8.2 City Council Policies & Procedures
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a Resolution approving the City Council Policies and Procedures.
Recommendation
On January 14, 2025, the Council held a team building session to foster collaboration, trust, and effective communication.
Outcomes from this session were accepted by Council on April 9, 2025, and staff was directed to prepare an implementation plan.
The implementation plan include the creation of City Council Policies and Procedures.
Background
Consistent with discussion during the City Council’s Team Building Session, the draft Policies and Procedures provide an overview of the conduct of City business as follows:
• Encourages transparency, accountability, and ethical governance • Reinforces legal compliance with state laws
• Ensures consistent, respectful, and effective interaction among Council Members and staff
Discussion
The Policy and Procedures also provide the following:
• Clear roles and responsibilities for Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council Members
• Defined meeting procedures and rules of decorum to guide discussions • Standards for communication, including confidentiality and public record practices
• Ethics requirements, including biennial training and legal compliance • Code of conduct for respectful and collaborative interactions Discussion
The Policies and Procedures also provide guidance to staff:
• Helps staff understand Council expectations and procedures • Clarifies communication protocols and response processes • Guides agenda preparation, meeting support, and information sharing
• Promotes coordination and consistency across departments Discussion
The Policies and Procedures Manual includes and references several adopted documents:
• Council Accountability Policy
• Rosenberg’s Rules of Order
• Social Media Policy (Adopted February 2025)
• Communications Plan (Adopted February 2025)
• Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP) (Adopted March 2025)
Staff will schedule a Rosenberg's Rules of Order training session following adoption of this Policy.
Discussion:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a
Resolution approving the City Council Policies and
Procedures.
Recommendation
Questions?