CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Meeting Date: May 16, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Councilmember McLewis
City Administration
Subject: Consideration of Amendment to City Council Protocols as Noted Below:
a. Process for Proclamations/Presentations
b. Adjournment Time for City Council Meetings
Recommendation: It is recommended that the Council of the City of Sebastopol Consider Amendments to the City Council Protocols
Funding: Currently Budgeted: ______ Yes _________ No __XX___ N/A Net General Fund Cost: None
Account Code/Costs authorized in City Approved Budget (if applicable) AK (verified by Administrative Services Department)
INTRODUCTION:
This item is to request that the City Council Consider Amendments to the City Council Protocols for the following items only:
a. Process for Proclamations/Presentations
b. Adjournment Time for City Council Meetings
BACKGROUND
City Council Policy Number 5 was adopted to approve Establishing Rules for the Conduct of Its Meetings, Proceedings and Business to provide an effective environment for the City Council to provide leadership to ensure that the business of the City is conducted in an orderly and efficient manner to facilitate sound City Council and public deliberation and decision making;
DISCUSSION:
Tonight’s agenda item is to discuss two specific amendments to the City Council Protocols. a. Proclamation/Presentations
b. Adjournment Time for City Council Meetings
The current process for item (a) above is listed below:
REQUEST FOR PLACEMENT OF PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS:
• Proclamations are issued and/or scheduled for presentation at a City Council meeting at the discretion of the Mayor. Recognitions and proclamations shall be scheduled as necessary in recognition of persons or groups for the promotion of an event, service, and/or employee retirement. Requests must be submitted to the City Clerk in writing in advance of the agenda deadline as noted above. The City Manager shall inform the Mayor and shall request approval from the Mayor as to the appropriateness and scheduling of such recognition or proclamation. Upon approval by the Mayor, the City Clerk will then coordinate the Agenda Item Number: 13 Agenda Item Number: 13
City Council Meeting Packet of: May 16, 2023
presentation with the requesting party in order to schedule the item on any given agenda. The requesting party determines whether or not he/she will be present for acceptance of such presentation. • The request should be made at least four weeks in advance of a regularly scheduled Council meeting. • If approved for placement on an agenda, a representative shall be designated with contact information provided to the City Clerk as to who will be present at the City Council Meeting to accept the proclamation.
• The Agenda Review Committee retains the right to modify, edit, or otherwise amend the proposed proclamation to meet its requirements, needs, or policy determinations. • The Agenda Review Committee retains the right to decide if the proclamation will be issued or not. • The Mayor shall be authorized to determine if the proposed proclamation meets the intent of this policy. • When there is uncertainty in making this determination, the Mayor will consult with the City Manager for guidance.
• Once approved, the proclamation will be added to the appropriate Council agenda. • If not approved, the applicant will be notified of the decision. • If approved, the person(s) making the request must submit a copy of the proposed proclamation to the City Clerk no later than 14 days prior to the proposed City Council meeting date.
Due to the number of proclamations at recent City Council meetings, as well as the length of the City Council meetings, the following is proposed for amendments to the Proclamations/Presentation section of Council Protocols highlighted in red below:
• Proclamations (to include Years of Service Awards, Certificates of Appreciation or any Ceremonial Presentation) are issued and/or scheduled for presentation at a City Council meeting at the discretion of the Mayor. Recognitions and proclamations shall be scheduled as necessary in recognition of persons or groups for the promotion of an event, service, and/or employee retirement. Requests must be submitted to the City Clerk in writing in advance of the agenda deadline as noted above. The City Manager shall inform the Mayor and shall request approval from the Mayor as to the appropriateness and scheduling of such recognition or proclamation. Upon approval by the Mayor, the City Clerk will then coordinate the presentation with the requesting party in order to schedule the item on any given agenda. The requesting party determines whether or not he/she will be present for acceptance of such presentation. • The request should be made at least four weeks in advance of a regularly scheduled Council meeting. • If approved for placement on an agenda, a representative shall be designated with contact information provided to the City Clerk as to who will be present at the City Council Meeting to accept the proclamation.
• The Agenda Review Committee retains the right to modify, edit, or otherwise amend the proposed proclamation to meet its requirements, needs, or policy determinations. • The Mayor shall have the authority to either (items below are listed for Council consideration with the intent to reduce the length of time at Council meetings reading verbatim the proclamations or ceremonial item). It is recommended the Council, if approved, choose one of the bulleted items below o Read the title of the proclamation or ceremonial item only; or o Limit the reading of the entire proclamation, or any ceremonial action; or o Present the Proclamation in Person to the receiver of the proclamation or ceremonial item instead of placing it on an agenda
• The Agenda Review Committee retains the right to decide if the proclamation will be issued or not. • The Mayor shall be authorized to determine if the proposed proclamation meets the intent of this policy. • When there is uncertainty in making this determination, the Mayor will consult with the City Manager for guidance.
• Once approved, the proclamation will be added to the appropriate Council agenda. • If not approved, the applicant will be notified of the decision.
Agenda Item Number: 13 Agenda Item Number: 13
City Council Meeting Packet of: May 16, 2023
• If approved, the person(s) making the request must submit a copy of the proposed proclamation to the City Clerk no later than 14 days prior to the proposed City Council meeting date.
PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS:
When appropriate, the Council recognizes years of service, volunteers, or presents special awards. In response to City Council, staff or approved citizen requests, the Mayor may issue proclamations in declaration or recognition of a special event, organization or person. At this time, either the Mayor or Mayors requests a City Councilmember(s) reads the Proclamation into the record.
Proposed Change:
When appropriate, the Council recognizes years of service, volunteers, or presents special awards. In response to City Council, staff or approved citizen requests, the Mayor may issue proclamations in declaration or recognition of a special event, organization or person. At this time, either the Mayor or Mayor’s designee:
Shall have the authority to either (items below are listed for Council consideration with the intent to reduce the length of time at Council meetings reading verbatim the proclamations or ceremonial item). It is recommended the Council, if approved, choose one of the bulleted items below o Read the title of the proclamation or ceremonial item only; or o Limit the reading of the entire proclamation, or any ceremonial action; or o Present the Proclamation in Person to the receiver of the proclamation or ceremonial item instead of placing it on an agenda
City staff conducted an informal survey of the Sonoma County cities and those that responded are as follows below:
Coati – Mayor reads proclamation; however, we do not usually have very many Rohnert Park – Reads proclamations
Sonoma – Mayor does not read the entire proclamation; however will read the first Whereas then ask the representative present if they’d like to say anything
Windsor - we keep it 3 or 4 proclamations max - The mayor typically asks different councilmember to read different proclamations
Item (b) for consideration:
The City was recently contacted by the Sebastopol Cultural Community Center regarding staff hours and how that relates to the City Council meetings.
Currently, the Community Center sets up and takes down the City Council meetings at no cost to the City. In an effort to reduce meal premiums and overtime for staffing, SCCC evening custodian would need to end the shift by midnight on Tuesdays. If not, SCCC has asked if the City would help to put away the tables, chairs and City Council items as well as locking the doors and setting the alarm.
City staff is recommending an ending time for City Council meetings to ensure that the City would not incur the costs of overtime for SCCC staff (custodian) or have City staff take down the Council meetings after a meeting.
Currently City Council Meetings are to be adjourned by 10:30 pm, unless extended by unanimous vote. However, there is no adjournment/ending time for meetings that have been continued beyond the 10:30 pm adjournment.
It is proposed that if a Council meeting has been approved unanimously to go beyond the 10:30 pm adjournment time, that the ending time of a City Council meeting only be extended for one additional hour or 11:30 pm. This would allow the custodian a half hour to take down the Council meeting the night of the meeting prior to the end of staff’s shift. As there are classes conducted at the Youth Annex the following Wednesday morning, take down Agenda Item Number: 13 Agenda Item Number: 13
City Council Meeting Packet of: May 16, 2023
of Council meetings the night before would also avoid the need for custodial staff to come in early to take down the meetings in time for the Wednesday morning classes.
Having a set ending time will also avoid potential costs for overtime of City staff, consultants time if they are attending the meeting for an agenda item; reduced costs for IT to name a few cost savings.
Current Language:
ADJOURNMENT OF REGULAR MEETING
The Mayor adjourns the meeting and the City Clerk notes the time of adjournment for the record. All meetings will conclude no later than 10:30 p.m., unless this provision is waived by a unanimous vote of the Council.
Consideration of the agenda matter then on the floor will be continued beyond 10:30 p.m. by unanimous vote of the Council. In the event the remaining agenda cannot be concluded at any meeting by 10:30 p.m., the meeting will be recessed to the next regularly scheduled Council meeting or upon majority approval, to a definite time and place, and notice of such continued meeting will be given as provided by statute. No new agenda business shall be considered after 10:30 pm without agreement from unanimous vote of the majority of the Council.
It is proposed that the following language be considered for incorporation into the Council protocols:
The Mayor adjourns the meeting and the City Clerk notes the time of adjournment for the record. All meetings will conclude no later than 10:30 p.m., unless this provision is waived by a unanimous vote of the Council.
Consideration of the agenda matter then on the floor will be continued beyond 10:30 p.m. by unanimous vote of the Council. In the event the remaining agenda cannot be concluded at any meeting by 10:30 p.m., the meeting will be recessed to the next regularly scheduled Council meeting or upon majority approval, to a definite time and place, and notice of such continued meeting will be given as provided by statute. No new agenda business shall be considered after 10:30 pm without agreement from unanimous vote of the majority of the Council. If there is unanimous vote to continue the meeting beyond 10:30 pm, said meeting will be extended up to one additional hour or 11:30 pm and will not continue beyond that time. If an agenda item has not concluded or if agenda items remain and have not been heard prior to the 11:30 p.m. adjournment, the Council by majority vote shall:
1. Recess the meeting to the next regularly scheduled Council meeting and defer agenda items to that meeting; deferred items will appear first on the regular agenda of the next meeting; or
2. Schedule a Special City Council Meeting to a definite time and place, and notice of such continued meeting will be given as provided by statute.
If there is no unanimous vote of the Council, the meeting will end at 10:30 pm as noted above.
CITY COUNCIL AND/OR GENERAL PLAN GOALS:
Goal 5: Provide Open and Responsive Municipal Government Leadership
5.3.3. Encourage and increase public awareness of City Policies, decisions, programs and all public processes and meetings, by investigating effective methods of communication and obtaining feedback from the community.
Goal 6: Maintain a highly qualified Staff that works to provide services to serve and protect the residents, visitors and business of this community.
Action CHW 5c: Practice an open-door policy in City programs, and actively engage and encourage participation from all individuals regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, class, disability, sexual orientation, and gender.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
As of the writing of this staff report, the City has not received any public comment. However, if staff receives public comment from interested parties following the publication and distribution of this staff report such comments will Agenda Item Number: 13 Agenda Item Number: 13
City Council Meeting Packet of: May 16, 2023
be provided to the City Council as supplemental materials before or at the meeting. In addition, public comments may be offered during the public comment portion of the consent calendar.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
This item was noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled meeting date.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No known funding impact at this time for approving Amendments to the City of Sebastopol Council Protocols.
However there would be savings for Videographer costs as the City is charged hourly rates for SCCC staff member to videotape/stream/posting of the meetings.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council Consider the proposed amendments as discussed above. City staff will return to the next City Council meeting with any proposed revisions as a consent calendar item.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
Agenda Item Number: 13 Agenda Item Number: 13
City Council Meeting Packet of: May 16, 2023