City Council
Special Meeting Agenda
Mark Turner - Mayor
Marilyn Librers - Mayor Pro Tem
Soraida Iwanaga - Council Member
Yvonne Martínez Beltrán - Council Member
Miriam Vega - Council Member
Monday, November 10, 2025
Facilitated City Council Session
8:30 a.m.
Community and Cultural Center
17000 Monterey Rd, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE
DECLARATION OF POSTING AGENDA
OTHER BUSINESS
1. CITY COUNCIL GOVERNANCE TRAINING WORKSHOP
Recommendation:
1. Affirm City Council's commitment to supporting and implementing governance best practices as described in the attached CP 97-01 - Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings, Placement of Items on the Agenda, and Matters to be Reconsidered; and
AMENDED AGENDA
Closed Session added below
November 10, 2025
2 2. Consider adoption of a consolidation of the concepts contained within the adopted City Council Norms, which is retitled as the attached "Morgan Hill Approach to Public Service."
CLOSED SESSION
Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation
Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to § 54956.9(b): Number of Cases Unknown
Conference with Legal Counsel—Existing Litigation (§ 54956.9) Guerrero v. Encarncion, et al., Santa Clara County Superior Court Case No. 21- CV-379735
OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION
ADJOURNMENT
RECONVENE
November 10, 2025
3 NOTICE
Any documents produced by the City and distributed to the majority of the City Council less than 72 hours prior to an open meeting, will be made available for public inspection at the City Clerk’s Counter at City Hall located at 17575 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA, 95037 and at the Morgan Hill Public Library located at 660 West Main Avenue, Morgan Hill, California, 95037 during normal business hours. (Pursuant to Government Code 54957.5)
PUBLIC COMMENT
Members of the Public are entitled to directly address the City Council concerning any item described in the notice of this meeting during consideration of that item. If you wish to address the Council on any item on this agenda, please complete a speaker request card located in the foyer of the Council Chambers and deliver it to the Minutes Clerk before the City Council discussion on the item. You are not required to give your name on the speaker card to speak to the Council, but it is very helpful. When you are called, proceed to the podium, and the Mayor will recognize you. If you wish to address the City Council on any other item of interest to the public, you may do so during the public comment portion of the meeting following the same procedure described above. Please limit your comments to three (3) minutes or less.
Please submit written correspondence to the Minutes Clerk, who will distribute correspondence to the City Council.
Persons interested in proposing an item for the City Council agenda should contact a member of the City Council who may request an item on the agenda for a future City Council meeting. Council discussion or action may not be taken until your item appears on an agenda. This procedure is in compliance with the California Public Meeting Law (Brown Act) Government Code §54950.
City Council Policies and Procedures (CP 03-01) outlines the procedure for the conduct of public hearings.
Notice is given, pursuant to Government Code Section 65009, that any challenge of Public Hearing Agenda items in court, may be limited to raising only those issues raised by you or on your behalf at the Public Hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at, or prior to the Public Hearing on these matters.
The time within which judicial review must be sought of the action by the City Council, which acted upon any matter appearing on this agenda is governed by the provisions of Section 1094.6 of the California Code of Civil Procedure.
For a copy of City Council Policies and Procedures CP 97-01, please contact the City Clerk’s office (408) 779-7259, (408) 779-3117 (fax) or by email [email protected].
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you are a disabled person and you need a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk's Office at (408)779-7259 or by email at [email protected]. Requests must be made as early as possible and at least two full business days before the start of the meeting.
November 10, 2025
4
1 CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: November 10, 2025
CITY COUNCIL GOVERNANCE TRAINING WORKSHOP
RECOMMENDATION(S)
1. Affirm City Council's commitment to supporting and implementing governance best practices as described in the attached Morgan Hill City Council Policies and Procedures (CP-97-01); and
2. Consider adoption of a consolidation of the concepts contained within the adopted City Council Norms, which is retitled as the attached "Morgan Hill Approach to Public Service."
COUNCIL PRIORITIES, GOALS & STRATEGIES
City Council Ongoing Priorities
Fostering a Positive Organizational Culture
Preserving and Cultivating Public Trust
REPORT NARRATIVE:
As part of the City’s ongoing commitment to effective elected leadership and transparent decision-making, this workshop will provide the City Council with a governance training session focused on strengthening Council effectiveness and meeting excellence. The session will highlight industry best practices in local governance, clarify the respective roles and responsibilities of the City Council within the council-manager form of government, and review current City policies and procedures that support ethical, efficient, and well-organized Council meetings. The goal of this training is to reinforce the City Council’s shared understanding of its governance role, enhance collaboration and communication between elected officials and staff, and ensure alignment with the City’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.
Attachments:
1. CP 97-01 - Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings, Placement of Items on the Agenda, and Matters to be Reconsidered
2. CP 05-01 - Ethics Policy
3. CP 24-01 - Code of Conduct of Public Meetings in the Council Chamber and Conference Rooms
4. City Council Norms
5. Consolidated Set of Norms - "Morgan Hill Approach to Public Service"
CITY OF MORGAN HILL
CITY COUNCIL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
CP-97-01
SUBJECT: RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL
MEETINGS, PLACEMENT OF ITEMS ON THE AGENDA,
AND MATTERS TO BE RECONSIDERED
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 7, 1997
REVISED DATE: March 15, 2023, August 23, 2023, June 19, 2024 ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER
SECTION 1 - SCOPE
1.1 These rules shall establish the procedures for the conduct of all meetings of the City Council of the City of Morgan Hill. The purpose of these rules is to provide procedures consistent with the Ralph M. Brown Act, establish procedures which will be convenient for the public, be fair to all members of the City Council, and contribute to the orderly conduct of City business.
SECTION 2 - MEETINGS
2.1 Open to Public: All meetings of the City Council, whether regular or special, shall be open to the public, unless a closed session is scheduled as authorized by law.
2.2 Regular Meetings: The City Council shall conduct its regular meetings at the time and place established by ordinance, if specified in the ordinance or resolution.
2.3 Review Status of Agenda at 9:00 p.m.: The City Council may review the agenda at 9:00 p.m. to determine if it will be able to conclude its business by 10:00 p.m. If, at 10:00 p.m., the City Council has not concluded its business, before continuing the meeting it shall review and discussthe status of the remaining agenda items and determine by majority vote whether to continue any remaining items to a future regular or special meeting, adjourn the meeting to another date and time, or extend the meeting beyond 10:00 p.m. as needed. The meeting may be extended beyond 10:00 p.m. one time. Additional extensions of time will be at the Mayor’s discretion.
2.4 Special Meetings/Workshops: A special meeting and/or workshop may be called at any time by the Mayor or Presiding Officer of the City Council or by three members of the City Council. Written notice of any such meeting must specify the purpose of the meeting.
Notice of the meeting must be made in accordance with the law.
2.5 Closed Sessions: The City Council may hold closed sessions during a regular or special meeting, or at any time authorized by law, to consider or hear any matter which is authorized by law. At times, Closed Sessions may have to be held in an order different than presented due to the timeliness of the matter, to save the City money when an outside attorney has been retained or due to the need for extra time to discuss and deliberate an DocuSign Envelope ID: 634E0FF1-7DF5-41DE-BEA4-907F0EE4B725
City Council Policy 97-01
Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings
important closed session item. Closed session items may be continued to the conclusion of the agenda.
2.6 Quorum: Three (3) members of the City Council shall constitute a quorum and shall be sufficient to transact business. If less than three Council members appear at a regular meeting, the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tempore in the absence of the Mayor, any member of the City Council, or in the absence of all Council members, the City Clerk or Deputy City Clerk shall adjourn the meeting to a stated day and hour.
2.7 Adjourned Meetings: The City Council may adjourn any regular, adjourned regular,special, or adjourned special meeting to a time and place specified in the order of adjournment and permitted by law.
SECTION 3 - POSTING NOTICE AND AGENDA
3.1 Posting of Notice and Agenda: For every regular or special meeting, the City Clerk or other authorized person, shall post a notice of the meeting specifying the time and place at which the meeting will be held and an agenda containing a brief description of all items of businessto be discussed at the meeting. The notice and agenda may be combined in a single document.
a. Posting for Regular Meetings: For any regular meeting of the City Council, the notice and agenda shall be posted no later than seventy-two (72) hours prior to the time set for the meeting consistent with all Brown Act requirements. b. Posting for Special Meetings: For any special meetings of the City Council, the notice and agenda shall be posted no later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the time set for the meeting consistent with all Brown Act requirements.
3.2 Location of Posting: The notice and agenda shall be posted on the City’s website and in a place to which the public has unrestricted access during at least normal business hours and where the notice and agenda are not likely to be removed or obscured by other posted materials.
3.3 Availability of the Agenda to the Public: The agenda for any regular or special meeting shall be made available to the public as soon as is practical after delivery to the members of the City Council.
SECTION 4 - AGENDA CONTENTS
4.1 Description of Matters: All items of business to be discussed at a meeting of the City Council shall be briefly described on the agenda. The description of the item and the proposed action to be considered should be set forth as clearly as practical so that members of the public will know the nature of the action under review and consideration.
4.2 Placement of items on the agenda: The Mayor, City Manager, or City Attorney may place items on the agenda. Members of the City Council may request items to be added to an upcoming City Council agenda by requesting an item during the "Future Council Initiated Agenda Items" Section of the agenda. When a Future Council Initiated Agenda Item is requested, the Council Member making the request will send the City Manager a brief DocuSign Envelope ID: 634E0FF1-7DF5-41DE-BEA4-907F0EE4B725
City Council Policy 97-01
Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings
summary outlining the request and any relevant background. If the requested item is not included in the current Strategic Priorities Workplan, the team will bring forward the item at a future Council Meeting within 30-45 days of the request via a brief staff report, including the brief summary provided by the requesting Council Member. At that meeting, the City Council will review the request and determine if the majority of the City Council wants the items agendized at a future meeting for discussion.
4.3 Council shall not act or take a position on: Matters outside of the Morgan Hill City Council's subject matter jurisdiction, including foreign or international events. Appropriate subject matter jurisdiction includes agenda items directly related to Morgan Hill business, as well as County/regional items having a direct impact on the City (i.e. countywide emergency services or transportation).
4.4 Limitation to Act on Only Items on the Agenda: No action shall be taken by the City Council on any item not on the posted agenda, subject only to the exceptions listed below:
a. Upon a majority determination that an "emergency situation" (as defined by State Law) exists; and
b. Upon a determination by a 4/5 vote of the City Council that there is a need to take immediate action and that the need to take the action came to the attention of City officials subsequent to posting of the agenda.
4.5 Change in Order of Business: The Mayor or Presiding Officer may decide to take matters listed on the agenda out of the prescribed order unless a majority of members present object to this variation.
4.6 City Council Reports: On an alternating basis, at each Regular City Council meeting, with a time limit of three minutes, a Council Member has the opportunity to share with the Council and community any pertinent updates or information in regard to their appointments to outside agencies, upcoming events, or relevant City business. These are non-action items.
4.7 City Manager Report: These are updates on current City activities, reports on issues raised at previous Council meetings, or recognitions. These are non-action items.
4.8 City Attorney Report: These are updates on current City activities, reports on issues raised at previous Council meetings, or reportable actions of the City Council in Closed Sessions and/or current litigation. These are non-action items.
4.9 Other Reports: These are pertinent updates or information on upcoming activities or events relevant to City business with a time limit of one minute. These are non-action items.
4.10 Public Comment for items not on the agenda: This refers to those matters not scheduled on the agenda where a member of the public wants to address a matter of importance to the City Council. Since the matter is not on the agenda, no action by Council can be taken. If a member of Council so desires, the matter can be placed on the agenda of a future Council meeting for review and consideration.
4.11 Consent Calendar: These are items of a routine or generally uncontested nature. Any member of the Council or member of the public may request to have an item pulled from the DocuSign Envelope ID: 634E0FF1-7DF5-41DE-BEA4-907F0EE4B725
City Council Policy 97-01
Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings
consent calendar and acted on individually by the Council. Items pulled will be discussed after action is taken on the balance of the consent calendar. The Mayor shall decide if the items are heard before or after moving on to public hearing and other business items.
4.12 Public Hearings: These are matters that are duly noticed and published in a newspaper of general circulation and where required by law, written notice is given to the affected residents who have the opportunity to speak in favor or against a matter or ask questions about the matter.
4.13 Other Business: These are other matters of City business which are not appropriately placed on the consent calendar and do not require published notices and require Council action and direction.
4.14 Future Business: These are items that members of the City Council wish to discuss to potentially take action on or have placed on future agendas.
SECTION 5. ORDER OF BUSINESS
5.1 The order of business at meetings of the City Council shall be as follows:
a. CALL TO ORDER
b. ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE
c. DECLARATION OF POSTING AGENDA
d. WORKSHOP (if needed; 5:00-6:00 p.m., or as deemed appropriate) e. CLOSED SESSION (if needed; 5:00-6:00 p.m., or as deemed appropriate) f. SILENT INVOCATION
g. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
h. PRESENTATIONS
i. PROCLAMATIONS
j. RECOGNITIONS
k. CITY COUNCIL REPORTS
l. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
m. CITY ATTORNEY’S REPORT
n. OTHER REPORTS
o. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
p. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
q. CONSENT CALENDAR
DocuSign Envelope ID: 634E0FF1-7DF5-41DE-BEA4-907F0EE4B725
City Council Policy 97-01
Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings
r. PUBLIC HEARINGS
s. OTHER BUSINESS
t. FUTURE COUNCIL INITIATED AGENDA ITEMS
u. CLOSED SESSION
v. ADJOURNMENT
SECTION 6. PUBLIC COMMENT
6.1 Public Comment: Persons present at meetings of the City Council may comment on individual items on the agenda at the time the items are scheduled to be heard. In addition, comments may be offered on items not on the agenda under that portion of the agenda. In accordance with State law, matters not scheduled on the agenda cannot be acted upon by the City Council, but items raised by the public during public comment may be referred to a future City Council agenda at the request of the Mayor or City Council.
6.2 Limitations: The public comment period may be 3 minutes for items on the agenda or items not listed on the agenda. Speakers are called in the order the speaker cards are submitted.
Project applicants or appellants will be allowed more than the designated 3 minutes in accordance with City Council Policy 03-01. Consistent with this policy, the Mayor or Presiding Officer may recall an applicant or appellant to address questions after the public comment is heard. In addition, applicants will be given time at the end of the public hearing to address any questions or comments.
The Mayor or Presiding Officer may allow speakers who wish to speak under public comment for items not on the agenda to concede a portion of their time, specifically, one speaker may concede a portion of their time to one other speaker. For all other business items, the Mayor or Presiding Officer may allow speakers more time and/or allow speakers to concede a portion of their time to a designated speaker of a group, specifically up to two speakers may concede their time to one speaker, unless a majority of the City Council objects. Speakers that wish to designate a group speaker shall notify the City Clerk before discussion on the item begins. Additionally, any speaker that concedes their time must be present at that City Council meeting. Speaker who would like to share documents or presentations may do so by submitting said document to the City Clerk by noon on the day of the City Council Meeting. Speaker may not share videos or presentations with videos embedded within them.
6.3 Procedure: To address the City Council, each speaker is requested to fill out a Speaker Card and turn it in to the City Clerk before discussion on the agenda item begins. The speaker is requested to provide their name, contact information, and the subject(s) upon which the speaker wishes to address the City Council. Speakers who do not wish to provide their name should provide an alternative designation so that they can be called to speak by the City Clerk.
Public comment may be provided in writing for items on the agenda, as well as for items not on the agenda. Public comment in writing may be submitted via email to [email protected] or by mail to the City Clerk at 17575 Peak Avenue, DocuSign Envelope ID: 634E0FF1-7DF5-41DE-BEA4-907F0EE4B725
City Council Policy 97-01
Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings
Morgan Hill, CA 95037. Please email your comments to the City Clerk no later than 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday (the day before the City Council meeting) for your comments to be submitted to the members of the City Council with sufficient time to review the comments.
You may continue to provide written comments up to noon on Wednesday (the day of the meeting although Council Members may not have sufficient time to review them. Public comments submitted to the City Clerk after noon the day of the meeting will be provided to the City Council as time allows.
Written comments WILL NOT be read aloud during the City Council Meeting. Please note that written comments are posted on the City’s website, so do not include any personal information you do not want to be posted on the web.
SECTION 7. PROCEDURES FOR THE CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
7.1 Role of the Mayor/Presiding Officer:
a. The Presiding Officer of the City Council, who shall be the Mayor or in the Mayor's absence shall be the Mayor Pro Tempore, or in their absence any other designated member of the City Council, shall be responsible for maintaining the order and decorum of meetings. It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Presiding Officer to ensure that the rules of operation and decorum contained herein are observed. The Presiding Officer shall maintain control of communication between Council Members and between the Council, staff, and public.
b. Communication with Council Members:
1. Council Members should request the floor from the Presiding Officer before speaking.
2. When one member of the Council has the floor and is speaking, other Council Members shall not interrupt or otherwise disturb the speaker.
3. During both questions, when one Council Member has the floor, they are limited to 5 minutes. During discussion, the Mayor and Council Members as a whole are limited to 15 minutes. The time limit may be extended at the Mayor’s discretion.
4. With the concurrence of the Mayor, a Council Member holding the floor may address a question to another Council Member. The Council Member being questioned may or may not respond while the floor is still held by the Council Member asking the question. The reply shall be limited to the question asked. c. The Mayor or Presiding Officer may declare that an item within the meeting will be conducted in “workshop” format, which means that the procedures described in section 7.1B do not strictly apply. This is to allow for a more open discussion without strict formalities. The Mayor or Presiding Officer may end the workshop format for the item at his/her discretion.
d. Communication with Members of the Public Addressing the Council DocuSign Envelope ID: 634E0FF1-7DF5-41DE-BEA4-907F0EE4B725
City Council Policy 97-01
Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings
1. The Mayor or Presiding Officer shall open the floor for public testimony as appropriate.
2. After a witness or subject matter expert has addressed the City Council during public comment, Council members may only ask questions of witnesses or subject matter experts. Such questions should be directed to the person through the Presiding Officer unless the Presiding Officer grants the Council Member permission to directly question the person.
3. Staff members, through the City Manager, shall be a resource to the City Council to answer questions arising during discussions between Council Members and between Council Members and members of the public.
Communications in this regard shall be through the Presiding Officer.
4. Members of the public shall direct their questions and comments through the Presiding Officer.
7.2 Rules of Order: The City Council adopts no specific rules of order except those listed herein. The City Council shall refer to Rosenberg’s Rules of Order (available at https://www.cacities.org/UploadedFiles/LeagueInternet/77/77d4ee2b-c0bc-4ec2-881b42ccdbbe73c9.pdf) as a guide for the conduct of meetings. The guideline regarding not requiring seconds for governmental bodies' motions, resolutions or ordinances is not adopted as the rule in the City. The Mayor or Presiding Officer has the discretion to impose reasonable rules at any particular meeting based upon facts and circumstances found at any particular meeting. These latter rules will be followed unless objected to by a majority of the City Council members present.
7.3 Motions: The Mayor or any member of the City Council may bring a matter of business on the agenda before the Council by making a motion. Before the matter can be considered or debated it must be seconded. Once the motion has been properly made and seconded, the Presiding Officer shall open the matter for full debate offering the first opportunity to debate to the moving party and, thereafter, to any Council Member recognized by the Mayor or Presiding Officer. Debate shall be closed upon consent of a majority of the Council.
7.4 Reconsideration: Immediately after a vote on a matter, any member of the City Council may request to have his/her vote changed on a matter before the Council moves on to the next item. Such a request will be granted by the Mayor or Presiding Officer unless a majority of the Council objects.
A matter may be reconsidered by the City Council if a member on the prevailing side of the vote requests reconsideration. Such a motion may be made at a meeting where such action is taken or at a subsequent meeting of the Council, however, nothing in this policy precludes the majority of members of the City Council from requesting reconsideration of any item.
7.5 Debate:
a. The discussions and deliberations at meetings of the City Council are to secure the informed judgement of Council members on proposals submitted for decision. This DocuSign Envelope ID: 634E0FF1-7DF5-41DE-BEA4-907F0EE4B725
City Council Policy 97-01
Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings
purpose is best served by the exchange of thought through discussion and debate.
Debate is regulated by these rules in order to assure every member a reasonable and equal opportunity to be heard.
b. Obtaining the Floor for Debate:
As soon as a debatable motion has been stated to the Council by the Mayor or Presiding Officer, any member of the Council has a right to discuss it after obtaining the floor. The member obtains the floor by seeking recognition from the Mayor or Presiding Officer. A member who has been recognized is entitled to be heard so long as he/she observes the rules of debate.
c. Speaking More Than Once:
To encourage the full participation of all members of the Council, no member or members shall be permitted to monopolize the discussion of the question. If a Council member has already spoken and other members wish to speak, the latter members should be recognized in preference to the member who has already spoken.
However, if no other members seek recognition, the Mayor or Presiding Officer may recognize the member who has already spoken.
d. Relevancy of Debate:
All discussion must be relevant to the motion before the City Council. A member is given the floor only for the purpose of discussing the pending question; discussion which departs is out of order. The Mayor or Presiding Officer should then direct the speaker to limit discussion to the question before the City Council.
A motion-its nature or consequences-may be attacked vigorously. But it is never permissible to attack the motives, character, or personality of a member either directly or by innuendo or implication. It is the duty of the Mayor or Presiding Officer instantly to stop any member who engages in personal attacks. It is the motion, not its proposer, that is the subject of debate. Meetings must discuss measures and ideas, not people.
Arguments, for or against a measure, should be stated as concisely as possible.
Debate must be fundamentally impersonal. All discussion is addressed to the Mayor or Presiding Officer and must never be directed to any individual. e. Mayor’s Duties During Debate:
The Mayor or Presiding Officer has the responsibility of controlling and expediting debate. A Council member who has been recognized to speak on a question has a right to the undivided attention of the Council.
It is the duty of the Mayor or Presiding Officer to keep the subject clearly before the members, to rule out irrelevant discussion, and to restate the question whenever necessary.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 634E0FF1-7DF5-41DE-BEA4-907F0EE4B725
City Council Policy 97-01
Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings
SECTION 8. DECORUM
8.1 Council Members: Members of the City Council value and recognize the importance of the trust invested to them by the public to accomplish the business of the City. Council Members shall accord the utmost courtesy to each other, to City employees, and to the public appearing before the City Council.
8.2 City Employees: Members of City staff shall observe the same rules of order and decorum applicable to the City Council. City staff shall act at all times in a business and professional manner towards Council Members and members of the public.
8.3 Public: Members of the public attending City Council meetings shall observe the same rules of order and decorum applicable to the City Council.
8.4 Noise in the Chamber: Noise emanating from the audience within the Council Chamber or lobby area, which disrupts City Council meetings, shall not be permitted.
8.5 Sergeant-at-Arms: The Chief of Police, or his/her designated representative shall be exofficio Sergeant-at-Arms of the City Council.
SECTION 9. VIOLATIONS OF PROCEDURES
9.1 Nothing in these policies and procedures shall invalidate a properly noticed and acted upon action of the City Council in accordance with State Law.
This policy shall remain in effect until modified by the City Council.
APPROVED:
_______________________________
MARK TURNER, MAYOR
DocuSign Envelope ID: 634E0FF1-7DF5-41DE-BEA4-907F0EE4B725
CITY OF MORGAN HILL
CITY COUNCIL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
CP-24-01
SUBJECT: CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS IN THE
COUNCIL CHAMBER AND CONFERENCE ROOMS
EFFECTIVE DATE: NOVEMBER 20, 2024
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: CITY ATTORNEY
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to establish rules of decorum for all attendees- members of the public, City staff, appointed, and elected officials - who are present, bringing signs or other objects to, and/or addressing the legislative or policy body at meetings held in the Council Chamber and Conference Rooms, including meetings of the City Council and Commissions. This policy is intended to facilitate the conduct of public meetings in an open and orderly manner and in an environment safe for all persons in attendance.
SCOPE
This policy applies to persons attending public meetings in the Council Chamber and Conference Rooms.
POLICY
The Code of Conduct is intended to promote open meetings that welcome debate of public policy issues being discussed by the City Council and Commissions in an atmosphere of fairness, courtesy, and respect for differing points of view.
1. Public Meeting Decorum:
a) Persons in attendance will refrain from behavior which will disrupt the public meeting.
This includes any activity that disturbs, disrupts, or impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting.
b) Persons in attendance will refrain from creating, provoking, or participating in any type of disturbance involving unwelcome physical contact.
2. Signs, Objects, or Symbolic Material:
a) Objects and symbolic materials, such as signs or banners, will be allowed in the Council Chambers and Conference Rooms, with the following restrictions:
i. No objects will be larger than 2 feet by 3 feet.
Docusign Envelope ID: 9C2F9DD6-DEB6-4ADE-912F-B09788774AF8
ii. No sticks, posts, poles, or other such items will be attached to the signs or other symbolic materials.
iii. The items cannot create a building maintenance problem or a fire or safety hazard. b) Persons with objects and symbolic materials such as signs must remain seated when displaying them and must not raise the items above shoulder level, obstruct the view or passage of other attendees, or otherwise disturb the business of the meeting. c) Objects that are deemed a threat to persons at the meeting or the facility infrastructure are not allowed. City staff is authorized to remove items and/or individuals from the Council Chamber and Conference Rooms if a threat exists or is perceived to exist. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to: firearms, toy guns, explosive material, and ammunition; knives and other edged weapons; illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia; laser pointers, sharp objects, pepper spray, and aerosol containers; and large backpacks and suitcases that contain items unrelated to the meeting.
3. Addressing the Council or Commission:
a) Please see Section 6. Public Comment of City Council Policy 97-01, for information on addressing the City Council or Commission.
b) Speakers should discuss topics related to City business on the agenda unless they are speaking during public comment for items not on the agenda. c) Speakers' comments should be addressed to the full body. Requests to engage the Mayor, Council Members, Commissioners, or staff in conversation will not be honored. Abusive language or other behavior that disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting is inappropriate and may be cause for removal from meeting.
d) Speakers will not bring to the podium any items other than a prepared written statement, writing materials, or objects that have been inspected by security staff. e) If an individual wishes to submit written information, he or she may give it to the City Clerk or other administrative staff at the meeting.
f) Speakers and any other members of the public will not approach the dais at any time during the meeting without prior consent from the Chair of the meeting.
Any failure to comply with this Code of Conduct that disturbs, disrupts, or impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting may result in removal from the meeting and/or possible arrest. The Presiding Officer and City Attorney (or their designee) are authorized to enforce this Code of Conduct to maintain a respectful and orderly environment for all participants. When appropriate, a warning shall be issued prior to any further action. Any member of the legislative body or city staff may request that a warning be issued.
This policy shall remain in effect until modified by the City Council.
APPROVED:
_______________________________
MARK TURNER, MAYOR
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City Council Norms
Revised September 27, 2023
Be respectful and patient with one another
Address issue, not person
Be honest and real
“Clear air” if needed; have hard discussions
Listen and think about what is being said
Be aware of how we represent the City as leaders in the community Be accurate in statements
Be open minded; avoid concluding on your position prior to the item being heard Be flexible and willing to compromise
Recognize that experience comes in diverse ways
Be mindful of time
Be professional; keep decorum of meeting throughout
No side conversations
Come prepared
Give enough time to discuss issues
Ok to ask City Council to continue an item if not ready Don’t be repetitive on requests and comments
Wait to be recognized before speaking
Keep the order of the meeting (questions, public comment, and then discussion) Provide early notice of request for alternates to attend outside appointment meetings Speak into the microphone
Cell phones silenced
Be punctual
Send questions in advance of meeting; let City Manager know if you plan to pull a consent item Be engaged
Be concise
Only leave a meeting for appropriate reasons and return from breaks in a timely manner
Consolidated Set of Norms
“Morgan Hill Approach to Public Service”
Morgan Hill Approach to Public Service
I. Stewardship of the Public Trust (your behaviors)
We earn and preserve the community’s trust and investment through ethical conduct, professionalism, and integrity in every action (consisted with adopted City Council Norms).
II. Collaboration for Collective Impact (your contribution) We create greater outcomes together by valuing diverse perspectives, building alignment, and working as one team in service to the community.
III. Managing the Public’s Business (your process and decisions) We conduct the public’s business through orderly, civil, transparent, and wellreasoned processes that ensure fairness and efficiency through City Council Policy 97-01 (Rules for the Conduct of City Council Meetings, Placement of Items on the Agenda, and Matters to be Reconsidered).