SR-100-000-04 (3)
F:\CMANAGER\Staff Reports\starttime.doc
Council Meeting: January 23, 2001 Santa Monica, CA
To: Mayor and City Council
From: City Staff
Subject: Recommendation to Consider an Earlier Start Time for City Council
Meetings, Discuss Potential Changes in the Categories and Order of
Business and Adopt a Resolution Effecting Changes as Recommended or
Direct Staff to Return with a Resolution Reflecting Council Preferences
Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council take public comment, consider an earlier
start time for City Council meetings, discuss potential changes in the categories and
order of business for meetings and adopt the attached Resolution effecting changes or
direct that a Resolution with alternate content be prepared.
Background
At the January 9, 2001 City Council meeting, staff was directed to return with
recommendations for changing the start time of Council meetings and altering the
categories and order of business. With the objective of increasing the efficiency of
meetings while ensuring broad public participation, a number of issues for Council
consideration are presented here.
Discussion
An earlier start time for meetings is desirable so that 1) Public Sessions can begin and
end at hours convenient for public participation and 2) Closed Sessions are not rushed
1
early in the evening or conducted at so late an hour that some Council members cannot
be present. The work schedules and other commitments of current Council members
suggest that meetings could begin as early as 5:15 p.m., although one Council member
could more reliably commit to 5:30 p.m.
In regard to order of business, the City Council could convene in Council Chambers and
dispose of Consent Calendar items before moving to Closed Session or commencing a
Study Session if one is scheduled. If a lengthy Closed and/or Study Session is
scheduled, removed items from the Consent Calendar could be heard after their
completion. This process would release non-essential staff promptly.
Closed Session and/or a scheduled Study Session could then begin between 5:30 p.m.
and 5:45 p.m. and extend until 6:45 p.m. at the latest, providing up to one hour and
fifteen minutes for consideration of items appropriately addressed in that manner.
Reconvening no later than 6:45 p.m. in Public Session, Council would make any
scheduled ceremonial presentations and hear up to 20 minutes of Public Input,
providing an early evening opportunity for the public to address matters within Council’s
jurisdiction which are not on the agenda.
Following Public Input, the City Council would take up any Consent Calendar items
removed for discussion and items continued from a prior meeting. Upon their
conclusion, Administrative Proceedings (appeals), Ordinances, Staff Administrative
2
Items, Public Hearings, Reports of Boards and Commissions, Resolutions, and
Councilmember Discussion Items would be heard in sequence. Items to be considered
at joint meetings of the Council, Parking Authority, Housing Authority and
Redevelopment Agency, would be categorized as Staff Administrative Items for the
purposes of agenda planning and those agencies would be called to order by the City
Clerk as the items are heard.
The City Council currently hears from members of the public at or near the end of Public
Session in two different ways – Written Communications and Public Input. Council may
wish to revisit the rationale for the Written Communications agenda item. Constituents
write, e-mail, phone and fax Councilmembers daily. Those communications, whether
they are complaints, calls for action or suggestions, are referred to the City Manager for
follow-up and most are successfully resolved by staff. When resolution of such matters
requires Council action, staff will prepare an agenda item including an analysis of the
matter and a recommendation. Alternatively, if a Councilmember feels that a matter has
not been appropriately resolved, he or she can agendize it as a Councilmember
Discussion Item. The purpose of the Public Input item is to take comment on items
within Council’s jurisdiction, but not on the agenda. Printed material may be provided to
the City Clerk and distributed to the Council by speakers on any item. While Council
cannot discuss an item brought in this manner, they can refer the speaker to staff for
follow-up. The Public Input item, in addition to the normal means of addressing
communications to Councilmembers, would appear to satisfy both the letter and the
3
spirit of the Open Meetings Act without the necessity of a separate Written
Communications category.
In summary, the following order of business is one option which the City Council could
consider:
5:15 p.m. Public Session Commences
?
Call to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Inspiration and Roll Call
?
Consent Calendar (if items are removed for discussion and the Closed
Session agenda is lengthy, the removed items may be heard following
Closed Session)
?
Closed Session
?
Study Session
Public Session Reconvenes (no later than 6:45 p.m.)
?
Special Agenda Items (presentations)
?
Public Input (limit to 20 minutes)
?
Continuation of Consent Calendar (if items were removed for
discussion)
?
Continued Items from Prior Meetings
?
Administrative Proceedings (appeals)
?
Ordinances
?
Staff Administrative Items (including joint meeting items)
?
Public Hearings
4
?
Reports of Boards and Commissions
?
Resolutions
?
Councilmember Discussion Items
11:00 p.m. Adjournment
A resolution detailing the above changes is provided at Attachment A should Council
wish to proceed to adopt them this evening.
Budget /Financial Impact
A change in the start time and order of business of City Council meetings will have no
direct fiscal impact, although it is possible that overtime expenditures will be reduced by
having the Consent Calendar handled at an earlier hour.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council take public comment, discuss the above
changes and adopt the attached Resolution if desired or direct staff to return with a
Resolution reflecting Council’s preference for change.
Prepared by: Susan E. McCarthy, City Manager
Maria Stewart, City Clerk
Attachment: Resolution amending Resolution Number 9456 (CCS) Regarding the
Rules of Order and Procedure for the Conduct of City Council Meetings
5