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1 Attachment B: City Council Suggestions for Handbook Changes Suggestions received as of December 1, 2025
Staff received responses from 3 Councilmembers regarding the Procedures and Protocols Handbook Annual Review. The responses are listed below.
Lythcott-Haims: no specific suggestions
Lauing: I think P&S should give consideration to slightly expanding the wording of Section 1.1 re: the election of Mayor and Vice Mayor. The few words used now in this section are correct, and the referral to the City Charter’s Article III Section 8 is good. For guidance to Councilmembers, consider language included such as:
“A Mayor can serve multiple terms, including consecutive terms.” This would underscore the point to Council so they do not misunderstand our current practice of having the Mayor serve for one year and never consecutively. That is our tradition, but it is not policy.
Burt:
Study Sessions.
o Allow for Study Sessions be agendized as Action Items to allow for the possibility of clearer CC direction than is provided by comments.
Boards and Commissions.
o Provide Boards with training for making motions.
o Early 2026 CC review of whether to perform CC with verbatim transcriptions of PTC and UAC Board minutes now that AI transcriptions are higher quality and lower cost.
o Clarify whether citizenship is a requirement for Board or Commission. CC member comments.
o Limit the amount of time per CC member.
o Provide guidance that comments should be limited to city government related matters.
o Avoid personal or political comments.
Consent Calendar.
o Allow the CC be allowed to speak for one minute on why they recommend pulling an item.
o Limit CC member time to speaking on no votes to 3 minutes?
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1 CC meeting schedule.
oClarify that no new items to be scheduled to start after 10. oNo taking up items after 10PM without CC approval.
Referrals to standing committees.
oSpending- and finance-related items should go foremost to Finance Committee.
If there is a separate policy issue then it may also go through P&S. Clarification on the role of CC liaisons to Boards.
oCC should avoid providing personal opinions on policy issues City event sponsoring policy.
oAllow for cultural events, but not religious.
oClarify Mayor’s ability to sponsor events
Staff role supporting CC representatives on regional bodies. oStaff should provide briefings, respond to CC questions, collaborate with CC members.
CC committees.
oClarify the role of the staff liaison to the committees to develop agendas in collaboration with chairs.
Clarify Process for creating Blue Ribbon Task Forces, including appointment process. (CC = City Council)