09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH
City Council Rules of
Conduct and Decorum
Rev: DRAFT 67 Sept. 49 2025
REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL RULES OF CONDUCT AND DECORUM
09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 1.
Table of Contents
1 CITY COUNCIL POLICY ON THE CONDUCT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS ................... 43 2 MEETING PARTICIPATION VIA TELECONFERENCE UNDER PROVISIONS OF THE BROWN ACT AND CITY CHARTER ......................................................................... 53 3 RULES, GUIDELINES, AND PROCEDURES FOR THE CONDUCT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL, BOARDS, AND COMMISSIONS ................................ 64
3.1 Order of the agenda ................................................................................ 84
3.2 The following rules of conduct apply to the following agendized items: . 84
3.2.1 The rules of conduct for agenda items excluded in Section 3.2: ...... 115
3.2.2 Closed Sessions................................................................................ 189
3.2.3 Commission-specific rules and guidelines ........................................ 199
3.3 Motions ............................................................................................... 2010
3.3.1 Motions in General ........................................................................ 2010
3.3.2 Motions ......................................................................................... 2110
3.3.3 Voting on Motions ......................................................................... 2312
3.3.4 Mayoral Veto ................................................................................. 2412
3.3.5 Urgent/emergency actions ............................................................ 2413
3.4 Rules, regulations, guidelines and procedures related to public participation in public meetings. ................................................................... 2614
3.4.1 Compliance with Federal and State laws ....................................... 2614
3.4.2 Public Participation on Non-Agenda Items .................................... 2614 4 Public Participant Rules of Conduct, Decorum and Courtesy ..................... 2915
4.1 Public participant rules of conduct ...................................................... 2915
4.2 Enforcement of public conduct ............................................................ 3016
4.3 Scripts dealing with meeting disruptions ............................................. 3216
4.4 Public Rules of Decorum and Courtesy ................................................ 3216
REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL RULES OF CONDUCT AND DECORUM
09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 2. 5 COURTESY, DECORUM, AND PERSONAL CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL AND COUNCIL APPOINTED MEMBERS OF CITY BODIES ............................................ 3217
5.1 Each member shall comply with California law,Redondo Beach City Charter,Redondo Beach Municipal Code, Resolutions, and Policies in the execution of their duties. .............................................................................. 3317
5.2 Each member shall avoid Conflicts of Interest ..................................... 3317
5.3 Within their official capacity, members are responsible to uphold a positive image of the City ............................................................................. 3317
5.4 Each member should treat fellow members, city staff and members of the public with respect. ...................................................................................... 3418
5.5 Members should refrain from interrupting one another. .................... 3418
5.6 Members should wait to be recognized by the Chair. .......................... 3518
5.7 Members should be prepared to vote and should vote on the merits of the decision at hand ..................................................................................... 3518
5.8 Members should promote transparency and accountability. .............. 3518
5.9 Members shall protect confidential information. ................................ 3518
5.10 Members should be mindful in their dealings outside the meetings ... 3518
5.11 Members shall not misrepresent or abuse their position or use it for personal gain ................................................................................................ 3619
5.12 Members are expected to follow the same rules of courtesy and decorum as the public. ................................................................................................ 3619
5.13 Members should not interrupt speakers or presenters. ...................... 3719
5.14 Use of Electronic Devices during Meetings .......................................... 3719
5.14.1 Silencing devices and limiting use .................................................. 3719
5.14.2 Refrain from messaging ................................................................. 3719
5.14.3 Prohibitions during quasi-judicial hearings .................................... 3719
5.15 Nomination, Election, and Role of Commission Chairs ........................ 3820
5.16 Attendance .......................................................................................... 3820
5.16.1 Mayor and City Council Attendance .............................................. 3820
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5.16.2 Commissioner Attendance ............................................................ 3820
5.17 All members will perform all required training in a timely manner. .... 3920
5.18 Commissioners and Commission Chairs should stay within the Role and Scope of the Board/Commission ................................................................... 4021
5.19 Commissioners serve at the will of the Mayor and City Council .......... 4021
5.20 Remote Meeting Attendance/Participation ......................................... 4021
5.20.1 Commissioners .............................................................................. 4021
5.20.2 Mayor and City Council .................................................................. 4021 APPENDIX A – Model Agenda for City Council meetings .................................. 4222 APPENDIX B: Scripts for Chairs to address disruptions to public meetings under their control ..................................................................................................... 4323
REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL RULES OF CONDUCT AND DECORUM
09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 4. 1 CITY COUNCIL POLICY ON THE CONDUCT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS Pursuant to the Redondo Beach City Charter, and as the governing body of the City, it is the City Council’s role to establish rules for the conduct of its proceedings and to create such boards and commissions as in the City Council’s judgment may be required to promote the interests of the City of Redondo Beach.1 The City Council may grant to such boards and commissions powers and duties as are consistent with the City Charter and law.2
It is the policy of the Redondo Beach City Council (“City Council”) to:
1) Provide an opportunity for public input on all matters of City business; and 2) Conduct meetings in an efficient, business-like manner.
To achieve this goal, the City Council adopts the following rules, guidelines, and procedures governing the conduct of its meetings, and those of the City’s commissions, committees, and boards (“Rules”), pursuant to the authority prescribed in the City Charter. It is the policy of the City Council that the following rules, guidelines, and procedures comply with the City Charter, and to ensure compliance with Redondo Beach Municipal Code, California law, and Federal law.
The Rules hereby repeal all prior rules, guidelines, procedures, and bylaws governing the conduct of the meetings of the City Council and all City commissions, committees, and boards, unless otherwise, and only to the extent, provided for by the Redondo Beach Municipal Code.
To the extent any of these Rules are or become inconsistent with the City Charter, City Ordinances, or California or Federal law, said lawall of the latter shall take precedence over these Rules. All references to specific laws cited in these Rules shall refer to and mean the law as it now exists or may hereafter be amended. 1 City Charter, §9.8, Meetings, rules of conduct, §15, Creation of Boards and Commissions.
2 Id.
REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL RULES OF CONDUCT AND DECORUM
09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 5. 2 MEETING PARTICIPATION VIA TELECONFERENCE UNDER PROVISIONS OF
THE BROWN ACT AND CITY CHARTER
The City Council has adopted the use of teleconferencing for the benefit of the public and the City Council in connection with any meeting or proceeding authorized by law.
The teleconferenced meeting or proceeding shall comply with all applicable requirements of the City Charter, the Brown Act,3 and other applicable laws.
The City Charter provides that “[t]hree (3) members of the City Council shall constitute a quorum to do business.”4 Pursuant to these teleconferencing rules, at least a quorum of the City Council (i.e., three (3) members) must participate in any City meeting or proceeding from locations within the boundaries of the City of Redondo Beach. These Rules further require that at least three (3) members participate in the City Council Chamber.requires that a quorum of the members of the City Council must be present in the Council Chambers of City Hall in order to call a meeting to order. Thus, only two members of the City Council and the Mayor may participate in meetings at remote location(s) under normal or regular (nonemergency) circumstances. Public access and participation must also be accommodated by the Council Member or Mayor at the remote location.
A. First-come, first-served basis - the first two Council members to notify the City Clerk shall be given priority and may participate in City Council meetings virtually/remotely, either by cell phone and/or Zoom teleconference with City Council approval.
a. Priority shall be given to requests for virtual/remote participation for medical reasons.
b. The number of vVirtual/remote attendances per attendee shall be limited to nine seven (97) meetings per year per Council Member and Mayor, subject to City Council approval for additional virtual/remote attendance requestsany further limitations under the Brown Act or law.
3 The “Brown Act” shall mean and refer to the Ralph M. Brown Act, California Government Code sections 54950, et seq., or as otherwise amended and codified under California law.
4 RB City Charter, § 9.6, Quorum.
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B. Notification shall be delivered to the City Clerk ([email protected]) and Mayor via email by each Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. preceding each published Tuesday City Council meeting agenda, and shall include the following information.
a. Name and address of remote location or hotel (by law, this information will be included on the posted Agenda); and b. Cell phone number of Council or Mayor participant.
C. Posting of Agenda: The Council Member or Mayor shall, no later than the start of the meeting, or as otherwise required by law, cause the City Council Agenda to be posted at the door of the room, conference room, or front door of residence where the Council Member or Mayor will virtually/remotely participate in the meeting.
a. Proof of Posting: The Council Member and/or Mayor shall announce at the City Council meeting that, prior to the start of the meeting (or as otherwise required by law), the agenda was posted at the remote location accordingly to law (either 72 hours in advance of the Regular Meeting or 24 hours in advance of a called Special Meeting) for the record.
D. Costs: If arranged by the Council Member and/or Mayor, the cost for the use of a hotel conference room shall be paid from Mayor and Council travel budget. (Hotel staff/concierge may post Council Agenda at publicly accessible location.)
E. Computer on Loan – Upon the request of the Council Member or Mayor, the City IT Department may loan a laptop computer for their use at remote locations.
These Rules only apply to City Council meetings, and prohibit teleconferencing by members, and meetings, of City Commissions, Committees, and Boards. 3 RULES, GUIDELINES, AND PROCEDURES FOR THE CONDUCT OF PUBLIC
MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL, BOARDS, AND COMMISSIONS
This section defines the rules, guidelines and proceduresRules for conducting public meetings of the City Council, boards and and those commissions, committees, and boards that are subject to the Brown Act. It is important to note that nThese Rules
REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL RULES OF CONDUCT AND DECORUM
09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 7. are drafted primarily for City Council meetings, and thus, not all the sections may be applicable to all the boards and commissions, committees, and boards (some of which since it was drafted with the City Council meetings in mind. However, the remainder of the sections are applicable. For example, several boards and commissions have no hearing responsibilities and therefore, sections regarding hearings are inapplicable to those boards and commissions).
The term “Body” refers to and means a commission, committee, or board, or the City Council.
In general tThe term “Chair” is used torefers to and means the Mayormayor, Chair or Chairperson of a commission, committee, or board or commission, and the Vice Chair in the Chair’s absence.or
tThe term “Mayor” refers to and means the Mayor, and the Mayor Pro Tem in the Mayor’s absencemayor pro tem or vice chair when the mayor or Chair is absent.
The term “mMember” refers to and is used to means the mayor and members of the City Council, and voting members of commissions, committees, and boardsfor the Chair and commissioners or members of boards, unless specifically indicated otherwise.
A Chair and Vice-Chair of a commission, since he/she is area voting members of the a commission, committee, or board, and can make and second motions and second motions.
The Mayor, since he/she is not a
The Mayor, including when acting as the cChair or chairperson of a Body, voting member of the City Council, may not make or second motions, or make referrals to or otherwise direct the City Manager or staff. but cannot second them. The Mayor may request that a Member of the City Council do one or more these actions on the Mayor’s behalf.
When tA Member of the City Council, when acting as Mayor Pro Tem, retains all rights and powers as a Member of the City Council. A Mayor Pro Tem has only one vote on any matter brought before the City Council, and does not have a second vote on a matter, even if otherwise necessary to decide a tie. The Mayor Pro Tem does not have, and may not be delegated, the power of the vetohe mayor pro tem
REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL RULES OF CONDUCT AND DECORUM
09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 8. is acting as the Chair of the City Council, he/she may make motions and second them.
3.1 Order of the agenda
The Mayor and Chair should ensure their respective meetings followss the published agenda (See Model Agenda in Appendix A, note that the model agenda is aligned with a City Council meeting and will be updated andwould be tailored to each commissionother Body) OR the order of the agenda as modified formally in the meeting.
3.2 The following rules of conduct apply to the following agendized items:
Excluded Consent Calendar Items
Items Continued from Previous Agendas
Items for Discussion Prior to Action
Mayor and Council Items
1. The Mayor and Chair should clearly announce the agenda item letter/number and should clearly state the subject.
2. The Mayor and Chair should invite the appropriate persons designated by the City Managerpeople and/or City staff to report and provide any recommendations on the item, including any recommendation they might have.
3. The Mayor and Chair shall allowould ask members of the respective commission, committee, board, or City Council (i.e., the “governing bBody”) to ask questions of City staff and those whom presented on the itemif they have any technical questions for clarification. At this point, members of the governing body may ask clarifying questions to the people who reported on the item, and they should be given time to respond.
4. The Mayor and Chair may shall open up the floor for discussion by the governing bBody. Members of the governing bBody shall await the Mayor or Chair giving them the floor before they speak.
5. The Chair shall invite public comment on the item. At their sole discretion, tThe Mayor and cCfhair may determine when to open the public comment— - either before or after a motion is made on the agenda item. The members
REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL RULES OF CONDUCT AND DECORUM
09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 9. of the City Council reserve the right to make and have decided a motion to determine the timing of public comment.—, but iIn all cases, public comment shall be heard prior to the vote of the members of the governing bBody. The Mayor and Chair shall ensure time limits are strictly adhered to by speakers. Or the Chair may wait until after motion(s) are made to open the floor to public comment. At the end of public comments, the Chair should close public comment period.
6. The Chair should may then invite or suggest a motion to the members of the bBody. (see motions Motions in section XX below).
7. At the discretion of the Mayor and Chair, members of the the Chair may invite the governing bBody may be invited to debate/discuss the motion(s) on the floor. The members of the City Council reserve the right to make and have decided a motion to determine when to debate/discuss the motion(s) on the floor.
8. If public comment has not already occurred, the Mayor and Chair shall open the floor to public comments. The Mayor and Chair should shall ensure strict adherence to time limits. At the end of public comments, the Mayor and Chair should close public comment period.
9. At the discretion of the Mayor and Chair, the Chair may invite the governing bBody may be invited to discuss the motion(s) in light of public comments.
The members of the City Council reserve the right to make and have decided a motion to determine when to debate/discuss the motion(s) on the floor.
10.The Mayor and Chair should then call the vote. At the Chair’s discretion of the Mayor and Chair, the vote may be a call for “ayes” and “nays”, or the Chair may do a roll call vote of each member of the bBody. The Mayor and Chair should announce the result to the public.
11.If an approved item is a resolution or ordinance, the Mayor and Chair should call on the Clerk, or Clerk’s designee, to read the resolution/ordinance by title only.
City Council Rights to Speak to and Address Items:
Each and every member of the City Council shall have the right and opportunity to, at a minimum, speak on, and address, each and every agenda item, including public comment on non-agenda items, at some point during the time that each item is
REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL RULES OF CONDUCT AND DECORUM
09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 10. called before the City Council, and in the event of a motion on that item, prior to any motion being voted upon, to the extent not prohibited by the Brown Act.
The Amount of Time Allocated for Public Comment – With the exception of specific time limits on appeals, which are detailed elsewherein section XX below, each member of the public shall may speak only once on each agendized item for a maximum of three (3) minutes. The comments must pertain to the agendized item. In rare circumstances, the body may move to, and with a majority vote, extend an individual speaker’s time provided the body states an objective reason for the extension that would be applied to all speakers on the matter. The Mayor, Chair, and Members of the bBody shall should refrain from not interrupting a speaker’s public comment. , but may, with tWith respect to public comment on agenda, and non-agenda, items, after the speaker has concluded their comment, Mayor and the Chair may themselves, and may permit members to, ask the speaker questions for clarification or otherwise engage the speaker in discussion on the agenda item’s approval ask limited clarifying questions after the speaker has finished their comment. The members of the City Council reserve the right to make and have decided a motion to allow members to ask the speaker questions for clarification or otherwise engage the speaker in discussion on the item. All such responses to, and discussions with, members of the public shall be in accordance with the Brown Act and other applicable law.
For reference, with respect to public comment on non-agenda items, Government Code section 54954.2(a)(3) of the Brown Act currently provides:
No action or discussion shall be undertaken on any item not appearing on the posted agenda, except that members of a legislative body or its staff [1] may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed by persons exercising their public testimony rights under Section 54954.3.
In addition, on their [2] own initiative or in response to questions posed by the public, a member of a legislative body or its staff [a] may ask a question for clarification, make a [b] brief announcement, or make a [c] brief report on his or her own activities. Furthermore, a member of a legislative body, or the body itself, subject to rules or procedures of the legislative body, [d] may provide a reference to staff or other resources
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09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 11. for factual information, request staff to report back to the body at a subsequent meeting concerning any matter, or take action to direct staff to place a matter of business on a future agenda.
The bBody may also move to, and with a majority vote, limit the total time allocated to public input on an agenda item, provided the motion includes the objective rationale for limiting the time period for public comment, is made prior to the beginning of public input on the agenda item, and is in accordance with all applicable law.
Under no circumstances can tThe public comment period on non-agenda items shall end at the earlier of be less than thirty (30) minutes, or when no speakers remain. During the public comment period, the Mayor and Chair shall recognize speakers who have submitted written speaking cards first, followed by members of the public attending in person, followed by members of the public attending electronically, when electronic participation is allowed.
Other rules on public participation are addressed separately in this document in section XXX below.
Multiple mMotions/vVotes -There may be more than one motion/vote on an agenda item when there is more than one decision or direction to be made. For example, the bBody may approve a motion to incorporate a list of comments to a proposed ordinance, and in a separate motion, Members of the City Council, commission, committee, or board may direct staff the City Manager to draft an emergency moratorium related to an ordinance while the ordinance is being amended by staff.
3.2.1 The rules of conduct for agenda items excluded in Section 3.2:
1. Opening the meeting; roll call; salute to the flag and invocation; and presentations; proclamations, announcements, and AB 1234 announcements are simply called up and executed at the direction of the Mayor and Chair (presentations, proclamations, announcements and AB 1234 announcements are for the meetings of the City Council only). There are no motions, debate, or public comments.
2. Approval of the order of the agenda – The Mayor and Chair will poll each member of the body for any changes to the order of the agenda. The Chair may also request a change a change to the order of the agenda. The Mayor and
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Chair will then call for a motion to change the order and a vote on the motion.
There is no public comment on this item.
3. Blue folder items – The Mayor and Chair will ask the City Clerk, or City Clerk’s designee, to list the bBlue fFolder items. The Mayor and Chair will then call for a motion to “receive and file” all bBlue fFolder items for the public record. The Mayor and Chair will then call for a vote of the body. There is no public comment to this item.
4. Consent Calendar – The Mayor and Chair will poll each member of the body on any items they want to “pull” (exclude) from the consent calendar. The Chair may pull any item as well. If a member of the body must recuse themself or abstain, the Council Mmember must pull the item for a separate vote. The Mayor and Chair will then ask for a motion to approve all remaining items on consent calendar. Once the motion is made and seconded, the Mayor and Chair will open the floor for public comment on any of the non-excluded items.
When public comment is complete, the Mayor and Chair will call the vote. After the vote, the Mayor and Chair will recognize the City Clerk, or City Clerk’s designee, to read any resolutions/ordinances into the public record.
5. Excluded Consent Calendar – The Mayor and Chair will announce the first excluded consent calendar item and offer the floor to the member of the body who first pulled the item. The process for each excluded item shall otherwise follow the procedure for any normal agenda item. The mMember of the bBody may make a motion to bundle several excluded consent calendar items as a single item. If seconded and approved by the majority, the items will then be treated as a single agenda item procedurally. The Mayor and Chair repeats this process until all excluded items are addressed.
6. Public Participation on Non-Agenda Items - The Chair shall open the floor for public comments on items that are not otherwise on the agenda, but that relate to City business and matters that within the jurisdiction of the respective Bodyare within the City’s jurisdiction. The Mayor and Chair shall enforce 3- minute time limits on each speaker and a maximum of 30 minutes allowed for this public comment on non-agenda items. Other rules on public participation are addressed separately in this these Rules in section XXXdocument.
7. Ex-parte Communications on Quasi-Judicial Public Hearings – If there is one or more public hearings, the Mayor and Chair will poll each member of the Bbody on ex parte communications they have had on the hearing matterswith
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09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 13. respect to the matter agendized for public hearing. Each member, including tThe Mayor, Chair, and members of the Body shall disclose the following information regarding their ex parte communications:
a. Identify the hearing matter
b. Identify with whom the member communicated
c. The general content of the communication
The Mayor, Chair, and Members, Members are cautioned to balance their communications where adversarial parties are involved, such as an appeal filed by a resident or project applicanton a developer project. When acting in a quasi-judicial ca-pacity, decisionmakers participants of the Body cannot have a personal conflict of interest, cannot have prejudged the facts and must remain free of prejudice against any of the parties. In other words, decisionmakers must be neutral and unbiased. There is no public comment on this item.
8. The rules for the conduct of Quasi-Judicial Public Hearings - Public hearings shall follow the same basic format as any other agenda item before the body Body for action, except:
1. The Mayor and Chair shall call for members Members of the body to open the public hearing after announcing the agenda item. The Membersbody will then vote to open the public hearing.
2. Appeals - If the Public Hearing is an appeal:
a. Appeal by Appellant who is not the Proponent - The appeal was filed by appellant(s) who is/are not the proponent of the matter which is the subject of the hearing,
i. Staff will make a presentation
ii. The proponent (unless the City is the proponent) may testify and present evidence for a maximum of 1 hour.
iii. Appellant(s)
1. If there is a single appellant, the appellant shall have a maximum of one hour to testify and present evidence.
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2. If there are two appellants, each appellant shall have a maximum of 45 minutes each to testify and present
evidence.
3. If there are three or more appellants, each appellant shall have a maximum of 30 minutes each to testify and
present evidence.
iv. The Mayor and Chair shall allow the proponent a maximum of 20 minutes times the number of appellants to testify and present evidence
v. Each appellant shall be given the opportunity for rebuttal up to a maximum of 20 minutes each.
vi. After the proponent and appellant(s) conclude, members of the public shall be given the opportunity to comment for up to 3 minutes each. Each speaker shall speak only once.
vii. The Mayor and Chair will then open the floor to the members of the body for questions of staff, the proponent, and/or the appellant(s).
viii. The Mayor and Chair shall then call for a motion to close the public hearing. After this time no one but the members of the body and staff may speak.
ix. The Mayor and Chair then opens the floor for the members’ discussion and debate.
x. The Mayor and Chair calls for a motion. The process of motions and final vote follow the same process as other agenda items except that any motion to approve or deny the appeal shall include findings of fact upon which the final decision is based.
The mMembers of the bBody may reopen the public hearing by formal motion, second, and majority vote if needed to obtain additional information. The Mayor and Chair may then call upon members of the public including the appellant(s) and proponent to respond to questions from the Mayor, Chair, or any mMember of the bBody, as recognized by the Mayor and Chair. During testimony, mMembers of the bBody shall should refrain from interrupting the speaker and hold all comments and questions until after in the speaker completes their
REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL RULES OF CONDUCT AND DECORUM
09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 15. testimony. The Mayor or Chair shall call for a motion, second, and majority to close the public hearing again, before final deliberations and decision.
b. Appeal by Proponent - If the appeal is made by the proponent of the project,
i. Staff will make a presentation
ii. The proponent may testify and present evidence for a maximum of 1 hour.
iii. After the proponent conclude(s), the members of the public shall be invited to comment for up to 3 minutes each and each speaker speaking only once.
iv. Each proponent shall be given the opportunity for rebuttal of public comment for a maximum of 20 minutes.
v. The Mayor and Chair will then open the floor to the members for questions of staff and/or the proponent,
vi. The Mayor and Chair shall then call for a motion to close the public hearing. After this time no one but the members of the body and staff may speak.
vii. The Mayor and Chair then opens the floor for the members’ discussion and debate.
viii. The Mayor and Chair calls for a motion. The process of motions and final vote follow the same process as other agenda items except that any motion to approve or deny the appeal shall include findings of fact upon which the final decision is based.
The mMembers of the bBody may reopen the public hearing by formal motion, second, and majority vote if needed to come to a final decision. The Mayor and Chair may then call upon members of the public including the appellant(s) and proponent to respond to questions from the Mayor, Chair or any mMember of the bBody, as recognized by the Mayor and Chair. During testimony, mMembers of the body shallould refrain from interrupting the speaker and hold all comments and questions until after in the speaker completes their testimony. The Mayor and Chair shall call for a motion, second, and
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09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 16. majority to close the public hearing again, before final deliberations and decision.
3. Public Hearings Other than Appeals - Rules of Conduct for Public Hearings other than appeals:
i. Staff will make a presentation
ii. The proponent (if any) may testify and present evidence for a maximum of 30 minutes.
iii. Members of the public may comment for up to 3 minutes each, with each speaker only speaking once.
iv. The Mayor and Chair will then open the floor to the members for questions of staff and/or the proponent,
v. The Mayor and Chair shall then call for a motion to close the public hearing. After this time no one but the Council and staff may speak.
vi. The Mayor and Chair then opens the floor for the members’ discussion and debate.
vii. The Mayor and Chair calls for a motion. The process of motions and final vote follow the same process as other agenda items except that any motion to approve or deny the appeal shall include findings of fact upon which the final decision is based.
The mMembers of the bBody may reopen the public hearing by formal motion, second, and majority vote if needed to come to a final decision. The Mayor and Chair may then call upon members of the public including the appellant(s) and proponent to respond to questions from the Mayor, Chair, or any mMember of the bBody, as recognized by the Mayor and Chair. During testimony, mMembers of the bBody shall should refrain from interrupting the speaker and hold all comments and questions until after in the speaker completes their testimony. The Mayor and Chair shall call for a motion, second, and majority to close the public hearing again, before final deliberations and decision.
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9. City Manager (or Staff Liaison) Items -The Chair shall should give the City Manager (or staff liaison) the floor to publicly present any timely information they choose that is within the jurisdiction of the Body. The mMembers of the bBody may ask questions or make short comments, but shall not deliberate the merits of the items brought up by the City Manager/staff liaison. There is no public participation in this item.
10. Referrals to Staff , Commissions, or sSub-cCommittees -The Mayor Chair shall poll each mMember of the City Council including themself for any referrals for action by the City Manager (or staff liaison) or, by another Body, or by a subcommittees of the City Councilbody, or for any request for a Budget Response Report (“BRR”) requests (in the case of the City Council). For each referral, the mMember (including the Chair/Mayor) makes a motion which must then be seconded and passed by a majority of the bBody present at the meeting. A BRR is a budget-related inquiry by the Members of the City Council or Mayor concerning the fiscal impact and feasibility of current or proposed City programs, projects, or services. BRR’s do not require a motion or a vote, but Members of the City Council and the Mayor should strive to be judicious with respect to BRRs and cognizant of the time required for City staff to prepare BRRs. The bBody may discuss the appropriateness of any request, but shall with the exception of a BRR, should avoid not deliberatinge the merits of the matter at issue in question. In the case of the City Council, tThe Members of the City Council/Mayor may also refer subjects, actions and, etcagenda items. to a commission, committee, or board for consideration and action. Each such referral to a commission requires a second and majority vote to pass. There is no public comment on this item.
11. In the case of a Body other than the City Council, the Chair shall poll each Member for any referrals for action by a subcommittee, or agenda item subject to the powers and jurisdiction of that Body. A Body other than the City Council may not request a BRR. A Body other than the City Council may not make referrals to the City Manager (or staff) except as authorized by specific sections governing the respective commission or board .
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12.11. Recesses - Agendas may include recessing to another board, agency or closed session. This requires a motion, second, and majority vote of the body.
Upon return to the agenda, the Mayor or Chair shall call the meeting order, call for a roll call, and require any reporting from the board or closed session. The Mayor or Chair shall then call the regular session back in order and ask for a roll call. There is no public comment on this agenda item, but there may be public comment as part of the board or agency meeting.
A mMember of the body may call for a recess at any time. A “Mmotion to recess” “ when used to take a break from the meeting is covered separately under the “Motions” section of this document.
13.12. Adjournment - The Mayor or Chair shall call for a motion to adjourn the meeting. The Members of the bBody will then make the motion, second and vote. The Members of the bBody may, in its motion, adjourn in memory of an individual. There is no public comment on adjournment.
14.13. Length of Meeting and Adjournment - The City Council policy is that meetings should end at a reasonable hour. At the discretion of the Mayor and any Member of the City Council Chair, the issue of Chair may raise the issue of truncating the agenda at or about 10:00 PM for deliberation by the body may be raised. The Chair Mayor will then poll the members of the body on which, if any, agenda items each would agree to continue to another meeting. If the mMembers of the body support moving agenda items to a future meeting, the Chair Mayor shall call for a motion that details which items will be continued to a future meeting. If Public Participation on Non-Agenda Items has not already occurred, the Chair shall require that a full 30 minutes is allocated to complete Public Participation on Non-Agenda Itemsmust be completed prior to adjourning the meeting. The members of the body, may make a motion to truncate the meeting if the Chair does not raise the issue.
3.2.2 Closed Sessions
If Closed Sessions are to be held, pursuant to the Brown Act (e.g., Government Code Sections 54956.7, 54956.8, 54956.9 and 54957), or as otherwise required under State law, they will be scheduled as an adjourned meeting prior to regular meeting
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3.2.3 Commission-specific rules and guidelines
3.2.3.1 Role of Commissions
As further specified in the Redondo Beach Municipal Code, including Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 1, Sections 2-9.100, et al., pertaining to Uniform Regulations of Commissions, tThe role of Commissions is to advise the City Council on matters under their purview, and on certain commissions, to conduct quasi-judicial hearings as defined in the Redondo Beach Municipal Code. The role of a commission does not include oversight of cCity operations, such as budget execution, unless specifically stated by ordinance or by direction of the City Council.
Items for the commission agenda are generated from: a) special matters for consideration as directed by the City Council; b) regular matters for consideration pursuant to the commission's duties; c) regular matters for consideration consistent with the City Council's Strategic Plan and Annual Budget Work Program; and, d) new matters approved by the commission pursuant to a majority vote of said commission for consideration, but only as expressly allowed in that ordinance that governs that commission and consistent with the commission's duties as defined by the City Charter and Redondo Beach Municipal Code, and the City Council's Strategic Plan, the Annual Budget Work Program. While commissions may request agenda items and data and reports related to topics within their purview, the staff liaison may reject the request when it is overly burdensome for staff or beyond the purview of the commission. The commission can by majority vote, request City Council direction if there is a question as to the commission’s purview or staff’s decision. Likewise, the Mayor may provide appropriate direction to the Chair of any commission if the commission overreaches or otherwise is acting in a manner the Mayor and City Council do not support. The City Council and Mayor may also direct specific tasks to a commission during Referrals to Staff, Commissions, or Sub-committees..
3.2.3.2 Staff Liaison
City staff members are assigned to act in a technical advisory capacity and to provide professional support to a committee/commission. Commissioners should
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3.2.3.3 The Limited and Restricted Scope of the Powers and Duties of Commissions.Limits on Authority
Commissions do not have the authority to direct city staff including the staff liaisons and shall refrain from doing so..
As more specifically stated in Redondo Beach Municipal Code
2.9-111, the rights, powers, and duties of commissions and commissioners are restricted in scope.
.
3.3 Motions
This section defines actions by the mMembers of the bBody in the conduct of each agenda item. Generally, actions are initiated in the form of a motion.
3.3.1 Motions in General
Motions are a two-step process. The Mayor and Chair invites motions and the mMembers of the bBody make motions. The Mayor and Chair may initiates the motion process in one of three ways:
1. Inviting the mMembers of the bBody to make a motion.
2. Suggesting a motion to the members of the body.
3. In the case of a Chair, Mmaking the motion themself. The Mayor may make a motion, but should refrain from doing so unless it facilitates clarity or expedient progress or is more effective in extenuating circumstances.
Additionally, Members of the City Council may, and reserve the right, to, make a motion without first being invited to do so by the Mayor, after being recognized and given the floor by the Mayor.
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3.3.2 Motions
3.3.2.1 Types of motions on agenda items for action
1. The basic motion: a mMember of the bBody puts forward a decision for the body’s consideration. A motion moves forward for consideration if another mMember of the body seconds the motion.
2. The motion to amend (may also called a “friendly amendment”): a mMember of the bBody requests a change to the motion on the floor. The amendment is added to the motion on the floor if the members who made and seconded the motion both agree to accept the amendment. If this occurs the motion as amended moves forward.
3. The substitute motion: a mMember who wants a different motion to move forward can propose a “substitute motion”. If another mMember of the bBody seconds this substitute motion, the substitute motion moves forward, replacing the original motion or amended motion. Substitute motions are also subject to motions to amend.
A mMember of the body may propose a second substitute motion. If seconded, this substitute motion moves forward. The second substitute motion may be amended. No further substitute motions are allowed.
4. Motion to reconsider: Any member of the body who voted for the approval of a successful motion, may make a “motion to reconsider” at any point during the same meeting in which the decision was made. This motion moves forward if it receives a “second” from any voting member of the body.
If the motion receives a majority vote, then the issue is reopened as though no decision had been previously rendered. Public comment may be reopened by the Chair at their discretion.
3.3.2.2 Order of voting on motions
The order of voting on motions shall be as follows:
1. A second substitute motion, if any, is voted on first.
2. A substitute motion, if any, is voted on. ,
3. The original motion is voted on.
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4. If the original motion fails to pass, the Mayor or Chair may call for a new motion, ask for a motion to continue the issue, or close the issue and move to the next agenda item.
In each case, the motions are voted upon as amended, if the motions were amended during deliberation. In each case, the Mayor or Chair shall not call the vote until public comment has been completed on the subject. After the motion and second, the Chair may allow further debate or call the vote.
3.3.2.3 Other motions
3.3.2.3.1Motion to adjourn
A motion to adjourn, iIf passed, requires the body to immediately adjourn to the next meeting. This motion shall not be valid unless Public Participation on NonAgenda Items has already been completed.
3.3.2.3.2Motion to recess for a break
A motion to recess shall specify the time for the recess. If passed, the Chair sets the time for recess and the meeting immediately goes into recess. Upon return from the recess, the Mayor or Chair must call the meeting to order and request a roll call of members present. The Mayor or Chair then starts the meeting where it left off. In the case of disorderly or disruptive conduct that impedes a meeting, Tthe Mayor may make a motion to recess.
3.3.2.3.3Motion to table
If passed, discussion on the current agenda item is placed “on hold”. The motion can include a time in which the item can come back to the body. Otherwise, the item may be brought back at any subsequent meeting of the body in which the item is properly agendized in advance.
3.3.2.3.4Motion to limit debate/call the vote/call the question This motion does not require a second. After the motion is made, the Mayor or Chair shall poll the other members if they want any further discussion. If any mMember wants to continue the discussion, then the Mayor or Chair puts the motion to a vote, which shall require one vote more than the majority of the Members present. This requires a 2/3rds majority to pass. The Mayor or Chair may also “call the vote” or “call the question” at any time, but may be overridden by a
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3.3.2.3.5Nominations and Motion to close nomination
During an agenda item that requires nominations for a position and vote for the position, nominations may be made by any mMember of the body, including the Mayor/Chair. No second is required for a nomination. A motion to close nominations may be made by any mMember of the body at any time. If seconded, this requires a one vote more than the majority of the Members present2/3rds majority to carry. The Mayor/Chair would then conduct a vote on each nomination (the Mayor does not get a vote on this item, but a commission Chair would). If more than one nomination is made for a specific position, the nomination with more votes carries. In the case of a tie, the Mayor would cast the tie breaking vote for a City Council vote. If there is a tie on a commission vote, a coin supplied by the staff liaison would be flipped by the City Clerk or City Clerk’s designee to determine the winner. There is no public testimony on agenda items regarding nominations.
3.3.2.3.6Motion to suspend the rules
Members of the body may move and vote to suspend the rules defined in this document. However, suspension of rules cannot circumvent Federal or state law or the City Charter, such as the Brown Act. Suspension of the rules requires one vote more than the majority of the Members present to pass a 2/3rds vote of the body. For example, rules limiting the public to one comment on each agenda item may be “suspended” in a public workshop type forum.
3.3.3 Voting on Motions
At the Chair’s discretion of the Mayor and Chair, the Chair may conduct a verbal vote of “ayes” and “nays”, or a more formal “roll call” vote may be conducted.
Unlike the roll call for attendance conducted by the City Clerk or City Clerk’s designee, the Mayor and Chair conducts the roll call vote . The Chairand shall announce the results of the vote to the public. For items that require a simple majority of the body, a majority of the votes shall be the greater number of those actively participating on the vote. For example, if four members of the Council are in attendance, and one abstains, two vote for the issue and one votes against the issue, the motion passes despite not having a majority of the members in attendance. The “abstain” vote is not counted in the determination of majority.
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Items that require four of the five Members of the City Council Members, a super majority, or 2/3rds of the body shall count members abstaining in the calculation, i.e., . aAn “abstain” shall count as a vote against the motion in this case.
3.3.4 Mayoral Veto
Per the City Charter, Article 8, Section 8.4, the Mayor has the right to veto actions of the City Council, provided, however,. that iIn the case of an ordinance or resolution or ordinance, the Mayor’s veto must be submitted (a) in writing, expressing the Mayor’s reasons for the veto, and (b) within five (5) days of delivery to the office of the Mayor of the written resolution or ordinance. A veto on any other action of the City Council must be made within the meeting in which the City Council action occurred. In the case of an appeal, the Mayor may veto a vote on an appeal. [NEED TO FURTHER REVIEW: If the Mayor vetoes a vote denying an appeal, the appeal shall be upheld; if the Mayor vetoes a vote approving an appeal, the appeal shall be denied]. The City Council may override any Mayoral veto by four (4) affirmative votes. The Mayor Pro Tem does not have, and The power of the veto may not be delegated, to the power of the vetoMayor Pro Tem or anyone else per the City Charter.
3.3.5 Urgent/emergency actions
3.3.5 Special meetings or emergency meetings may be called, and notice given, to the extent provided in the Title x, Division x, Part x, Chapter x, of the Government Code as it now exists or may hereafter be amended. To the extent that any provisions of this section concerning Urgent/emergency actions may conflict with applicable law, the latter shall control.
3.3.5.1 Action on non-agendized items are prohibited with limited exceptions.
Action on items or issues that are not properly agendized and publicly noticed per pursuant the Brown Act are usually prohibited. The Brown ActGovernment Code Section 54954.2 does, however, define limited exceptions to this prohibition.
Action may be taken on a non-agendized item under the following circumstances:
1. The Members of the bBody, by majority vote, determines that an emergency situation exists per Government Code Section 54956.5. The Mayor, Chair or any mMember of the body may make a motion to find that an emergency situation exists. After a second, the Mayor or Chair then conducts a roll call
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2. The bBody, by a two -thirds majority of the total bBody, or if the two -thirds of the body is not present, a unanimous of vote of the members in attendance, determine that there is a need to take immediate action and that the need for action came to the attention of the body after the agenda was posted.
The Mayor, Chair or any mMember of the body may make a motion to find that a need for immediate action exists. After a second, the Mayor or Chair then conducts a roll call vote. If the affirmative votes meet the criteria, the topic may be deliberated and acted upon by the body as any normal agendized item.
3. The item was properly agendized for a prior meeting of the body that occurred within the previous five days and at that prior meeting was continued to the current meeting.
3. 3.3.5.1.1Emergency situation defined in Government Code Section 54956.5 For reference, tThe definition of “emergency situation” is as provided for Government Code section 54956.5. To the extent that any provisions of this section concerning the definition of “emergency situation” may conflict with applicable law, the latter shall control. included below:
“(a)For the purposes of this section, “emergency situation” means both of the following:
(1) A dire emergency, which shall be defined as a crippling disaster, mass destruction, terrorist act, or threatened terrorist activity that poses peril so immediate and significant that requiring a legislative body to provide one-hour notice before holding an emergency meeting under this An emergency, which shall be defined as a work stoppage, crippling activity or other activity that severely impacts public health, safety, or both as determined by a majority of the members of the legislative body.”
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3.3.5.2 Remote participation request due to emergency circumstances AllIf a member requests to attend a meeting of the body remotely due to an emergency or otherwise, must comply with the Brown Act as it exists as of the time of the request. To the extent allowed under, pursuant to the Brown Act Government Code section 54953, and where the timing of the request does not allow sufficient time to meet the public posting requirements of the Brown Act, the members of the bBody physically present may approve such a request by majority vote. The Mayor, Chair or aAny mMember of the City Councilbody may make a motion to allow the requesting member to participate remotely. After a second, the Mayor Chair then conducts a roll call vote. An affirmative vote by the majority of the physically present members of the body allows the remote participation.
3.3.5.3 In the case of any conflict between this section and the Brown Act, the Brown Act shall prevail.
3.4 Rules, regulations, guidelines and procedures related to public participation in public meetings.
3.4.1 Compliance with Federal and State laws
It is the policy of the City Council that all public participation in public meetings comply with Federal and State laws, including such as the Brown Act.
3.4.2 Public Participation on Non-Agenda Items
Each agenda for each public meeting shall include an agenda item for “Public Participation on Non-Agenda Items”. During theis agenda item for “Public
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Participation on Non-Agenda Items,” the public may only speak on any a matter so long as the matter is:
1. Under the jurisdiction of the bBody; and,
2. Is nNot a matter already agendized during the same meeting.
Each speaker shall be limited to three minutes to speak under Public Participation on Non-Agenda Items. Each speaker shall only speak once. The time allocated to Public Participation on Non-Agenda Items shall be limited to 30 minutes.
The Chair will recognize speakers in the following priority:
1. Speakers who have submitted speaker cards
2. Speakers attending the meeting in person
3. Speakers attending via Zoom
Pursuant to provisions of the Brown Act, the body is prohibited from deliberating and taking action on a matter unless it is listed on the agenda, or unless certain emergency or special circumstances exist as allowed by the Brown Act. Subject to the rules for in section XXX above, tThe Members of the body may make a “Referral to Staff” related to public comment during that agenda item, and take all other actions as provided for in, and consistent with, the Brown Act.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON AGENDA ITEMS – For each agendized matter deliberated by the body, the Mayor or Chair shall invite public comment at the appropriate time. Any member of the public may speak to the matter under discussion during this period provided the comments directly address the agenda item and are not in violation of the Brown Act or these Rules. Each speaker shall be limited to three minutes on each agenda item. Each speaker may only speak once on each agenda item, unless recalled to the podium by the Chair or members of body during their deliberation. The Chair shall recognize speakers in the following priority:
1. Speakers who have submitted speaker cards
2. Speakers attending the meeting in person
3. Speakers attending via Zoom
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With respect to all public comments, the Body shall comply with the Brown Act (e.g., Government Code section 54954.3) which provides:
(a) Every agenda for regular meetings shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to directly address the legislative body on any item of interest to the public, before or during the legislative body's consideration of the item, that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body, provided that no action shall be taken on any item not appearing on the agenda unless the action is otherwise authorized by subdivision (b) of Section 54954.2.
However, the agenda need not provide an opportunity for members of the public to address the legislative body on any item that has already been considered by a committee, composed exclusively of members of the legislative body, at a public meeting wherein all interested members of the public were afforded the opportunity to address the committee on the item, before or during the committee's consideration of the item, unless the item has been substantially changed since the committee heard the item, as determined by the legislative body. Every notice for a special meeting shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to directly address the legislative body concerning any item that has been described in the notice for the meeting before or during consideration of that item. (b)(2) … when the legislative body of a local agency limits time for public comment, the legislative body of a local agency shall provide at least twice the allotted time to a member of the public who utilizes a translator to ensure that non-English speakers receive the same opportunity to directly address the legislative body of a local agency.
(3) Paragraph (2) shall not apply if the legislative body of a local agency utilizes simultaneous translation equipment in a manner that allows the legislative body of a local agency to hear the translated public testimony simultaneously.
(c) The legislative body of a local agency shall not prohibit public criticism of the policies, procedures, programs, or services of the agency, or of the acts or omissions of the legislative body. Nothing in this subdivision shall confer
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4 Public Participant Rules of Conduct, Decorum and Courtesy
4.1 Public participant rules of conduct
The City Council recognizes and respects the right of freedom of speech, but and rules of conduct and decorum must be observed so that attendees can be heard, and the Mayor, Chair and Members of the bBody can conduct its meetings, and deliberate, and address items before the body. Any person or group that engages in disorderly or disruptive conduct that impedes the a meeting will be asked to leave, be removed, and consistent with these Rules, or the Mayor or Chair can clear the room and continue without an audience, or the mMembers of the body may adjourn the meeting.
3. Speakers shall restrict their comments to the specific agenda item at issue, and in the case of public comment on non-agenda items, to matters under the jurisdiction of the body that are not already agendized during the same meeting.
1. that they are speaking on or, on Non-Agenda Items, to matters within the body’s subject matter jurisdiction. All cComments should be addressed directed to the body and not to other speakers or the audience. Speakers who do not follow these rules will be asked to cease and if they do not comply, they will be ruled out of order on the grounds of relevancy and asked to leave the podium and possibly the meeting.
2. Meeting attendees DON’T INTIMIATE OR BLOCK VIEW shall be seated unless recognized by the Chair as a speaker or unless entering or leaving, or moving to and from a location within, the Council Chambers in a manner that does not intimidate other attendees or seek to block their views of the proceedings. Meeting attendees shall strive to remain quiet at all times and shall not hold up placards or signs that block the views of other attendees.
Attendees may show support or opposition to speaker by silently raising and waving both hands for support or showing a “thumbs down” in opposition.
3. Disruptive and/or disorderly actions and behaviors that may result in removal from the meeting include, but are not limited to:
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d. Blocking the view of other attendees by standing, occupying the aisles, or by holding up a sign or placard that blocks the views of other members of the public, or by other view obstruction.
e. Addressing the City Council without being recognized by the Mayor or Chair.
f. Interrupting or attempting to interrupt a speaker.
g. Interfering with another attendees’ ability to participate. h. Intimidating or threatening behavior.
i. Refusal to heed a call to order.
j. Failure to cease and desist disruptions when requested by the Mayor or Chair.
k. Entering a non-public area of the Council Chambers without the permission of the Mayor or Chair.
l. Failure to leave Council Chambers upon being ejected by the Mayor or Chair for violation of the Rules of Conduct.
m. Failure to clear the City Council Chamber upon order of the Chair pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.9 or other applicable law. n. Use of “hHate sSpeech” (i.e., verbal or written statements whose sole purpose is to attack, demean, and denigrate an individual or group based on race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, or disability) and or verbal denigration that disrupts the meeting and/or violates Redondo Beach anti-harassment policies.
4.2 Enforcement of public conduct
Individuals or groups participating via Zoom or other electronic means that interrupt or disrupt the meeting, or who fail to follow the direction of the chair, may be silenced or removed from the meeting by the City Clerk or the City Clerk’s designee at the direction of the chair.
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1. The Mayor, which includes the acting Mayor Pro Tem, and Chair, which includes the acting Vice Chair, shall be the presiding officer at all of their respective regular and special meetings (“Presiding Officer”) of the body. The presiding officerand shall enforce these procedural rules of conductRules.
The Chief of the Police, or his designated representative, shall be the sergeant-at-arms of the respective body’s public meetings.
2. Any member of the body City Council may move to, and by majority vote, require the pPresiding oOfficer to enforce these rRules and the body, by majority vote, may require him/her to do so. Members of the City Council may move to, and by majority vote, overturn a ruling of the Presiding Officer concerning the enforcement of these Rules.
3. The pPresiding oOfficer shall be mindful of the following sanctions which may be applied in appropriate circumstances:
Government Code Section 54957.9:
In the event that any meeting is willfully interrupted by a group or groups of persons so as to render the orderly conduct of such meeting unfeasible and order cannot be restored by the
removal of individuals who are willfully interrupting the meeting, the mMembers of the legislative body conducting the meeting may, by majority vote of the Members order the meeting room cleared and continue in session. Only matters appearing on the agenda may be considered in such a session. Representatives of the press or other news media, except those participating in the disturbance, shall be allowed to attend any session held pursuant to this section. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the legislative body from establishing a procedure for
readmitting an individual or individuals not responsible for willfully disturbing the orderly conduct of the meeting.
Penal Code Section 403:
Every person who, without authority of law, willfully disturbs or breaks up any assembly or meeting that is not unlawful in its character, other than an assembly or meeting referred to in Section 302 of the Penal Code and Section 18340 of the
Elections Code, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
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4.3 Scripts dealing with meeting disruptions
Appendix B includes the approved scripts that the Mayor and Chairs shall use when required to address disruptions by the public during a public meeting under their control.
4.4 Public Rules of Decorum and Courtesy
The public is expected to act with dignity and respect at all times during a public meeting. The City Council asks expects public speakers to comply with the following rules of decorum and courtesy:
1. Refrain from use of profanity, obscenity, and offensive language in speech, on signs, and on clothing.
2. Refrain from personal threats and attacks.
3. Refrain from hateful and demeaning speech based on race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and disabilityHate Speech (i.e., verbal or written statements whose sole purpose is to attack, demean, and denigrate an individual or group based on race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, or disability).
4. Refrain from yelling or screaming.
5. Be Rrespectful to all people persons present, participating and watching the meeting.
6. Refrain from clapping, cheering, or booing during the meeting. Rather, raise both hands and wave them to show support or give a “thumbs down” to show disagreement.
5 COURTESY, DECORUM, AND PERSONAL CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL AND
COUNCIL APPOINTED MEMBERS OF CITY BODIES
It is the policy of the City Council that the City Council and appointed members of commissions and boards conduct city business to maintain common courtesy and decorum as they conduct city business or represent the city. To that end the City Council establishes the following guidelines for behavior.
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5.1 Each member shall comply with California law and Redondo Beach City Charter, Redondo Beach Municipal Code, Resolutions, and Policies in the execution of their duties.
All members must comply with state and local laws, ordinances and sections of the City Charter while acting in the capacity of their elected and/or appointed positions.
This includes but is not limited to the Ralph M. Brown Act, Government Code Sections 54950-54693, as it now exists or may hereafter be amended.
5.2 Each member shall avoid Conflicts of Interest
The Government Code provides that "No public official at any level of state or local government shall make, participate in making, or in any way attempt to use an official position to influence a governmental decision in which there is a financial interest." The Political Reform Act requires cities to adopt a conflict of interests code listing those commissions, which are involved in the "making, or participate in the making, of decisions, which may foreseeably have a material effect on any financial interest." At this time, the City's conflict of interest code (Resolution No. 8037) requires certain commissioners, the Mayor and all Council Members to file disclosure statements (Form 700).
Members will be required to disclose investments, interests in real property, sources of income, and business positions held. The Clerk's office will notify these commissioners of their filing requirements in a timely fashion and will provide needed forms and instructions to them.
Any person commissioner who has a doubt as to whether or not there is a financial interest in any decision before the commission should may contact the Fair Political Practices Commission ([email protected]) prior to the time required to make the decision.
5.3 Acting Professional, Respectful, and Appropriate Within their oOfficial cCapacity, members are responsible to uphold a positive image of the City
When acting in an official capacity, for example, participating in a public meeting, all the Mayor, Chair, and members of City bodiesa Body should strive to:
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1. cConduct themselves in a professional and appropriate manner; that projects a positive image of the City.
5.4 Each member should treat fellow members, city staff and members of the public with respect.
2. All members should bBe respectful of others, including fellow participants, the public, and City Staff participants in the meeting;
3. . Any disagreements should address the issue, not the individuals who may have a differing position on the issue at hand. Avoid unnecessary and abusive conduct, personal charges, or verbal attacks, and instead, address the merits of issues presented;.
4. Listen courteously to all opinions and consider alternative perspectives and . Members should work collaboratively with staff and other members to achieve the city’s goals;
5. Respectfully and constructively resolve disagreements; . Any disagreements should be resolved respectfully and constructively, and where appropriate and compliant with the Brown Act and similar legislation, privately.
5.5 Members should refrain from interrupting one another.
6. Refrain from interrupting one another;
7. Unless required of the Chair to maintain control of the meeting, members should aAllow the public speaker who has the floor to finish before commenting, unless required of the Mayor, Chair, or Members, to maintain control of the meeting.;
8. Avoid When appropriate, members may interrupting a presentation, unless needed to clarify ask a question, refocus the presentation, or for efficiency (but (generally questions and comments should wait until the speaker presenter relinquishes the floor). The closed caption software cannot accurately display interruptions and individuals talking over one another.
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5.65.4Members should wait to be recognized by the Chair.
In order to maintain order, members wishing requesting to speak should generally wait until the Mayor or Chair gives them the floor.
5.75.5Members, the Mayor, and the Chair should be prepared to vote and should voteandto act on the merits of the decision at hand Members, the Mayor, and the Chair are expected to adequately prepare for each meeting. Members and, the Mayor, and the Chair shall should base their decisions on the merits and substance of the matter at hand, rather than on unrelated considerations. Members, the Mayor, and the Chair shall should act in the best interest of the community, and . Wwhen making adjudicative a decisions, (those decisions where the member is called upon to determine and apply facts peculiar to an individual case), members shall maintain an open mind until the conclusion of the hearing on the matter and shall base their decisions on the facts presented at the hearing and the law.
5.85.6Members the Mayor, and the Chair should promote transparency and accountability.
Members, the Mayor, and the Chair are expected to promote open and transparent government. Members the Mayor, and the Chair shall use city resources responsibly and only for official duties. Members the Mayor, and the Chair shall follow the Brown Act.
5.95.7Members the Mayor, and the Chair shall protect confidential information.
Members, the Mayor, and the Chair may at times have insight of and access to confidential or privileged information. Members, the Mayor, and the Chair must refrain from improperly revealing this information to those who are not authorized for access to the information. Members, the Mayor, and the Chair should refrain from using the information for personal or political gain.
5.105.8 Members, the Mayor, and the Chair should be mindful in their dealings outside the meetings
The position filled by the Mayor, Chair, members of the City Council, city boards, and city commissions follows the individuals outside the public meetings. The public may not disassociate private actions from the public role. Members the Mayor, and the Chair should act accordingly by striving to continue to treat
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09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 36. members of the publicothers with due dignity and respect in their interactions outside the venue of the public meetings, including both face-to-facein person interactions as well asand on social media and other forms of communication.
Disrespectful and rude interactions may reflect poorly on the bBody on which the membera person serves, the City Council, and the City.
Additionally, members should remain vigilant to ensure avoidance of Brown Act violations, such as inadvertently conducting a serial meeting.
5.115.9 Members, the Mayor, and the Chair shall not misrepresent or abuse their position or use it for personal gain
Members the Mayor, and the Chair should not misrepresent or abuse their position or title, or use it to intimidate of for personal gain. use their title outside the duties of the positions on which they serve. The titles do not bestow any authority over the public or city staff. And members should not use their position when expressing opinions on matters unless those matters are under the purview of the body on which the member serves and the opinion expressed is the expressed opinion of the entire body. Otherwise, the member should state the opinion as a personal opinion that is not reflective of the body. Members must never use their position to intimidate or assert authority over others or for personal gain.
5.125.10 Members are expected to follow the same rules of courtesy and decorum as the public.
The Mayor, Chair, and Members are expected to abide by the Public Rules of Decorum and Courtesy provided in section XXX above.of the body are expected to act with dignity and respect at all times during a public meeting. All members are expected to comply with the following rules of decorum:
1. Refrain from use of profanity, obscenity, and offensive language in speech, on signs, and on clothing.
2. Refrain from personal threats and attacks.
3. Refrain from hateful and demeaning speech based on race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and disability.
4. Refrain from yelling or screaming.
5. Respect all people present, participating and watching the meeting.
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5.135.11 Members should not interrupt members of the public speakingers or presenters.
A member of the public who is providing public comment generally should not be interrupted until the conclusion of their time to speak. The Mayor or Chair may interrupt a member of the public who is speakinger to enforce the procedures and conduct of the meetingRules. There may be times when interrupting a presenter is prudent to ensure understanding, but this should be exercised only when really needed for clarity and understanding of the topic. A member should refrain from interrupting a speaker, especially since the speaker has limited time to speak.
5.145.12 Use of Electronic Devices during Meetings
5.14.15.12.1Silencing devices and limiting use
During public meetings, All mMembers, the Mayor, and the Chair should set their personal electronic devices to silent or vibrate mode during public meetingsand be cognizant of the restrictions and requirements of the Brown Act with respect to use of said devices. Electronic devices shall only used for the purpose of reading or following agenda materials, conduct of the meeting (such as raising a hand to speak), taking notes, and/or projecting information to augment the deliberation of an agenda item.
5.14.2Refrain from messaging
All members should refrain from messaging other members or members of the public during a public meeting. All discussion on an item should happen publicly.
Members are reminded that electronic messages are records subject to the Public Records Act.
5.14.35.12.2Prohibitions during quasi-judicial hearings When a board or commission hears matters related to discretionary land use permits (conditional use permits, variances, development permits, etc.) and appeals, these are quasi-judicial hearings subject to both fair process and due process requirements, which require the Board or cCommission to be fair and impartial. Public hearings are conducted as an open, public process. In order to provide a fair public hearing, board and commission members and appointed officials are required to make their decisions based only on evidence "in the record" and cannot rely on evidence or information obtained outside the record that is not disclosed at the public hearing. To ensure a fair hearing, knowledge about an item
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09.09.2025-Proposed Rules of Order - City Council and Commissions - v2.docx 38. should be limited to just what is provided as part of the record. Board and commission members should not check outside sources for other information , such as electronic devices, during a hearing. Be advised that eEven if electronic communication is unrelated to the public hearing item, it may give the appearance that board and commission members are either receiving evidence that is not in the record or not giving their full attention to the matter at hand. Board and commission members have a duty toshould avoid any appearance of impropriety or inattentiveness. As such, members shall not use electronic devices to cCommunicatinge either directly or through social media with other members of the bBody or with any other person regarding a public hearing item during the hearing should be avoided.
5.15 Nomination, Election, and Role of Commission Chairs Commissions shall nominate and elect a Chair annually for a one-year term. A Chair can serve multiple terms if nominated and voted for by a majority. A duly elected Chair shall conduct the commission meeting and enforce the rules of conduct for public meetings. The Chair, as a member of the body, may make motions and cast votes. Similarly, commissions shall nominate and elect a vice-chair annually. A vice -chair will assume the role of Chair when the Chair is absent.
5.165.13 Attendance
5.16.15.13.1Mayor and City Council Attendance
The Mayor and City Council are expected to make every attempt to attend all regularly scheduled meetings, and in the event of an expected absence, to inform the Presiding Officer and Staff Liaison and with any vacations or other outages precoordinated with the Mayor and City Clerk ahead of time.
5.16.25.13.2Commissioner Attendance
Commissioners are expected to make every attempt to attend all regularly scheduled meetings. A commissioner should coordinate in writing with the City Clerk, the Chair and the staff liaison in advance for an excused absence from any meeting. If the commissioner’s absence was due to an unforeseen circumstance, the commissioner shall communicate with the City Clerk, the Chair, and the staff liaison as soon as reasonable.
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As provided for in the Redondo Beach Municipal Code, in the following instances a board or commissioner’s position shall become vacant and so declared by the City Council:
(1) An existing board or commission member is absent from three regular meetings of such board or commission during the previous 12 months. For the purposes of determining absences, a board or commission member shall not be deemed absent if a meeting is canceled, unless the board or commission member’s absence was the cause of the meeting’s cancelation due to lack of quorum;
(2) A new board or commission member is absent from three regular meetings of such board or commission during the first year of his/her appointment. For the purposes of determining absences, a board or commission member shall not be deemed absent if a meeting is canceled, unless the board or commission member’s absence was the cause of the meeting’s cancelation due to lack of quorum.If a commissioner misses more than four meetings in a rolling one-year period, the Mayor shall present the City Council with a recommendation to remove the commissioner or provide a rationale for retaining the commissioner. .
5.175.14 All Mayor and mMembers will perform all required training in a timely manner.
All members shall comply with mandatory training requires set by the sState, by the City, or by City Council. This includes but is not limited to:
Ethics training
Cyber security training
Commission Orientation (in the case of Commissioners) Commissioners who fail to complete any training in a timely manner may be removed by the Mayor and City Council pursuant to RBMC § 2-9.109, Removal of members.
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5.185.15 Commissioners and Commission Chairs should stay within the Role and Scope of the Board/Commission
Commissioners and commission Chairs are responsible to understand the role of the commission. Commissions are all established to advise the City Council. Some commissions may also serve in quasi-judicial roles as clearly defined in the Redondo Beach Municipal Code. Commissioners and Chairs are expected to comply with the limitations of their jurisdiction and role. Staff liaisons will also warn commissions if they are exceeding their scope and role. Any disagreement between staff liaisons and commissioners related to scope of duties and authorities will be adjudicated by the City Council if required. Repeated issues may require action by the Mayor and City Council, including potential removal pursuant to RBMC § 2-9.109, Removal of members.
5.195.16 Commissioners serve at the will of the Mayor and City Council Commissioners serve at the will of the City Council. Pursuant to RBMC § 2-9.109, the members of each board and commission may be removed from office by a vote of the majority of all members of the Council. Per Redondo Beach Municipal Code, commissioners serve at the will of the Mayor and City Council. The Mayor and City Council may remove any commissioner at any time without reason. However egregious or repeated breaches of the codes documented in the previous sections would certainly be grounds for removal. Commissioners should strive to comply with these rules of conduct, courtesy, and decorum.
5.205.17 Remote Meeting Attendance/Participation
5.20.15.17.1Commissioners
Remote attendance of public commission meetings by commissioners is prohibited.
5.20.2Mayor and City Council
Members of the City Council may attend and participate in a public meeting using teleconferencing technology provided all requirements of the Brown Act are followed. The following are some of the requirements of the Brown Act with respect to teleconference participation:
A quorum of the body must participate from City Council Chambers Each location must be identified in the agenda notice at time of publication Agendas must be posted at each location.
Each location must be accessible to the public.
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Section 2.0 of this document details City of Redondo conduct of teleconference participation by City Council members.
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APPENDIX A – Model Agenda for City Council meetings
This appendix includes a model agenda for City Council meetings. This model will be tailored for each Commission.
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APPENDIX B: Scripts for Chairs to address disruptions to public meetings under their control