DATE: 02/05/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: City Manager’s Department
2025-47
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
MAYOR STEINER’S REQUEST FOR COUNCIL’S CONSIDERATION TO ADJUST THE
REGULAR MEETING START TIME
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Mayor Jim Steiner has proposed adjusting the start time of the City Council’s regular meetings to 6:00 p.m. to promote greater community engagement and accessibility. This proposal aims to make it easier for residents to participate in Council meetings by limiting the use of afternoon study sessions and shifting more agenda items to evening sessions.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
a. That the City Council introduce, by title only, and waive full reading of consideration of Ordinance No. 3411, the first reading of an ordinance amending Section
2.08.010 of the Corona Municipal Code to allow the City Council to set its regular meeting start times by resolution.
b. Adopt Resolution No. 2025-011, approving the City Council Meeting Schedule for Calendar Year 2025.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
On January 9, 2025, Mayor Steiner submitted a Future Agenda Request to adjust the start time of regular City Council meetings from 6:30 p.m. from 6:00 p.m. In addition to changing the meeting time, the proposal includes readjusting the use of study sessions to accommodate relevant agenda items in evening meetings. These changes align with the City's ongoing efforts to enhance transparency, public engagement, and community participation. The goal is to improve accessibility for residents who may face scheduling conflicts when attending study sessions and open meetings in the afternoon.
Mayor Steiner briefly discussed the item at the January 15, 2025, City Council Meeting, and the rest of the City Council provided consent to put the topic on a future City Council Meeting agenda for further discussion.
ANALYSIS:
Corona Municipal Code (CMC) Section 2.08.010 currently states the start time for regular City Council meetings. Therefore, adjusting the start time requires an amendment to this section.
Staff analyzed this proposal and determined that adopting the start time of regular City Council meetings and closed sessions via resolution would be a better practice and provide additional flexibility to the City Council. Thus, this is reflected in the proposed Ordinance.
Should the City Council choose to change the start time of its meetings to 6:00 p.m., staff recommends adopting the attached ordinance and conducting the first reading. If the first reading is conducted, a second reading will occur during the Council Meeting on February 19, 2025. The CMC change would then go into effect 30 calendar days later. As a result, the first City Council Meeting with a regular start time of 6:00 p.m. would be April 2, 2025.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this action.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt under Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may substantially affect the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action seeks council approval to change the start time of regular council meetings and thus has no potential for having a significant effect on the environment.
PREPARED BY: TALA QASQAS, MANAGEMENT FELLOW AND,
AMINAH MEARS, DPA, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: BRETT CHANNING, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 - Future Agenda Item Request
2. Exhibit 2 – Ordinance 3411 (REDLINE)
3. Exhibit 3 – Ordinance 3411 (CLEAN)
4. Exhibit 4 - Resolution 2025-011 (CLEAN)