1. Proposed Amendments to RBMC Ordinance re Uniform
Regulations of Commissions
ORDINANCE NO. XXXX-XX
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING TITLE 2,
CHAPTER 9, ARTICLE 1, SECTIONS 2-9.100, 2-9.101, 2-
9.102, 2-9.103, 2-9.106 and 2-9.107, AND ADDING
SECTIONS 2-9.110 AND 2-9.111 AND DELETING IN ITS
ENTIRETY SECTION 2-9.108 PERTAINING TO UNIFORM
REGULATIONS OF COMMISSIONS
[RECITALS]
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 2-9.100 is hereby amended to read as follows:
Ҥ 2-9.100 Appointment and terms of members.
(a) The members of each board and commission shall serve for a term of four years, commencing October 1 and ending September 30 or as soon thereafter as his or her successor is appointed and qualified. (b) The members of each board and commission shall be appointed by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by the City Council, within 60 days after the expiration of the four-year term or within 60 days after a vacancy occurs. If the Mayor shall have failed to make an appointment within such period, any member of the City Council may nominate an eligible person to fill such vacancy. Four affirmative votes of the City Council to appoint such nominated person shall result in the appointment. Any appointment to fill an unexpired term shall be for such unexpired period.
2. (c) A term of four years is a full term and a term of less than four years is a partial term. No person shall serve more than two full terms on the same board or commission after serving two full terms on that board or commission. If a person serves a partial term that exceeds two years, or serves more than one partial term that cumulatively exceeds two years, (excluding any leap day), it shall be considered a full term for the purpose of this provision. The length of previous and current terms of appointment, including partial terms, shall be aggregated and counted for the purpose of applying this provision to determine eligibility for future appointments. No member of a board or commission shall serve simultaneously on more than one board or commission, or as an elected or appointed official, or City employee, of the City of Redondo Beach.
(d) If a section related to the appointment and terms of members of a specific commission differs from this section, the section related to the appointment and terms of members of the specific commission shall prevail.” SECTION 2. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 2-9.101 is hereby amended to read as follows:
Ҥ 2-9.101 Organization meetings, chairperson, meeting cancelations. (a) Each board or commission shall meet as soon after the first day of October of every year as practical for the purpose of organizing. At such organization meeting, or in the first meeting after a vacancy in the chairperson or vice chair position is declared, the boards and commissions shall organize themselves by electing one of its members to serve as chairperson and one member to serve as vice chair for the ensuing year.
Commissions may elect a new Chair/Vice Chair at any time, but, at a minimum, a Chair/Vice Chair must be elected annually, as described above.
Each board or commission shall hold a regular meeting at least once each month, subject to the meeting cancelation procedures in subdivision (c) of this section. In addition to any such regular meetings, each board and commission, upon approval of a majority, may hold whatever special meetings may be necessary or convenient to dispose of business within its jurisdiction without delay, with the approval of the City Council, City Manager,
3. or staff liaison with the approval and/or at the direction of the City Manager.
All proceedings of any board or commission shall be open to the public. (b) Commissions may form subcommittees on subject matters within their jurisdiction, and subject to the rights and powers granted to the Commission, by a motion approved by the majority of the commission. Any subcommittee formed shall be comprised of less than the number of commission members that would constitute a quorum of the commission under the Brown Act (defined as the Ralph M. Brown Act, California Government Code sections 54950, et seq., and as otherwise amended and codified under California law). The subcommittee must have a defined termination date and/or terminate upon the completion of a specified task or purpose. Each commission may, by a motion approved by the majority, empower a subcommittee to report back to the commission regarding its subcommittee deliberations during public session and/or empower the subcommittee to produce written materials and/or an oral report for staff, the City Council, and/or another City commission. With the approval of the City Council, City Manager, or staff liaison with the approval and/or at the direction of the City Manager, the subcommittee may represent the commission in a public meeting of another public agency.
(c) Regular meetings may only be canceled (i) for an anticipated lack of business or a quorum only by a majority vote of commissioners or members, and only during the regular meeting that immediately precedes the meeting to be canceled, or (ii) for an anticipated lack of business or a quorum, or other unforeseen circumstances, by the staff liaison with the approval and/or at the direction of the City Manager. The staff liaison or City Manager shall inform the City Council and Mayor of the cancellation and the reason(s) for it. In order to cancel a meeting, the commissioners or members must publicly vote to cancel the next scheduled meeting during the “Adjournment” item on the commission agenda. No future meetings beyond the next scheduled meeting may be canceled in advance.”
SECTION 3. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 2-9.102 is hereby amended to read as follows:
Ҥ 2-9.102 Procedure.
4. The following procedure shall be followed by boards and commissions, at public meetings:
(a) Each member of a board or commission who is present for a vote shall vote unless the member states the reasons for abstaining for the record. (b) City staff shall maintain a true and correct record of all proceedings of all boards or commission and ensure such records are available to the public through the City Clerk’s office.
SECTION 4. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 2-9.103 is hereby amended to read as follows:
Ҥ 2-9.103 Proceedings.
Each board or commission shall conduct its public meetings in accordance with the Redondo Beach Municipal Code and City Council Rules of Conduct and Decorum.”
SECTION 5. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 2-9.106 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
Ҥ 2-9.106 Membership eligibility.
Membership on any City board or commission shall be limited to residents who are registered voters of the City, with the exception of the Youth Commission as defined in Article 6 of this chapter. Each commission may have additional eligibility and qualification requirements as specified by the sections governing each commission.”
SECTION 6. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 2-9.107 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
Ҥ 2-9.107 Vacancies.
(a) In the following instances a board or commissioner’s position shall automatically become vacant and so declared by the City Council:
(1) A board or commission member resigns;
(2) A board or commission member informs the Mayor and City Council in writing that they are unable to fulfill their term for any reason;
5. (3) A board or commission member is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude;
(4) A board or commission member ceases to be a legally registered voter of the City;
(5) A board or commission member ceases to reside in the City of Redondo Beach;
(6) A board or commission member is removed by the City Council pursuant to Section 2-9.109; or
(7b) 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 any twelve (12) month period of time after October 1, 2025the 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.
(c) Vacancies occurring in any board or commission shall be filled in the manner set forth in Section 2-9.100.”
SECTION 7. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 2-9.108 is hereby repealed in its entirety:
SECTION 8. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 2-9.110 is hereby added in its entirety to read as follows:
“2.9-110 General Powers and Duties
6. (a) All commissions shall provide advice to the City Council on matters within their jurisdiction as defined in the respective sections addressing each commission’s powers and duties. This is the primary duty of all commissions. (b) Commissions shall provide advice on matters assigned to the commission by the Redondo Beach Municipal Code, the City Council, City Manager, or staff liaison with the approval and/or at the direction of the City Manager.
(c) Commissions shall provide advice to the City Council on annual budgets and strategic plans prior to the City Council’s deliberations on these matters. (d) Commissions may, under the “Commission Member Items and Future Commission Agenda Topics” section of the commission’s meeting agenda, advise the City Council on a matter if: 1) a commissioner moves to agendize the item, another commissioner seconds the motion and the commission approves agendizing the matter by majority vote; and 2) it is a matter that falls within the jurisdiction, powers and duties of the commission; and 3) the staff liaison, with the approval and/or at the direction of the City Manager, agrees. On matters in which the staff liaison disagrees with the commission, the commission may, by majority vote, seek the City Council’s determination as to the appropriateness of the commission’s proposed action. The staff liaison or City Manager shall inform the City Council and Mayor of the disagreement and the commission’s request.
(e) Commissions may have additional powers and duties as defined in the sections related to each commission.
SECTION 9. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Title 2, Chapter 9, Article 1, Section 2-9.111 is hereby added in its entirety to read as follows:
“2.9-111 Limited and Restricted Scope of Powers and Duties of Commissions:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in the Redondo Beach Municipal Code and/or those sections related to specific commissions:,
7. (a) eEach commission is a reviewing and advising/recommending body only; and.
(b) Each commission and each commissioner shall have no power, duty, responsibility, role or authority to:
(1) Demand that any particular City staff, personnel, contractor, elected or appointed official, or any other person or entity participate in or appear before a meeting of the commission or undertake any action or omission; or
(2) Demand that any documents or information be provided to or generated for the commission; or
(3) Direct, interfere with or participate in, the operations or management of any City department, staff, personnel, or contractor; or (4) Review, evaluate, investigate, or comment upon matters which that are solely within the duties and functions of any other commissions or committees, unless directed to do so by the City Council, City Manager or staff liaison with the approval and/or at the direction of the City Manager; or
(5) Review, evaluate, investigate, or comment upon individual complaints involving any City department, personnel, contractor, elected or appointed officials or others; or
(6) Represent to be acting for on behalf of the City, its staff, personnel, or contractors;
(7) Commit the officers, employees, staff, or elected or appointed officials of the City to a specific position or to any course of action, may not make referrals to City staff, except as authorized by specific sections governing the commission or if specifically directed by the City Council;
(8) Act in an oversight role of any City function, department or over any elected or appointed positions; or
8. (9) Assert any power, authority, or privileges through the use of their title or appointed position in any context other than that which is allowed by the Redondo Beach Municipal Code.
(e) Commissioners who violate, or other fail to abide with, this section may be removed by the City Council in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 9, section 2-9.109.
SECTION 10. Any provisions of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code, or appendices thereto, or any other ordinances of the City inconsistent herewith, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, are hereby repealed.
SECTION 11. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, and phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, or phrases be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 12. This ordinance shall be published by one insertion in the official newspaper of said city, and same shall go into effect and be in full force and operation from and after thirty (30) days after its final passage and adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this XXth day of XXXXX, 2025. ________________________
James A. Light, Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTEST:
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9. Joy A. Ford, City Attorney Eleanor Manzano, CMC, City Clerk