place on an Agenda the item,
"Motion to fix time and date of hearing II The city
. . . .
council shall only hear comments regarding the time and date, and
not the substantlve matter under this heading.
(c) The time and date flxed for public hearings shall be
such that large numbers of citizens can be accommodated in the
City council Chambers and also can be heard early in the evening
and such notices as requlred by law or requested by the City
Council of the same shall be sent out not less than 15 days prior
to the hearlng, unless another time lS otherwise specified by
law.
(d) Where a matter requlres a formal public hearing prior
to final action by the City council, no person shall be heard
thereon except at the time of the public hearing.
( e) No public discussion shall be permitted on second
reading of ordlna~ces, or such other items when public discussion
- 6 -
occurred at a pr~or City Counc~l meeting or when state law so
permits, unless consent is given by two-thirds (2f3) vote of the
Councilmembers present.
RULE 5. CITY COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE.
(a) Non-Council Items. ~vritten communications addressed
to the City Counc11, the subject matter of which comes within the
jurisdiction of any Board, commission, or Department of the city,
may be referred to such body or department, or both, by the City
Manager, and such commun1.cations shall not be placed upon the
City Councll Agenda.
All commun1.cations directly relating to the work or
jurisdiction of a Board, commission, or Department of the city
shall be referred thereto, notwithstanding the fact that direct
city council action may be sought ln such communications; such
communications shall not be placed upon the City Council Agenda.
Any person submitting a wrltten communication to the city
Council which is subsequently referred to a Board, Commission, or
Department of the city shall be notified of such referral by the
City Manager. If dissatisfled with e1.ther the action of the City
Manager or the actlon of the Board, Commission, or Department to
which the communlcation was referred, such person may appeal to
the City council.
( b) Authorlty of the city fvlanager. The city Manager is
authorized to open all ITIail or other written communlcations
collectively addressed to the Clty Council and to give it
immediate attention to the end that all administrative business
referred to in said communlcations l,.,rhich do not necessarily
- 7 -
require Clty council actlon may be acted upon between City
council meetings.
(c) council Items. Correspondence collectively addressed
to the City Council shall be received and opened by the city
Councll's Secretary, transmitted to the appropriate public
officer having jurlsdictlon over, and placed on the Agenda if
City Council actl.on is deemed appropriate by the Mayor, City
Manager, or City Clerk, except that no communication shall be
placed on that Agenda that contal.ns material which:
( 1) Is profane.
(2 ) Is in the nature of a criminal or civil slander,
or is potentially slanderous or libelous.
(3) Advocates or opposes the candidacy of any person
or party for any elective office.
(4) Is primarily an advertisement or promotion or
has as a substantial purpose the advancement of any cause the
major benefit of Wh1Ch 1S private and not public.
(5 ) Does not necessitate city Council action.
(d) Availabill.ty to the Public. correspondence addressed
to individual Councilmembers shall not be opened by the City
Council Secretary unless authorized to do so by individual
Councilmembers. Such communications shall not become public
records until received and filed by the City Council at a
regular, special, or adjourned meeting of the City Council, or
retained or used as provided l.n Government Code section 6250 et
seq. Correspondence received in the City Clerk's office or other
city offices after 5:00 p.m. biO Mondays prior to the City
Council meeting, shall not be placed on the Agenda unless it --
- 8 -
concerns a matter to be considered by the city Council at the
next regular meeting or 1.S determined by the city Manager to be
an urgent matter which should be brought to the immediate
attention of the City councll. Correspondence shall not be read
aloud at a city Councl1 l'1eeting unless requested by a majority
vote of the Council. No 1.tem which is exempted from disclosure
by Government Code section 6254 shall be disclosed or treated as
a public record.
RULE 6. ORDER OF BUSINESS.
The business of the City Councll shall be taken on for
consideration and disposition in the following order:
(a) Closed SeSSl.on. Closed Session may be held between
6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p. ID. , or as part of a staff Administrative
Item.
( b) Call to Order.
(1) Salute to the Flag.
(2 ) InSpl.ratlon.
(c) Roll Call.
(d) Special Agenda Items. (Such as commendations, award
of service pins, introduction of special guests, presentations
and reports by the Santa JvIonica Rent Control Board, Board of
Education of the Santa Mon1.ca-Malibu Unified School District, and
Board of Trustees of Santa Monica College.)
(e) continued Items. Agendized items of a previous City
Council meeting not considered at such meeting.
( f) Consent Calendar. The consent calendar shall consist
of the approval of minutes of previous meetings and those other
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- 9 -
items determined at the pre-CouncIl agenda meeting to be of a
non-controversial nature and which under the city Council Rules
do not generally require a public hearIng. The consent calendar
shall be considered one item regardless of the number of matters
appearing on it and may be approved by a single motion to approve
the consent calendar, unless a Councilmember wishes to be heard
on an item. The title to the IndivIdual consent items need not
be read unless a request to do so is made by any Councilmember.
(With some exceptions, such as the second reading of ordinances,
approval of minutes and statements of official action, public
discussion is permItted but a specific request to speak must be
made in accordance with these Rules. Members of the public shall
have no more than one opportunIty to address the City Council
concerning items on the consent calendar. Members of the public
shall be heard prlor to the City Council votlng on the consent
calendar. )
(g) AdmInistrative Proceedings. Administrative
proceedings in which the city council is required to make a
decision concernIng an indIvidual applIcatIon or appeal. (Public
discussion permltted.)
(h) Ordinances.
( 1) IntroductIon and First Reading. (PUblic
discussion permitted.)
(2) Second Reading and Adoption. (No public
discussion permitted.)
(i) Staff AdminIstrative Items. (PUblic discussion
permitted but a specific request to speak must be made in
accordance with these Rules.) -
- 10 -
(j) Public Hear1.ngs. Public hearings the time for which
has been set prev1.ously or set by law. (Public discussion
permi tted. )
(k) Reports of Boards and commissions. (Public discussion
permitted but a specific request to speak must be made in
accordance with these Rules.)
(1) Resolutions. (Public discussion permitted.)
(m) Written Communications other Than Reports of
Commissions and Officers. The city Clerk shall list written
communications in order of receipt. (Public discussion permitted
but a specific request to speak must be made in accordance with
these Rules.)
(n) Councilmember Discussion Items. The City Clerk shall
list Councilmember discuss~on items ~n order of receipt. (Public
discussion permitted but a specific request to speak must be made
in accordance with these Rules.)
The order of business shall not be changed except by
majority vote of the City Council.
( 0) Public Input. Members of the public may address the
city Council on items of interest to the public that are within
the subject matter jurisdiction of the City CounciL Each
speaker may address the city Councll for 3 minutes. If there are
more than 10 speakers, the clty Councl1 may further 11mit the
time of individual speakers or the total time on a particular
issue. No action may be taken on the item of interest to the
member of the public unless the item appeared on the Agenda in
accordance with Rule 4.
,
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RULE 7. 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 vote of the City Council.
RULE 8. READING OF MINUTES.
Unless the reading of the Minutes of a City Council meeting
is ordered by a majority vote of the City council, such Minutes
may be approved without reading if the City Clerk has previously
furnished each Councilmember with a copy.
RULE 9. PRESIDING OFFICER.
The Mayor shall be the Presiding Officer at all meetings of
the City Council. In the absence of the Mayor, the Mayor Pro
Tempore shall preside. In the absence of both the Mayor and
Mayor Pro Tempore, the clty Clerk shall call the City Council to
order whereupon a temporary Presiding Offlcer shall be elected by
the Councllmembers present to serve until the arrival of the
Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore or until adjournment.
RULE 10. POWERS AND DUTIES OF PRESIDING OFFICER.
(a) Participation. The Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore or such
other member presiding may nove, second, and debate from the
chair, subject only to such 11rnitations of debate as are imposed
upon Councllmembers by these rules and shall not be deprived of
any of the r1.ghts or prlvlleges of a councilmember by reason of
his or her acting as the Presiding Officer.
( b) Duties. The Presldlng Offlcer shall preserve order at
all meetings of the clty Council. Such Officer shall state each
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- 12 -
question coming before the CIty CouncIl, announce the decisions
of the City council on all subjects, and decide all questions of
order; subject, hmvever, to an appeal by the City Council, and a
majority vote of the City council on any question of order shall
govern and determine conclusIvely such question of order.
(c) Signing of DOCUMents. The Presiding Officer shall
sign all ordinances, resolutions, and other documents
necessItating signature vlhich \vere adopted in his or her
presence, unless he or she is unavailable, in which case the
signature of an alternate PresIding Officer may be used. The
city Manager shall execute all contracts on behalf of the City
unless otherWIse ordered by the city Council. No contract shall
be of any force or effect unless authorized by the city council
and approved prior thereto by the city Attorney as to form and
legality.
RULE 1l. 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 City Council. Any Councilmember may
request that anyone appearIng before the City council on any
matter shall be sworn. On receIpt of such a request, all
proceedings shall be suspended and the CIty council will, without
debate, immediately vote on whether the l.ndividual should be
sworn. A majority vote of the councilmembers present shal~
determine vlhether the speaker shall be placed under oath. All
oaths will be admInistered by the City Clerk.
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The City Counc~l shall have the power and authority to
compel the attendance of \v~ tnesses I to examine them under oath,
and to compel the production of evidence before it. Subpoenas
may be issued in the name of the city and be attested by the City
Clerk. Disobedience of such subpoenas, or the refusal to testify
(upon other than constitutional grounds) shall constitute a
misdemeanor.
RULE 12. RULES OF DEBATE.
(a) Getting the Floor. Every Councilmember desiring to
speak shall first address the Chair, ga~n recognition by the
Presiding Officer, and shall confine himself or herself to the
question under debate, avoldlng personalitles and decorous
language.
(b) Questions to Staff. Every Counc~lmember desiring to
question the City Staff shall, after recognition by the Presiding
Officer, address his or her questions to the city Manager, or the
city Attorney, Hho shall be entitled to answe:t" the inquiry
himself or herself or to deslgnate a member of hl.s or her staff
for that purpose.
(c) Interruptions. A Councllmembe:t", once recognized,
shall not be interrupted when speaking unless called to order by
the Presiding Officer, unless a point of order or a personal
privilege is raised by another Counc~lmember, or unless the
speaker chooses to Yleld to a question by another Councilmember.
If a Councilmember, Vlhile speaklng, is called to order, he or she
shall cease speaking until the questlon of order is determined
and, if determ~ned to be in order, may proceed. Members of the
- 14 -
City Staff, after recognItIon by the Presiding Officer, shall
hold the floor until completion of their remarks or until
recognition is withdrawn by the PresidIng Officer.
(d) Points of Order. The Presiding Officer shall
determine all points of order subject to the right of any
Councilmember to appeal to the City Council. If an appeal is
taken, the question shall be: "Shall the decision of the
Presiding Officer be sustained?" A majority vote of the
councilmembers then present shall conclusively determine such
question of order.
(e) POInt of Personal Privilege. The right of a
Councilmember to address the City CounCIl on a question of
personal prlvIlege shall be limited to cases in which the
Councilmember1s Integrlty, character, or motives are questioned
or where the welfare of the City council lS concerned. A
Councilmember raising a point of personal privilege may interrupt
another Councilmember \olho has the floor only if the Presiding
Officer recognizes the privllege.
(f) Prlvilege of ClosIng Debate. The Councilmember moving
the introduction or adoptlon of an ordinance, resolutlon, or
motion, shall have the privIlege of closing debate, after all
other Councilmembers have been gIven an opportunity to speak.
(g) Mot1.on to ReconSIder. A motion to recons1.der any
action taken by the City CounCIl may be made only by one of the
Councilmembers on the prevaIling side and may be seconded by any
Councilmember. Such motion by a prevailing councilmember may be
made at any tlme and shall have precedence over all other motions
or while a Coun~llmember has the floor and said motion shall be -
- 15 -
debatable. A motion by a non-prevail~ng Councilmember or a
request by a member of the public for reconsideration may be made
only if one year has passed since the action was taken.
(h) Calling for the Quest~on. Neither the moving party
nor the party second~ng any Motion ~s allowed to call for the
question.
(i) Limitation of Debate. No councilmember shall be
allowed to speak more than once upon any particular subject until
every other councilmember desiring to do so shall have spoken.
Each Councilmember speaking on anyone ~tem on the Agenda shall
be limited to 10 minutes per ltem to state his or her opinion and
views.
RULE 13. REMARKS OF COUNCILMEMBERS AND SYNOPSIS OF DEBATE.
A Councilmember may request through the Presiding Officer
under the pr~vilege of having an abstract of his or her statement
on any subject under consideration by the City council entered in
the Minutes. If the C1ty Council consents thereto, such
statement shall be entered in the Minutes.
RULE 14. PROTEST AGAINST CITY COUNCIL ACTION.
Any councilmember shall have the r1ght to have the reasons
for his or her dl.ssent from, or his or her protest against, any
act~on of the City council entered in the Minutes. Such dissent
or protest to be entered in the M1nutes shall be made in the
following manner: "I would like the M.lnutes to show that I am
opposed to this action for the following reasons II
. . . .
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- 16 -
- - - -- -- - ~ - - - -
RULE 15. RULES OF ORDER.
Except as othert-llse provlded hereln, the city Charter,
other rules adopted by the Clty councll, or applicable provisions
of state law, the procedures of the city Council shall be
governed by the latest revised edition of Roberts Rules of Order.
The City Councll rules, or any one thereof, may be
suspended by a vote of two-th1rds (2/3) of the Counc1lmembers
present.
RULE 16. FAILURE TO OBSERVE RULES OF ORDER.
Rules adopted to expedite the transaction of the business
of the C1ty Councll 1n an orderly fashion are deemed to be
procedural only and the failure to strictly observe such rules
shall not affect the jurisdiction of the city Council or
invalidate any action taken at a meeting that is otherwise held
in conformity with law.
RULE 17. ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL.
(a) Registration. Each person wishing to address the City
Council regarding ltems on the Agenda where public discussion is
permitted shall register first with the city Clerk his or her
name and address prior to any discussion of that item, and
preferably shall reglster prior to the start of the City Council
meeting.
(b) Manner of Addressing the City Council. Each person
desiring to address the Clty Council shall step up to the
microphone in front of the rall, state his or her name and
address for the record, state the subject he or she wishes to
discuss, state ,whom he or she 1S representing if he or she -
- 17 -
represents an organJ.zation or other person. Unless further time
is granted by maJority vote of the City Council, a person shall
limit his or her remarks to three minutes per item, except if he
or she J.s the applicant or appellant on an Administrative
Proceeding item, in vlhich case a person shall limit his or her
remarks to ten minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the
city Council as a whole and not to any member thereof. No
questions shall be asked of a CouncJ.lmember or a member of the
City Staff wJ.thout the permission of the Preslding Officer.
(c) DiscretJ.on to LimJ.t Duration and Number of speakers.
Where more than one person desires to speak on a particular item,
it shall be ,ojJ. thln the discretion of the Presiding Officer to
limit the number and duratJ.on of presentations to not less than
10 minutes for each side giving equal time for each position or
side. It is recommended that a spokesperson for each side be
chosen prior to the meeting and the city Clerk shall advise
persons of this recommendation. If a spokesperson has not been
selected prior to the meeting, the item may be called and the
Presiding Officer may either pass the item or grant a recess to
permit the selectJ.on of a spokesperson. The Presiding Officer
may also determine which persons have a predomlnate or
proprietary interest in an item and permit such person or persons
to speak first. Nothing ln this section shall be deemed to
preclude the Preslding Officer or a majority of Councilmembers
present from allowing extended debate on any matter.
(d) Consent Calendar and Persons Speaklng on More than One
Item. Any one person ~.,rishlng to speak on more than one item
shall limit his or her remarks to three minutes on the item he or -
- 18 -
she considers most iMportant, tT.vO minutes on the item he or she
considers next most important, and one mlnute on any other item
unless further time is granted by a majorlty vote of the City
council. with regard to matters appearing on the Consent
Calendar, each member of the public wishing to speak will be
given no more than one opportunity to address the city council
concerning items on the consent calendar. For purposes of these
rules, the consent calendar as a whole shall be considered one
item regardless of the number of matters appearlng on the consent
calendar. Members of the publlC t.;ho request to speak on the
consent calendar may speak for no more than three minutes on
matters appearing on the Consent Calendar as provided for in
these rules. This Rule does not apply with respect to a Report
from a Board or Commission nor to an applicant or appellant
speaking on an Administrative Proceeding item.
(e) After Motlon. After a matlon has been made or a
public hearing has been closed, no member af the public shall
address the city Councll from the audience on the matter under
consideration tv i thout flrst securlng permlssion to do so by a
majority vote of the Clty Council.
(f) special Time Limltations. Notwithstanding any other
provision of these Rules, lf fl.fteen or more persons wish to
speak on such an item, or If 40 or more requests to speak on any
combination of items, each speaker's remarks shall be limited to
two minutes. This Rule shall not apply with respect to a Report
from a Board or Commlssion nor to an applicant or appellant
speaking on an Adminlstrative Proceedlng ltern.
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RULE 18. RULES OF DECORUM.
(a) Councl.lmembers. Hhen the cl. ty council is ln session,
Counc.llmembers must preserve order and decorum, and a
Councilmember shall neither by conversation or otherwise delay or
interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the city council nor
disturb any Councl1member ,{lhile speaking or refuse to obey the
orders of the Presiding Off~cer. Councilmembers shall not leave
their seats dur~ng a meeting Vlithout flrst obtaining the
permission of the Presiding Officer.
(b) Employees. Hembers of the city staff and employees
shall observe the same rules of order and decorum as are
applicable to the C~ty Council, with the exception that members
of the city staff who are not seated at the City council table
may leave their seats during a meetlng w~thout first obtaining
the permission of the Presl.d~ng Officer.
( c) Persons Addressing the Counc~l.
(1) No person other than a Councilmember and the
person having the floor shall be permitted to enter into
discussions, either dl.rectly or through a Councilmember, vii thout
permisslon of the Pres~ding Officer.
( 2) No quest~ons shall be asked a Councilmember
except through the Presl.d~ng Officer.
(3) All remarks shall be addressed to the city
Council as a body and not to anyone member thereof.
(4) Any person making impertinent, slanderous, or
profane remarks, or who becomes boisterous while addressing the
City Council, shall be called to order by the Presiding Officer
and, if such conduct continues, may at the discretion of the -
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Presiding Officer, be barred from further audience before the
City Council during that meeting.
(d) Members of the Audience.
(1 ) Any person in the audience or at the City
CouncJ.l table who engages ln disorderly conduct such as hand
clappJ.ng, stamping of feet, ~1histling , using profane language,
yelling, and similar demonstrations, or who disturbs the peace
and good order of the meeting, or who refuses to comply with the
lawful orders of the preslding Officer shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor and upon instructions from the Presiding Officer,
with the consent of the maJorlty, through the City Manager, it
shall be the duty of the Sergeant at Arms to remove any such
person from the city Council Chambers and to place him or her
under arrest.
(2) No person shall be permltted to interrupt the
individual councllmembers or the city Clerk when the City Council
is in seSSlon.
(3 ) Except wlth prior authorizatlon of the Presiding
Officer, no placards, signs or posters, packages, bundles,
suitcases, or other large obJects shall be brought into the City
Council Chambers.
(4) Unless addresslng the City Council or entering
or leaving the Clty Council Chambers, all persons in the audience
shall remain sitting in the seats provl.ded. No person shall
stand or sit in the aisles or along the walls nor shall the
doorways be blocked.
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(5) Except with pr10r author1zation of the Presiding
Officer, the dJ.str1bution of literature, of whatever nature or
kind, is prohibited.
( e) Persons Authorized to be within Ra i 1 . No person
except Councilmember5 and City Staff and recognized
representatives of the news Media shall be permitted within the
rail w1thout the consent of the Presiding Officer.
( f) Enforcement of Decorum. The Chief of Police or such
member or members of the Police Department as he or she may
designate, shall be Sergeant At Arms of the city Council and
shall carry out all orders given by the Presid1ng Officer through
the City Manager for the purpose of Maintaining order and decorum
at City Council meetings. Any Counc1lmember may move to require
the Presiding Officer to enforce the rules and the affirmative
vote of a ma)Or1ty of the City council shall require him or her
to do so.
RULE 19. VOTING PROCEDURE.
Any vote of the city council, including a roll call vote,
may be registered by the members by answering "Aye" for an
affirmative vote or "Noll for a negative vote upon his or her name
being called by the City Clerk. Unless a member of the City
Council states that he or she is not voting, silence shall be
recorded as an affirmative vote.
RULE 20. DISQUALIFICATION FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
Any Councilmember who 1S disqualified from voting on a
particular matter by reason of a conflict of interest shall
publicly state or have the Pres1ding Officer state the nature of
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- ~-- - - - -
such disqualificatlon in an open meeting. Where no thoroughly
disqualifying conflict of interest appears, the matter of
disqualification may, at the request of the Councilmember
affected, be decided by the other Councilmembers. A
Councilrnember who IS dlsquallfied by reason of a conflict of
interest in any matter shall not remain in his or her 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 City Council table and leave the City Council Chambers. A
Councilmember stating such dlsqualiflcation shall not be counted
as part of a quorum and shall be considered absent for the
purpose of determlning the outcome of any vote on such matter.
RULE 21. FAILURE TO VOTE.
Every Councilmember is entltled to vote unless disqualified
by reason of a conflict of lnterest. A Councl1mernber who
abstains from voting in effect consents that a majority of the
quorum may declde the question voted upon.
RULE 22. TIE VOTE.
Tie votes shall be lost motions and may be reconsidered.
RULE 23. CHANGING VOTE.
The vote of a Councilmember may be changed only if he or
she 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.
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RULE 24. PROCEDURE ON AGENDA ITEMS REQUIRING A MOTION.
The followIng procedure shall be followed in connection
with any Agenda Item requIring a motion:
( a) City Clerk reads the tItle.
( b) ExplanatIon by City Manager, if called for by the
Presiding Officer.
( c) QuestIons to city Manager by Councllmembers.
(d) All background materIal complete at this pOInt.
( e) Public to be heard subject to the limitations set
forth herein.
(f) Close of publIC dISCUSSIon.
(g) PresIdIng OffIcer to ask for a motion and second.
(h) MotIon and discussion by the city Council.
(i) The maker of the motion to have a chance for further
discussion.
(j) Presiding OffIcer to restate the motion.
(k) Vote on the motion.
RULE 25. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, AND CONTRACTS.
( a) The preparation of ordinances shall be ordered only by
a majority vote of the City council, except for those ordinances
specifIed in Section 619 of the city Charter. All ordinances
shall be prepared by the City Attorney.
(b) Ordinances shall be prepared according to three
priorities. When requesting the preparation of ordinances, the
City Council shall instruct the city Attorney as to whether the
request is "urgent.1I The Clty Attorney shall classify all other
requests for ordinances as "normal" or "extended."
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- 24 -
-- - - - - ----
(c) Ordinances designated as "urgentll shall be returned to
the Clty Council at the next subsequent city council meeting.
Likewise, ordinances for second reading shall be returned to the
City Councll at the next subsequent meetlng. Ordinances
designated as IInormalll or lIextendedll shall be returned according
to the schedule of due dates prepared by the city Attorney.
( d) Speclfic due dates for each ordinance, other than
those designated "urgent,1I shall be determined by the City
Attorney and due dates for all ordlnances shall be communicated
to the City Councl1 in the next subsequent Agenda package.
Insofar as practlcable, the Clty Attorney shall endeavor to
return ordinances to the City council which have been designated
as IInormalll T..,l thln four Vleeks of the request therefor.
( e) Ordinances designated as "normal" shall be processed
in the following manner:
(1 ) The city Attorney shall schedule due dates for
such requests on the day folloltl ing the city council meeting at
which the request 1S made.
( 2 ) By 12:00 noon one calendar week and two days
following said meet~ng (the second Thursday following), the City
Attorney shall subm1t drafts of requested ordinances to the city
Manager for review.
(3 ) By 12:00 noon one calendar week and six days
following sa1d meeting (the second Monday following) , and
following his reVlew, the C1ty Manager shall return said drafts
to the City Attorney.
(4) By 10:00 a.m. two vleeks and two days following
said meetlng (th.e thlrd Thursday following) , the City Attorney -
- 25 -
-~---
shall subml.t flnal documents of requested ordinances to the City
Manager, to be included ln the Agenda package for the next
subsequent Cl.ty council meetl.ng for first reading.
(f) Resolutions shall be prepared, when requested by the
city Council, in the same manner as ordinances l.n the lInormaltl
cycle.
(g) Ordinances and resolutions may be voted on in a group
rather than separately, unless a councilmember expresses a desire
to debate a particular ordinance or resolution, where there is a
division of votes IIprotl or IIcon,lI or \..;here a specifl.c number of
votes is required by la\v, in which cases the particular ordinance
or resolution shall be considered separately.
(h) A resolution, unless laid over by a majority vote of
the City Council, shall be acted upon on the day of presentation.
(i) Matters coming before the City Council in the form of
recommendations which requl.re the preparation of an ordinance and
subsequent fl.rst and second readings shall be open to public
discussl.on, except at the time of second readl.ng.
(j) The Presiding Offlcer, before calling for a motion on
the adoption of any resolution, shall first inquire if there is
anyone who desires to be heard on said proposed resolution. All
persons desl.ring to be heard must have registered with the City
Clerk, prior to the dlScussion of the resolution, their name and
address, and the resolution ltem they wish to speak on and the
Presiding Officer wlll call upon speakers from that list. Public
hearings held at the time of first reading and introduction of
ordinances shall be conducted, insofar as appllcable, in the same
manner. -
- 26 -
- -
.
(k) At the t1me of adopt1on of an ordlnance or a
resolution, it shall be read ln full unless after reading the
title thereof, further readlng 1S "vai ved by a unanimous vote of
the councilmembers present. Such consent may be expressed by a
statement of the Pres1ding Officer that "If there is no
objection, the further reading of the Ordinance or Resolution is
waived."
(1) Resolutlons may be adopted by the city Council by
title only, and the City Council may direct that the resolution,
other than the title, be drafted following such adoption. In
this event, it is not necessary that resolutions so adopted be
returned to the City Councll after the date of their adoption.
(m) Contracts for ".Jh.lch amounts have been budgeted
previously by the City Councll shall be deemed approved by the
budgeting of such amounts and shall not be required to be
presented to the City council for further approval or
authorization for the City f1anager to execute the same, so long
as the amounts represented by such contracts are the same as
those amounts approved and budgeted.
RULE 26. PRIOR APPROVAL BY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.
All ordinances, resolutlons, and contract documents shall,
before presentation to the Clty Counc.ll, have been approved as to
form and legality by the Cl.ty Attorney, and shall have been
examined for administrat10n by the City Manager or his or her
authorized representative. No request for the preparation of an
ordinance or other ltern by the Clty Councll shall be placed on
,
- 27 -
-- - - - ~ - - - -~- - --
the Agenda before the flnal, reviewed document has been received
by the City Manager.
RULE 27. INFORMAL MEETINGS.
The City Councll, sUbJect to notlce and other requirements
imposed by law, may hold informal meetings in the City council
Chamber of city Hall at such times as may be designated in an
order for a special meeting. At any such informal meeting, the
City Council shall not take any formal or binding action upon any
formal motion, resolution, ordinancel nor any other action
required by law to be taken by the City Council. Such informal
sessions shall be devoted exclusively to the presentation and
exchange of information.
RULE 28. JOINT MEETINGS WITH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
The Clty Councll, durlng the year, shall meet \-l i th the
individual Boards and ComnllSS ions at least once, \"hen feasible
with the Agenda of the City Council, said meetings to be
calendared as study sesslons, to be held in the city Council
Chamber at such tlme as is convenient to the Councilmembers.
RULE 29. COMMUNICATIONS BY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
No city Board or Commisslon shall transmit an official
resolution or any other correspondence of sal.d Board or
Commission on any matter of City policy to any non-City Agency,
Board, or Commission without a vote of such Board or Commission
to do so, nor without the prior approval of the Clty Council that
such communicatl.on be so transmitted.
, ~
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RULE 30. PRESENCE OF CITY STAFF AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
The City Manager, City Clerk, and City Attorney, or, in
their absence, their authorlzed representative, shall attend and
be present during all City Councll meetings and give necessary
service and advice. However, any of the above is permitted to
leave the City Councll Chamber after seeking and obtaining
permission from the Presldlng Offlcer and be absent therefrom for
a period of time not to exceed 10 minutes without said absence
causing a halt in the Clty Councll proceedings.
RULE 31- ADJOURNMENT.
All city Council meetings shall adjourn at 11:00 p.m. ,
unless otherwise determined by a two-thirds vote of those
Councilrnernbers present.
RULE 32. RECORD OF MEETINGS.
All publlC meetings of the city council shall be recorded
by tape recorder. The recording shall be made by the City Clerk
and shall be part of the records of the City Council. The use of
other recording or televislon equipment is permitted so long as
it is not disruptive of the meetlng.
RULE 33. INTERPRETATION AND MODIFICATION OF THESE RULES.
These rules shall be interpreted liberally in order to
provide for the optimum in the free interchange of information
and public debate \-vi thout an unnecessary waste of time or
duplication of effort. These rules may be amended by resolution.
SECTION 2. Resolution Numbers 4525 (CCS) , 4548 (CCS), 4570
(CCS), 4631 (CCS) , 4848 (CCS) , 4909 (CCS) , 6387 ( CCS) , 6744 -
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(CCS) , 7212 (CcS) I 7279 ( CCS) , 7353 ( CCS) f 7417 (CCS) , 7447
(CCS) , 8168 (cCS) , 8489 (CCS) I and each of them, and any other
resolution adopting, amending, or relat~ng to city Council Rules
of Order, are hereby repealed in its entirety.
SECTION 3. The CIty Clerk shall certIfy to the adoption of
this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be
in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
~c~
Acting City Attorney
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.
Adopted and approved this 12th day of January, 1993.
~~f
I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 8525 (CCS)
was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Monica
at a meeting thereof held on January 12, 1993 by the following
Council vote:
Ayes: Councilmembers: Abdo, Genser, Greenberg,
Holbrook, Olsen, Rosenstein,
Vazquez
Noes: Councilmembers: None
Abstain: Councilmembers: None
Absent: councilmembers: None
ATTEST:
~t:4~
city Clerk
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