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AGENDA RECOMMENDATION |
8.A.
City Council Regular Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 07/28/2025
Agenda Item:
Motion approving updates to the City Council Handbook.
Recommendation/Action(s):
Motion approving update to the City Council Handbook.
Summary:
The City Council recently had a discussion regarding possible improvements to the Council Chambers and related safety protocol adjustments. In addition, staff recommend adding a section to the Council Handbook regarding Rules of Decorum for City Council and Commission meetings.
In addition, upon detailed review, staff recommend a few notable updates to the Handbook, including:
The most significant updates are to Appendix I: Meeting Procedures and Appendix II: Rules of Decorum. In the updated Appendix I, there is a recommended edit for the purpose of City Council Meetings, changing the title of the City Manager’s Report to Council Business, merging Reports and Miscellaneous Business (where Council and/or staff can provide updates on projects, committees, conference attendance, or other matters), and updating the language for Public Comment.
For the Public Comment Section, we continue to maintain the 15 minutes, 3 minutes per speaker, encouragement to register to speak with the City Clerk, noting that the Council does not discuss items under this topic, noting that questions should be directed to the City Clerk, and that the Mayor will call people up to speak. We recommend that the Council remove the provision that the public is only allowed to speak on non-agenda items, allowing for greater participation by the public.
In the new Appendix II: Rules of Decorum, we outline rules for the meeting and provide guidance on what the presiding officer may do to maintain order during a meeting. These Rules include a provision where a party may be removed from the meeting and provide for the way the City Council will handle a situation where decorum may not be restored, and the meeting is shifted to a hybrid meeting. We also highlight that the City is recording, broadcasting, and posting video of the meeting, and acknowledge that members of the public may also silently record a meeting in an unobtrusive manner.
Last, we are recommending removal of the Financial Policies as they are reviewed and updated more frequently than the Council Handbook, making the text out of date. We have provided a link to the adopted policies that may be updated from time to time. We are also recommending deletion of the definition section from the Handbook.
If the Handbook is adopted, staff will update the Meetings/Agendas page on our website to include both Appendix I and II for the public’s awareness.
In addition, upon detailed review, staff recommend a few notable updates to the Handbook, including:
- Updates to current Vision and Values
- Updating references to the recodified City Code
- Update language regarding City Council compensation to match the Charter
- Update language regarding when Council meetings are held
- Add the reading of the Land Acknowledgment Statement at the first meeting of the year
- Elimination of the Intergovernmental Youth Asset Committee as they no longer meet, and of the Human Rights Commission, which was eliminated more than 20 years ago
- Updates to Committees and Boards in which the Council currently serves
The most significant updates are to Appendix I: Meeting Procedures and Appendix II: Rules of Decorum. In the updated Appendix I, there is a recommended edit for the purpose of City Council Meetings, changing the title of the City Manager’s Report to Council Business, merging Reports and Miscellaneous Business (where Council and/or staff can provide updates on projects, committees, conference attendance, or other matters), and updating the language for Public Comment.
For the Public Comment Section, we continue to maintain the 15 minutes, 3 minutes per speaker, encouragement to register to speak with the City Clerk, noting that the Council does not discuss items under this topic, noting that questions should be directed to the City Clerk, and that the Mayor will call people up to speak. We recommend that the Council remove the provision that the public is only allowed to speak on non-agenda items, allowing for greater participation by the public.
In the new Appendix II: Rules of Decorum, we outline rules for the meeting and provide guidance on what the presiding officer may do to maintain order during a meeting. These Rules include a provision where a party may be removed from the meeting and provide for the way the City Council will handle a situation where decorum may not be restored, and the meeting is shifted to a hybrid meeting. We also highlight that the City is recording, broadcasting, and posting video of the meeting, and acknowledge that members of the public may also silently record a meeting in an unobtrusive manner.
Last, we are recommending removal of the Financial Policies as they are reviewed and updated more frequently than the Council Handbook, making the text out of date. We have provided a link to the adopted policies that may be updated from time to time. We are also recommending deletion of the definition section from the Handbook.
If the Handbook is adopted, staff will update the Meetings/Agendas page on our website to include both Appendix I and II for the public’s awareness.