HomeMy WebLinkAboutNB 9 AGENDIZING 04-03-89AGEN
DATE: 03/28/89
TO: HONORABLE RAYOR AND CITY COUI~IL
FRO#: CITY &TTORNEY
SUBJECT: AGKNDAS AND AGENDZZING
NEW BUSINESS
NO. 9
4-3-89
(Revised)
Inter -Com
REVISED
We have been asked for a memorandum on procedures for agendizing
matters for City Council meetings.
1. The City Council has the ultimate control of the
conduct of City business, including the manner of conducting
meetings and establishing their agendas.
2. Agendas must contain a brief, general description of
each item of business ~o be transacted or discussed and must be
· posted at least seventy-two (72) hours p.rior to the meeting.
Only those matters which are set forth in the agenda 'may be
considered or acted upon at the meeting,
3. Based upon common practice and with the express or
tacit approval of the City Council most cities follow a procedure
where the staff causes matters to be placed on the agenda which
it feels are necessary for information, consideration and/or
action by .the City Council. Typically staff submits matters to
the. City Manager who must approve their inclusion on the agenda.
However, this is an informal procedure which can only be followed
as long as it has the express or tacit consent of the City
Council. The City Council may at any time prescribe a different
procedure. Many cities .have more elaborate, complex and formal
procedures for agenda preparation. In cities with less ~ormal
agenda procedures, if a member of the City Council requests that
a matter be placed on the agenda, the City Manager, under the
tacit authority accorded to him by the City Council, would cause
it to be placed on the agenda. However, if the City Manager is
directed by one councilmember to place an item on the agenda and
by another councilmember to not place the item on the agenda, the
only appropriate action for the City Manager or any other staff
person is not to place the matter on the agenda and leave the
decision to agendize or not to agendize to the Council.
4. If the City Council wishes to do so it may by minute
order, resolution or ordinance prescribe procedures for
a.gendizing matters. The Council can establish a policy that all
staff-proposed matters approved by the City Manager are to be
agendized, but that no matter requested .by anyone other than a
staff member shall be agendized without fzrst having approval of
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the City Council. ~uch approval would have t- be given during a
regular council me, lng. Another po~ibilit, would be for the
City council to delegate to the Mayo£ or some other member or
members (fewer than three, i.e, not a quorum of the Council) the
responsibility of approving any non-staff item proposed to be
agendized and if the Mayor or other councilmember(s) declined to
approve the placement o£ an item on the agenda; then it would be
up to any coun'cilmember who wanted a mattes agendized to make a-
'motion. at'the next meeting to have the item agendized and upon a
second to the motion and 'approval by a majority of the council
the matter would then be agendized
City Attorney
JGR: cas '. R: 3/31/89
cc: WH