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FROM: OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
BY: MARK A. SCOTT, INTERIM CITY MANAGER
LAUREN LANGER, INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY
-MRN7F'M�# � #%V - - - - �Tlf:-ej LT[-f'1rCF1q11*1 70% =0 =17M17fRTAWeT1 firs, on City Council agendas are to be requested.
At the August 23, 2022 regular City Council meeting, the City Council asked the Interim City Manager and Interim City Attorney to bring back a discussion item regarding adoption of a policy to address how items appearing on the City Council agendas are to be requested. We note that this matter was also briefly discussed at the August 24, 2021 regular City Council meeting, with no direction given at that meeting.
Therefore, at this time, the City Council has no formal policy regarding the manner in which items are placed on City Council agendas. We understand there has been a practice to allow any member of the City Council to place a matter on an agenda. While this is a permissible policy, it is our experience that such a policy is typically limited to allow one member to add non- controversial items that do not require significant staff resources to an agenda. As was :�emonstrated at the August 23, 2022 regular City Council meeting, because staff has no clear Crection on when it is or is not appropriate to research and prepare a matter for Council's consideration, there is some need for clarification on this matter. For the sake of transparency, consistency and ability of staff to focus resources on the items that are council priorities, consideration of a policy is recommended here.
Cities have adopted varied formal and informal policies and practices to address this matter, as deemed appropriate, based on a number of factors such as the size of staff and organizational structure. Therefore, we note that the City Council is free to consider numerous options. For illustration purposes only, options used in other cities for the Council to consider include:
Requiring at least two members of the City Council to request that an item be placed on the agenda, either through the City Manager or at a noticed public meeting.
2. Permitting any one member of the City Council to place certain matters, or any matt with or without concurrence from other members of the City Council. I
DISCUSSION OF POLICY FOR PLACING MATTERS ON COUNCIL AGENDAS SEPTEMBER 13,2022
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3. Requiring matters to be approved by the Mayor or City Manager prior to being placed on an agenda.
4. Allowing any one member to place an item on an agenda for initial discussion witho expending significant staff resources to prepare, and upon concurrence by at least o e more council member, directing staff to research, analyze and prepare a more compl �11 agenda report with a staff recommendation. This could be a two- step process if t second councilmember needs the initial information report know whether they want a mo robust discussion. I
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discussion where needed. Option 4 most closely implements that recommendation. However, the two step process can seem burdensome for very minor items. One way to address that is if preparation of a staff report would take less than one hour of staff time (for example the sponsorship of a round of golf for charity), those items could be placed on the agenda and approved without the two step process at the City Manager's discretion.
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there is time for the Council to consider the substantive matters on the agenda and not present too many lengthy items on one agenda.
Ultimately, the purpose of this discussion to provide a fair and consistent policy, which is to the benefit of the city councilmembers, city staff and the members of the public. A policy is also z�specially helpful during a period of transition in the city. 11171=3171 MIS M020M. 1111,117171malwar-W ME