Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: REGULAR AGENDA (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: CONSIDERATION OF UPDATES TO THE CITY COUNCIL
RULES OF CONDUCT
Date: April 22, 2025
Written by: Damien O'Bid, City Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to approve revisions to the City Council Rules of Conduct to clarify the agenda.
Background
In accordance with Government Code 36813 the City Council can ”...establish rules for the conduct of its proceedings”. Additionally, the Cotati Municipal Code, Section 2.04.040 states that, ”The council may, by resolution, provide for rules and regulations governing the procedures to be followed in any regular or special meeting of the council”. The City Council has adopted various versions of the City Council Rules of Conduct (City Council Rules) through the years to document the processes and procedures necessary to ensure that City Council meetings are orderly and can efficiently conduct the City’s business. The current version of the City Council Rules was most recently amended at the April 8, 2025 City Council meeting, as City Council Policy 2025-01.
Analysis/Discussion
To encourage efficient management of the City’s business items, avoid repeated disruptions from the audience and related delays to the public meetings while also providing ample opportunities for all citizens to provide comment on any item being considered by the City Council, as well as any other items under the City’s purview, the City recently updated the City Council Rules as Policy 2025-01. At this meeting, it was suggested that staff consider the agenda placement of Public Comment on Non-Action Agenda Items and return to the City Council.
Proposed City Council Rules Changes
To reduce the continued disruptions of the public meetings, the proposed City Council Rules move up Public Comment on Non-Action Agenda Items to immediately following the renamed Call to Order – Roll Call. This is intended to give members of the public the opportunity to comment on any non-action agenda item at the start of the meeting.
Additionally, there are changes to clarify that the City Council will open any non-action item for public comment if there is any discussion (beyond simple City Council follow-up questions) or if any action is proposed to be taken.
Lastly, Approval of Final Agenda has been renamed “Agenda Review”, consistent with many neighboring cities and is no longer an action item. If the City Council proposes any changes to the agenda, the City Council will open this item up for public comment, as clarified above.
Financial Considerations
The proposed change in the City Council Rules will not result in any new expenditure.
Environmental Issues
Where it can be determined with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA review.
This general rule can be applied to activities which could be subject to the CEQA process, but which logic dictates should not be subject to CEQA review. Therefore, based on the information provided above, the proposed resolution is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 14.03.021 of the CEQA Guidelines in that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant impact on the environment.