Report to City Council
ID: 25-0111 Page 1
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Patty Rodriguez, CMC, Manager of the Office of Mayor and City Council/City Clerk
AGENDA DATE: February 18, 2025
TITLE: ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING POLICY
FOR EXCUSED ABSENCES FROM CITY COUNCIL
MEETINGS (REPORT OF: CITY CLERK)
TITLE SUMMARY: Adopt Resolution Establishing a Policy and Procedures Pertaining to Excused Absences from City Council Meetings
Recommendation(s)
That the City Council:
1. Adopt the Resolution Establishing a Policy and Procedures Pertaining to Excused Absences from City Council Meetings.
Summary
Section 36513 (a) of the California Government Code provides that i f a city councilmember is absent without permission from all regular city council meetings for 60 days consecutively from the last regular meeting he or she attended, his or her office becomes vacant and shall be filled as any other vacancy. Section 36513 (b) of the California Government Code further provides that if a city council meets monthly or less frequently than monthly and a city councilmember is absent without permission from all regular city council meetings for 70 days consecutively from the last regular meeting he or she attended, his or her office becomes vacant and shall be filled as any other vacancy.
State law does not mandate that cities adopt a written policy or written procedures pertaining to excused absence from a city council meeting, and the City does not currently have a written policy or written procedures pertaining to excused absences from City Council meetings.
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At the regular City Council meeting held on February 4, 2025, Mayor Pro Tem Baca-Santa Cruz and Councilmember Delgado suggested the development of a policy regarding Council absences.
Proposed Policy and Procedures
The proposed Resolution sets forth the following policy and procedures regarding excused absences:
Any councilmember who may not be able to attend a scheduled city council meeting and wants to be excused from attending a city council meeting shall promptly notify the city clerk at least __ hours prior to the scheduled city council meeting in writing, via email or text, unless otherwise prohibited due to illness or technological infeasibility, the reason or reasons why the councilmember cannot attend the subject city council meeting.
The city clerk shall forward a copy of the reque st to be excused to the entire city council, the city manager and the city attorney immediately upon receipt of the request to be excused by the city clerk. The city clerk shall verbally disclose at the city council meeting, at the appropriate time on the agenda, of any requests to be excused received from any councilmember.
The city council shall approve a request to be excused if the absence is due to any of the following: (1) the councilmember is ill; (2) the councilmember has to provide care to an i ll spouse, domestic partner or other partner or dependent who resides with the councilmember, (3) the councilmember must attend an official city event approved by the city council, or (4) for any other reason approved by a 2/3rds vote of the city council.
The action taken by the city council on a request to be excused from attending a city council meeting shall be included in the minutes of the respective city council meeting.
If the above provisions are approved by the City Council, they will be added to the Rules of Procedure for Council Meetings and Related Functions and Activities as follows:
1.1.3.1 Requests to be Excused from attending City Council Meetings.
Any councilmember who may not be able to attend a scheduled city council meeting and wants to be excused from attending a city council meeting shall promptly notify the city clerk at least __ hours prior to the scheduled city council meeting in writing, via email or text, unless otherwise prohibited due to illness or technological infeasibility, the reason or reasons why the councilmember cannot attend the subject city council meeting. The city clerk shall forward a copy of the request to be excused to the entire city council, the city manager and the city attorney immediately upon receipt of the request to be excused by the city clerk. The city clerk shall verbally
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disclose at the city council meeting, at the appropriate time on the agenda, of any requests to be excused received from any councilmember. The city council shall approve a request to be excused if the absence is due to any of the following: (1) the councilmember is ill; (2) the councilmember has to provide care to an ill spouse, domestic partner or other partner or dependent who resides with the councilmember, (3) the councilmember must attend an official city event approved by the city council, or (4) for any other reason approved by a 2/3rds vote of the city council. The action taken by the city council on a request to be excused from attending a city council meeting shall be included in the minutes of the respective city council meeting.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Adopt the Resolution Establishing a Policy and Procedures Pertaining to Excused Absences from City Council Meetings. [STAFF RECOMMENDS THIS ALTERNATIVE.]
2. Do not adopt the Resolution Establishing a Policy and Procedures Pertaining to Excused Absences from City Council Meetings [STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND THIS ALTERNATIVE.]
FISCAL IMPACT
No Fiscal Impact.
NOTIFICATION
Publication of Agenda.
PREPARATION OF STAFF REPORT
Prepared By: Department Head Approval:
Patty Rodriguez, CMC Patty Rodriguez, CMC
Manager of the Office of the Mayor and City Council/City Clerk Manager of the Office of the Mayor and City Council/City Clerk
CITY COUNCIL GOALS
Advocacy: Develop cooperative intergovernmental relationships and be a forceful advocate of City policies, objectives, and goals to appropriate external governments, agencies and corporations.
Community Image, Neighborhood Pride and Cleanliness: Promote a sense of community pride and foster an excellent image about our City by developing and executing programs which will result in qual ity development, enhanced neighborhood preservation efforts, including home rehabilitation and neighborhood restoration.
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Positive Environment: Create a positive environment for the development of Moreno Valley's future.
Public Facilities and Capital Projec ts: Ensure that needed public facilities, roadway improvements, and other infrastructure improvements are constructed and maintained.
Revenue Diversification and Preservation: Develop a variety of City revenue sources and policies to create a stable revenue base and fiscal policies to support essential City services, regardless of economic climate.
CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
1. Economic Development
2. Public Safety
3. Library
4. Infrastructure
5. Beautification, Community Engagement, and Quality of Life
6. Youth Programs
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Report Approval Details
Document
Title:
STAFFREPORT_CC_RESOLUTION_EXCUSED_ABSENCES_POLICY
_PR.docx
Attachment
s:
- RESOLUTION - EXCUSED ABSENCES (02.05.25)pr.doc
Final
Approval
Date:
Feb 13, 2025
This report and all of its attachments were approved and signed as outlined below:
Patty Rodriguez
Natalia Lopez
Launa Jimenez
Brian Mohan
Patty Rodriguez