That City Council review, approve, and adopt the Governing Body Public Meeting Policy (formerly known as Council/Agency Meeting Policy).

The current Council/Agency Meeting Policy was approved by City Council on November 20, 2000.  Due to the implementation of new agenda management system, electronic recording methods, and other changes that have been made over the years regarding how the City's public meetings are conducted, staff has reviewed and updated the existing 20-year old policy for Council consideration.  A redline version of the original Council/Agency Meeting Policy has been attached for Council review (Attachment No. 1), as well as the updated version titled "Governing Body Public Meeting Policy" (Attachment No. 2). 

If adopted, the proposed policy will be in alignment with the current process by which meetings are conducted, as well as making certain recommended changes, to include the following:

1. In order to ensure consistency in the way meetings are administered, staff recommends that the policy be applicable to all governing bodies of the City of La Habra, such as the Planning Commission, Community Services Commission, Beautification Committee, and all other potential governing bodies that may be established by the City Council in the future.
2. Addition of a notice in the policy that states that the revised "Governing Body Public Meeting Policy" supersedes any previous policies for any governing bodies, that it may be modified as needed, and that the rules may be suspended as necessary.
3. The order of business on public agendas has been modified as follows: Closed Session is first, followed by the Call to Order, Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call, Closed Session Announcements, Proclamations / Presentations, general Public Comments (which has been specified to only pertain to matters not on the agenda), Consent Calendar, Consent Calendar Items Removed for Separate Discussion, Public Hearings, Consideration Items, Mayor's Community Calendar, Comments from Staff, Comments from the Governing Body, and finally, Adjournment.
4. Public Comment time limits for non-Public Hearing items on the agenda: Three minutes per individual, with a total time limit for all public comments of 30 minutes for each of the following agenda sections: general Public Comments, each Consent Calendar Item Removed for Separate Discussion, and each Consideration Item.
5. Public Comment time limits for Public Hearing items: Three minutes per individual during Public Hearings, with no limit on the total time period for all public comments pertaining to each Public Hearing item on the agenda.
6. Establishes that all public meetings will conclude by 10:30 p.m; however, allows that if the business for that meeting has not been completed by 10:30 p.m., the governing body for that meeting has the option to continue the meeting to a date/time certain, or can continue the meeting beyond 10:30 p.m. in order to complete the remainder of the business on the agenda, subject to the approval of a majority of the members of that governing body.
7. Updated the days that the City Council's electronically recorded meetings will be replayed on local cable Channel 3 to be the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday immediately following each City Council meeting.
8. Updated the types of electronic media devices/format that public meetings will be recorded in.

None

ED 6.2