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TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
ATTENTION: Ryan Smoot, City Manager
FROM: Karl H. Berger, City Attorney
Joaquin Vazquez, Deputy City Attorney
SUBJECT: Consideration and possible action to waive further reading and adopt Ordinance No. 1452 - An Ordinance adding § 2.04.080 to Bellflower Municipal Code to implement the Bellflower City Charter by establishing voting requirements for ordinances, resolutions, and other City Council actions.
DATE: January 26, 2026
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Ordinance No. 1452 was introduced on January 12, 2026. Second reading and adoption is recommended. If adopted, the ordinance will take effect in 30 days.
RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL
1) Waive further reading, including by title, and adopt Ordinance No. 1452; or
2) Alternatively, discuss and take other action related to this item.
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
ATTACHMENTS
January 12, 2026, Staff Report (Without Attachments) ................................................... 2 Ordinance No. 1452 ........................................................................................................ 4
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ATTACHMENT
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
ATTENTION: Ryan Smoot, City Manager
FROM: Karl H. Berger, City Attorney
Joaquin Vazquez, Deputy City Attorney
SUBJECT: Consideration and possible action to read by title only, waive further reading, and introduce Ordinance No. 1452 - An Ordinance adding § 2.04.080 to Bellflower Municipal Code to implement the Bellflower City Charter by establishing voting requirements for ordinances, resolutions, and other City Council actions.
DATE: January 12, 2026
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Bellflower City Charter (the “Charter”) grants the City Council broad authority over municipal legislative procedures and expressly authorizes the Council to implement the Charter by ordinance or resolution. This Ordinance adds § 2.04.080 to the Bellflower Municipal Code (“BMC”) to codify voting requirements for City Council actions, including ordinances, resolutions, and motions, consistent with the Charter and applicable state law.
The Ordinance is intended to clarify the default voting standard for City Council actions, a majority vote of Council Members present at a properly noticed meeting with a quorum, while expressly preserving any higher vote thresholds required by the Charter, the California Constitution, or state law of statewide concern. The Ordinance does not change any substantive voting requirements imposed by existing law, but instead provides clear, centralized guidance within the BMC regarding how Council actions are adopted.
RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL
It is recommended that the City Council consider:
1) Read by title only, waive further reading, and introduce Ordinance No. 1452, adding § 2.04.080 to the Bellflower Municipal Code to establish voting requirements for ordinances, resolutions, and other City Council actions consistent with the City Charter; or
2) Alternatively, discuss and take other action related to this item.
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Staff Report – Ordinance on Voting Requirements
January 12, 2026
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of the Ordinance will have no fiscal impact. The Ordinance addresses internal legislative procedures and does not create new programs, staffing needs, or operational costs.
PUBLIC NOTICE
This item has been noticed as part of the regular City Council agenda in accordance with state law. No additional public notice is required.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Ordinance is exempt from additional review under the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., “CEQA”) and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 California Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq., the “CEQA Guidelines”) because, under CEQA Guidelines §§ 15061(b)(3) and 15378(b)(5), the Ordinance establishes internal governmental procedures that have no potential to cause a significant effect on the environment.
DISCUSSION
Charter Article VIII(C) authorizes the City Council to “implement all aspects of this Charter by ordinance or resolution,” and Article VIII(A) directs that the Charter “must be broadly construed” to liberally facilitate the City’s exercise of municipal powers.
Matters relating to municipal legislative procedure, including the method and voting requirements by which ordinances, resolutions, and motions are adopted, constitute municipal affairs subject to local control under Charter Articles II and III.
The purpose of this Ordinance is to implement the Charter by establishing voting requirements in the Bellflower Municipal Code (“BMC”) for City Council action, including without limitation, the adoption of ordinances, resolutions, and motions, consistent with the Charter’s liberal construction and the City’s authority over municipal legislative procedures. Under the proposed BMC § 2.04.080, ordinances, resolutions, and motions are adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of Council Members present at a properly noticed meeting with a quorum, unless a higher vote threshold is required by the Charter or applicable state law.
The Ordinance does not alter or supersede any existing supermajority or heightened vote requirements imposed by the Charter, the California Constitution, or statutes of statewide concern, such as those applicable to urgency ordinances or fiscal emergencies.
ATTACHMENT
Ordinance No. 1452 ........................................................................................................ 3
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CITY OF BELLFLOWER
ORDINANCE NO. 1452
AN ORDINANCE ADDING § 2.04.080 TO THE BELLFLOWER
MUNICIPAL CODE TO IMPLEMENT THE BELLFLOWER CITY
CHARTER BY ESTABLISHING VOTING REQUIREMENTS FOR
ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, AND OTHER COUNCIL
ACTIONS
THE CITY COUNCIL DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council finds and declares as follows:
A. Bellflower City Charter (“Charter”) Article VIII(C) authorizes the City Council to “implement all aspects of this Charter by ordinance or resolution,” and Article VIII(A) directs that the Charter “must be broadly construed” to liberally facilitate the City’s exercise of municipal powers.
B. Under Charter Articles II and III, matters relating to municipal legislative procedure, including the method by which ordinances are adopted, constitute municipal affairs subject to municipal control.
C. The purpose of this Ordinance is to implement the Charter by establishing voting requirements in the Bellflower Municipal Code (“BMC”) for City Council action, including without limitation, the adoption of ordinances, resolutions, and motions, consistent with the Charter’s liberal construction and the City’s authority over municipal legislative procedures.
SECTION 2. BMC § 2.04.080 is added to the BMC to read as follows:
“ * * *
§ 2.04.080. Voting Requirements.
A. Except where a higher vote is required by the City Charter, the California Constitution, or California law of statewide concern, an ordinance, resolution, or motion must be adopted upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the Council Members present at a properly noticed meeting at which a quorum is present.
B. Nothing in this section alters or supersedes any vote requirement expressly stated in the City Charter or state law, including, without limitation, supermajority votes for urgency ordinances and fiscal emergencies.”
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City of Bellflower
Ordinance No. 1452
SECTION 3. Construction. This Ordinance must be broadly construed to achieve the purposes stated in this Ordinance. It is the City Council’s intent that the provisions of this Ordinance be interpreted or implemented by the City and others in a manner that facilitates the purposes set forth in this Ordinance.
SECTION 4. Enforceability. Repeal of any provision of the Bellflower Municipal Code does not affect any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred before, or preclude prosecution and imposition of penalties for any violation occurring before this Ordinance’s effective date. Any such repealed part will remain in full force and effect for sustaining action or prosecuting violations occurring before the effective date of this Ordinance.
SECTION 5. Electronic Signatures. This Ordinance may be executed with electronic signatures in accordance with Government Code §16.5. Such electronic signatures will be treated in all respects as having the same effect as an original signature.
SECTION 6. Severability. If any part of this Ordinance or its application is deemed invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the City Council intends that such invalidity will not affect the effectiveness of the remaining provision or application and, to this end, the provisions of this Ordinance are severable.
SECTION 7. Recordation; Validity of Previous Code Sections. If this entire Ordinance or its application is deemed invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, any repeal or amendment of the BMC or other city ordinance by this Ordinance will be rendered void and cause such previous BMC provision or other the city ordinance to remain in full force and effect for all purposes.
SECTION 8. Environmental Assessment. The City Council finds that adoption of this Ordinance is exempt from additional review under the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., “CEQA”) and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 California Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq., the “CEQA Guidelines”) because, under CEQA Guidelines §§ 15061(b)(3) and 15378(b)(5) the Ordinance establishes internal governmental procedures that have no potential to cause a significant e ffect on the environment.
SECTION 9. Publication. The City Clerk is directed to certify the passage and adoption of this Ordinance; cause it to be entered into the City of Bellflower's book of original ordinances; make a note of the passage and adoption in the records of this meeting; and, within 15 days after the passage and adoption of this Ordinance, cause it to be published or posted in accordance with California law.
SECTION 10. Effective Date. This Ordinance will become effective 30 days after adoption.
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City of Bellflower
Ordinance No. 1452
ORDINANCE NO. 1452 HAD ITS FIRST READING ON JANUARY 12, 2026, ITS SECOND READING ON JANUARY 26, 2026, AND WAS DULY PASSED, APPROVED, AND
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BELLFLOWER AT ITS REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY 26, 2026.
________________________________
Sonny R. Santa Ines, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________________
Mayra Ochiqui, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
KARL H. BERGER, CITY ATTORNEY
_____________________________________
By: Joaquin Vazquez, Deputy City Attorney
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