Joint Special Council/BFPD
12/16/25 05:30 PM
City Manager Department
Matthew Summers
Report
Doc ID: 6236
AGENDA ITEM
AGENDA MATTER:
REQUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WILLIAMS AND NOBLE FOR CENSURE AND RELATED ACTIONS TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS WITHIN CITY COUNCIL’S POWER REGARDING MAYOR PRO
TEM ROSE UNDER CITY ETHICS CODE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Council Members Williams and Noble have requested that the City Council consider censuring Mayor Pro Tem Rose related to her conduct and consider related actions to impose sanctions within the City Council’s power under the City’s Ethics Code.
DISCUSSION:
In 2006 the City Council adopted an Ethics Code and Censure Policy and Procedures (Resolution No. 4289-2006). A copy of the Ethics Code and Censure Policy and Procedures is attached to this report (Attachment A). Under the “Implementation and Enforcement” section of the Ethics Code, the City Council is granted the authority to “impose sanctions on members whose conduct is not in compliance with the ethical standards as set forth. Those sanctions may include but are not limited to, reprimand, formal censure, budget restrictions and removal from boards and commissions.” The City’s Censure Policy is intended to provide “the mechanism by which the City Council, acting as a whole, can discipline and punish any of its members who violate state or federal laws, city ordinances, or policies.” A request for the City Council to consider a censure motion was orally submitted by Councilmember Williams and seconded by Council Member Noble in public at the December 2, 2025 City Council meeting with regard to Mayor Pro Tem Rose. Council Member Williams followed with a written censure request, per the censure policy. This written request for Council consideration of a censure motion effects compliance with the initiation provisions of the censure policy, and as a result, the matter is now before the City Council.
Censure by the City Council constitutes and is to be treated as an official expression of disapproval or criticism. A censure, if approved, represents the opinion of at least a two-thirds majority of the members of the City Council stating an official reprimand. The City Council may additionally impose other sanctions within the City Council’s power. The City Council cannot remove any Council Member from office.
A censure hearing is not a judicial proceeding and is not subject to judicial rules of evidence, crossexamination, or admissibility of evidence. A Councilmember or Mayor who is the subject of a censure request is entitled to due process, with notice and an opportunity to respond and provide a defense.
Mayor Pro Tem Rose was provided with a copy of this Agenda Report once completed and distributed to the City Council and the public.
The City Council acts as a factfinder in a censure proceeding; and as such, like other City Council hearings, Councilmembers may ask questions of staff, each other, or speakers. Any motion to censure a Councilmember should recite clear and fact-supported reasons for the proposed action and should include direction to prepare a resolution setting forth those reasons. Any motion to censure a Councilmember and adopt a resolution must be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of the City Council, under the current Censure Policy.
The City’s Censure Policy creates a procedure for how censure motions are to be handled. At the Joint Special Council/BFPD
12/16/25 05:30 PM
City Manager Department
Matthew Summers
Report
Doc ID: 6236
AGENDA ITEM
hearing, the member of Council subject to the censure request must be given an opportunity to make an opening and closing statement and to question their accusers. The member of the Council subject to censure may be represented by another party who may speak on their behalf or may speak for themselves.
The following procedure is recommended to be followed with regard to the request by Councilmembers Williams and Noble, with this item to be chaired by the Mayor, implementing these policies. Councilmembers Williams and Noble should be provided the opportunity to summarize their censure request and the proposed findings of fact that support the request. Mayor Pro Tem Rose should be provided the opportunity to present an initial response or rebuttal to the censure request.
Public testimony on the censure request should be allowed. Upon the completion of such testimony, the opportunity for public input should be closed. Councilmembers Williams and Rose should be provided the opportunity to present final comments on their censure request.
Mayor Pro Tem Rose should be provided the opportunity to present a final response or rebuttal to the censure request.
Any Councilmember may then ask questions.
Any Councilmember may then provide comments regarding the matters presented.
At this point in the proceedings, any Councilmember who wishes to make a motion can do so. The primary options for a motion include (a) take no action on the censure request, (b) deny the censure request, or (c) approve the censure request. As indicated above, a motion to censure Mayor Pro Tem should recite clear and fact-supported reasons for the proposed action. The City’s current Censure Policy requires a vote to adopt a Resolution making findings formally censuring a Councilmember be approved by a two-thirds vote of the City Council. If desired, the City Council may also take other actions to impose sanctions within its power.
Subject to a second, any motion made should be deliberated and, upon the completion of deliberations, a vote should be taken on the censure motion. Mayor Pro Tem Rose, as the subject of any censure motion that may be made, is advised to abstain from any vote on any censure motion himself.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are no fiscal impacts as a result of this item.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The City Council may consider Councilmember Williams and Noble’s request for censuring Mayor Pro Tem Rose related to her conduct and consider related actions to impose sanctions within the City Joint Special Council/BFPD
12/16/25 05:30 PM
City Manager Department
Matthew Summers
Report
Doc ID: 6236
AGENDA ITEM
Council’s power under the City’s Ethics Code, and in so doing consider any response or rebuttal from Mayor Pro Tem Rose, hear public testimony and take any action determined to be appropriate based on the matters presented and deliberated.