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REVIEW OF CITY COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
AND ORDER OF BUSINESS
Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, & Governmental Process Committee January 3, 2024
City Manager’s Office
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2 • The Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee (Committee) received and discussed the Rule s of Procedure and Order of Business for the City Council through a series of meetings held January 2022 through November 2023.
• Committee recommendations were presented through workshop to City Council on December 12, 2023, for review with City Council requesting three items return to Committee for further discussion.
• On January 3, 2024, the Committee discussed recommendations and requested staff bring forth Committee recommendations related to parliamentary procedure, abstentions, and referral of items to boards and commissions.
BACKGROUND
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3 PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
Option One:
The Mayor Pro Tempore may serve as parliamentarian and is assigned in alignment with the Mayor Pro Temp rotation schedule.
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4 PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
Recommended language updates for Option One include:
I. Authority
The Charter of the City of Riverside provides that the City Council shall determine its own rules and order of business. By virtue thereof, and when not in conflict with the Charter of the City of Riverside and the Constitution and laws of the State of California, the following set of rules shall be in effect upon adoption by the City Council and until such time as they are amended or new rules adopted in the manner hereinafter provided and shall prevail to govern the business of the City Council of the City of Riverside.
The business of the City Council and its standing committees shall be conducted, so far as it is practicable, in accordance with parliamentary rules as contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, except as modified by these rules and is consistent with state open meeting laws and local Sunshine Ordinance. The Mayor Pro Tempore shall serve as parliamentarian. The City Attorney shall act as a resource for the interpretation of such rules but not as a parliamentarian. All appointed Boards and Commissions shall amend their own rules and regulations to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order, consistent with state open meeting laws, local Sunshine Ordinance and the City Charter.
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5 PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
Option Two:
Remove the proposed Robert’s Rules of Order parli amentary framework with the City Attorney, or designee, serving as advisory parliamentarian for the City. Final rulings on parliamentary procedure shall be made by the Presiding Officer and are subject to the appeal of full City Council.
Recommended language updates for Option Two include:
I. Authority
The Charter of the City of Riverside provides that the City Council shall determine its own rules and order of business. By virtue thereof, and when not in conflict with the Charter of the City of Riverside and the Constitution and laws of the State of California, the following set of rules shall be in effect upon adoption by the City Council and until such time as they are amended or new rules adopted in the manner hereinafter provided and shall prevail to govern the business of the City Council of the City of Riverside. The City Attorney, or designee, shall serve as advisory Parliamentarian for the City. Final rulings on parliamentary p r o c e d u r es h a l lb em a d eb yt h eP r e s i d i n gO f f i c e ra n da r es u b j e c tt ot h ea p p e a lo ff u l lC i t y Council.
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6 ABSTENTIONS
Previous Committee Review:
Section IV, F – Voting Disqualification
Neither the Mayor nor any Council member who is disqualified shall vote upon the matter on which the member is disqualified. Any member shall openly state that they are recusing themselves because of a disqualifying financial or other conflict of interest. The Mayor or any councilmember who is disqualified due to a financial interest shall publicly identify the financial interest in detail sufficient to be understood by the public except that disclosure of the exact street address of a residence is not required. As to any other conflict of interest, the member' s determination may be accompanied by an oral or written disclosure of such conflict of interest. A member who is disqualified by a conflict of interest in any matter shall not remain in the member's chair during the discussion and vote on such matter unless the matter has been placed on the consent agenda. 5 6
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7 ABSTENTIONS
Recommended language updates include:
Section XII, Procedural Matters – Rules of Discussion, Item E On the passage of every motion, the vote shall be taken by electronic voting device and entered in full upon the record. If the device is inoperable, the vote shall be taken by roll call voice vote recorded by the City Clerk. The presiding officer shall announce the result of the vote. No member shall be excused from voting except on matters involving the consideration of the Councilmembers own official conduct, or where a conflict of interest exists.
Refusal to vote without excuse shall be an affirmative vote. Abstaining votes consent with the majority of the quorum. An explanation of the reason for abstention is encouraged.
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8 REFERRALS TO BOARD OR COMMISSION
Language updates recommended for consideration:
C. REFERRAL OF MATTERS FROM CITY COUNCIL TO BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS When deemed appropriate the City Council or Councilmember, may refer matters to boards and commissions for review. Referrals may return to City Council Standing Committees if not time sensitive.
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9 Strategic Priority No. 5 – High Performing Government Goal No. 5.2 – Utilize technology, data, and process improvement strategies to increase efficiencies, guide decision making, and ensure services are accessible and distributed equitably throughout all geographic areas of the City.
Cross-Cutting Threads
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
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10 That the City Council:
1. Provide any recommendations deemed necessa ry to Resolution No. 23976 - City Council Rules of Procedure and Order of Business related to parliamentary procedure, abstention, and referral of items to boards and commissions;
2. Review Committee recommendations to City Council Rules of Procedure and Order of Business as documented in Resolution 23976; and
3. Request staff bring forth any specific language recommendations along with a corresponding resolution to the full City Council for adoption.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
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