RiversideCA.gov
1 RiversideCA.gov
REVIEW OF THE CITY COUNCIL RULES OF
PROCEDURE AND ORDER OF BUSINESS
RESOLUTION
Governmental Processes Committee
June 4, 2025
City Attorney & City Clerk
Item No. 4
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2 1. City Council processes are set out in Resolution 24255
2. City Council is to review and revise as needed or
every two years. (Art. XVI., Sec. A – Administration)
3. City Charter section 412 authorizes the City Council to establish, and uniformly apply rules for the conduct of proceedings
BACKGROUND
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3 1. Rules are adopted by City Council
2. Final rulings on parliamentary procedures shall be
made by the Presiding Officer and may be appealed
to the City Council with at least 5 affirmative votes
3. City Attorney acts in advisory capacity to procedural rules and makes no policy recommendations as to
revisions to the rules
DISCUSSION – ART. I AUTHORITY
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4 1. Sets out the duties of the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tempore, and City Council members
2. Mayor is designated as the presiding officer
3. Restates Charter provisions for Mayoral tie-vote and veto procedures
4. Section D. sets out Decorum expectations
IV. DUTIES
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5 1. City Council Meeting Schedule
a. First four Tuesdays of each month
b. Meetings following Monday holidays, week of Thanksgiving and week of Christmas are canceled
c. July, August, and September – first and third Tuesdays d. April, June, and October – second, third, and fourth Tuesdays
VIII. MEETINGS
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6 1. Workshops/ Discussion
2. Joint session of the City Council
3. Legislative report
4. Closed Sessions
5. Public Hearings/ Land Use Appeals
6. Reports on conferences; Ward updates and announcements
7. Ceremonial Matters
8. Public Comments regarding consent calendar and general City matters
9. Consent Calendar
10. Discussion Calendar
11. Pulled consent calendar items
12. Mayor/Council member Communications
13. Adjournment
IX. AGENDA / AGENDA SEQUENCE
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7 1. Sets the order of discussion for after introduction of the item by the presiding officer
2. Provides procedures for public comment
X. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
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8 1. Section D. Precedence of Motions
a. Motion to Adjourn
b. Motion to Lay on the Table
c. Motion to Call for the Question (Close Debate)
d. Motion to Postpone To A Certain Time/Day
e. Motion to Substitute
f. Motion to Amend
g. Motion to Reconsider
2. Section E. provides Rules of Discussion
XII. PROCEDURAL MATTERS
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9 1. XIII. Committees and Regional Organizations
2. XIV Boards and Commissions
3. XV. Council Requests
4. XVI. Administration
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10 DECORUM
MEETING SCHEDULES
CONSENT CALENDAR
AGENDA SEQUENCE
PUBLIC COMMENT
PROCEDURAL MATTERS
STANDING COMMITTEES
AND REGIONAL
REPRESENTATION
BOARDS AND
COMMISSIONS
PROCEDURAL OPTIONS TO CONSIDER
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11 SECTION IV. D - DECORUM
• Decorum is essential for
orderly discussions
• Discourage use of Electronic
Communication
• Enforcement
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12 SECTION VIII. D – MEETING SCHEDULES
by the presiding officer.
second and fourth.
1. Consider changes to the
summer meeting schedule
for efficiency
2. Revise meeting schedule
to accommodate holidays
and summer breaks
3. Clarify presiding officer’s
authority to adjust meeting
times
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13 SECTION IX. E – CONSENT CALENDAR
• The consent calendar includes routine
items deemed
non-controversial
• It aims to minimize discussion and
approve
items in a single action
• Council members can request to
remove items for discussion
• Different cities have varying practices
regarding consent
items
• Public comments are allowed on
removed consent items
GPC Consideration: Review the
section to revise guidelines for
removing items from consent and
determine when they will be
addressed
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14 4. Presiding officer, the authority to
adjust agenda sequence as
necessary
5. Sequence ‘Brief Reports’ first after
public comment
SECTION IX. F & I – AGENDA SEQUENCE
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15 SECTIONS IX, X, & XII – PUBLIC COMMENT
6. Remove the term "shall" and replace with
‘may’ for participants to complete a
speaker card during public comment
7. Revise language in all relevant sections
granting the Presiding Officer/Chair the
discretion to set time limits on public
comment
8. Consider consolidating all public comment
provisions into a single section of the
resolution
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16 SEVEN KEY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS
MOTIONS TYPICALLY REQUIRE FOUR
VOTES TO PASS –T I E VOTE RULE
TIME LIMITATIONS
SECTION XII – PROCEDURAL MATTERS
GPC Consideration: Provide direction
to staff as committee deems necessary
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17 • SC Monthly Meetings
• City staff and community
members often fill some Regional
Board seats
SECTION XIII – STANDING COMMITTEES AND REGIONAL BOARDS
GPC Consideration: Provide direction
to staff as committee deems necessary
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18 • Members are appointed by City
Charter guidelines
• Appointment Terms - four years, limited
to two terms
• Each board must have at least one
member from every council ward
• Filling vacancies can be challenging in
certain wards
SECTION XIV – BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
GPC Consideration: Refer Board and Commission
amendments to the Charter Review Committee
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19 Meeting Schedules:
1. Amend summer schedule for months of July, August, and September from the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month to the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month.
2. Remove sentence in section VIII. D that reads, ‘For the months of April, June, and October, the meeting shall occur the second, third, and fourth Tuesday of the month.’
3. Amend Section VIII.D - Adding language ‘ by the presiding officer’at the end of the sentence.
Agenda Sequence:
4. Draft language in Section IX th at gives Chair the authority to adjust the sequence during the agenda-setting meeting
before publishing the agenda at their discretion.
5. Sequence City Council brief reports, ward updates, and announcements first on the agenda after public comment.
Public Comment:
6. Remove the term "shall" and replace with ‘may’ for
participants to complete a s peaker card during public
comment.
7. Revise language in all relevant sections granting the Presiding Officer/Chair the discretion to set time limits on public comment.
8. Consider consolidating all publ ic comment provisions into a single section of the resolution.
Other Considerations:
9. Decorum
10. Procedural Matters
11. Standing Committee/Regional Organizational Representation
12. Boards and Commissions
PROCEDURAL OPTION WRAP-UP
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20 Cross-Cutting Threads
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Community Trust
Equity
Fiscal Responsibility
Innovation
Sustainability & Resiliency
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
• HIGH PERFORMING GOVERNMENT 5.2
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21 That the Governmental Processes Committee:
1. Review the City Council Rules of Procedure and Order of Business documented in Resolution No. 24255; and
2. Request staff to bring forth any specific change recommendations made by the Committee, along with a corresponding Resolution, to the full City Council for discussion.
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