HomeMy WebLinkAbout3183 Procedures for placing agenda items for Business Meetings1
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ORDINANCE NO.3183
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING PROCEDURES IN AMC 2.04.030
FOR PLACING ITEMS ON AGENDAS FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS
Annotated to show deletions and additions to the Ashland Municipal Code sections being
modified. Deletions are bold lined thfough, and additions are bold underlined.
WHEREAS, the Ashland City Council wishes to modify the procedures for Councilors to add
items to agendas for business meetings; and
WHEREAS, the Ashland City Council wishes to require that a Councilor wishing to add an
item to the agenda for a Council business meeting obtain concurrence from another Councilor,
the Mayor, the City Administrator, or the City Attorney or approval by a majority vote at a
meeting of the Council.
THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Ashland Municipal Code Section 2.04.030 is hereby amended as follows:
2.04.030 Agendas
The City Administrator is responsible for the preparation of the Council agenda.
A. Agenda Guidelines for Regular Meetings. Topics will be added to a Council agenda based
on timeliness of the topic and with consideration of the number of items already scheduled for
the Council. Matters to be considered by the Council shall be placed on an agenda to be
prepared by the City Administrator from the following:
1. All items considered by the Council during Study Sessions, which require a subsequent
Council vote.
2. All items which are required by law or policy to be presented to the Council.
3. All other items that the City Administrator, City Attorney or Mayor present to the Council
for action or information.
4. Items placed on the agenda in accordance with paragraphs B and C of this Section.
5. Requests of City Boards, Commissions, and Committees.
B. Agenda Additions by Councilors
1.Any A Councilor may place any item on the Council's business meeting agenda provided
that another member of the Council acknowledges concurrence with the addition and
that preparing the matter for Council consideration does not require more than two hours of
ORDINANCE NO. 3183
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staff time, including policy research and document drafting. The A proposed addition
proposed by a Couneffor for the agenda of a particular upcoming business meeting must
be delivered to the City Administrator no later than noon of the Wednesday prior to that
Council meeting. The City Administrator shall determine the order of business of the item.
The Mayor may defer the item until a later meeting if the agenda of a particular meeting is
already lengthy or if, in the Mayor's sole judgment, the matter is not time -sensitive, but in
no case shall the Mayor defer the item to an agenda that is more than three months beyond
the date requested by the Counnedor Council members submitting the item. Council
members will endeavor to have subjects and any materials they wish considered submitted
prior to finalization of the Council packet.
2. A Councilor who wants to add to the Council's agenda an item requiring more than two
hours of preparation by staff, including policy research and document drafting, should first
propose the addition at a Regular Meeting under Other Business from Council members or at
a Study Session. The Council should consider such additions to the Council agenda in light
of City priorities, including adopted City Council Goals, and workload. The Council must
agree to proceed with an issue or ordinance before staff time is spent preparing the matter for
Council action. The Councilor may present information or a position paper or ask for a
department report or committee recommendation. Councilors who agree that staff time can
be spent on a particular item are not bound to support the issue when it comes before the
Council for a vote
C. During a meeting. A topic may be added to the agenda by a majority vote of the Councilors
present. Generally these items should be limited to items of timeliness or emergencies.
Advance notice of executive sessions, however, must be given as required by State law.
D. Postponing Agenda Items Before Consideration.
1. If a Councilor will be absent from an upcoming Regular Meeting, the Councilor may
request during a Regular Meeting that consideration of an agenda item be postponed to a
future Regular Meeting. The request will be honored if the majority of the Council votes in
favor of postponement and the matter is not time -sensitive.
2. If the request to postpone is made outside a regular Council meeting the Councilor
requesting the postponement shall submit a request to the Mayor or City Administrator in
ORDINANCE NO. 3183
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writing or by email as early as possible. The request to postpone will be honored unless the
majority of the Council at the public meeting votes not to postpone the item or if the matter
is time -sensitive.
3. If time expires before the City Council can consider an item on the agenda including an
advertised item, the unaddressed item shall automatically be continued to the next scheduled
Regular Meeting or Study Session; re -advertisement shall not be required for such continued
items. A note shall be placed on the Agenda referencing this continuance rule: "Items on the
Agenda not considered due to time constraints are automatically continued to the next
scheduled Regular Meeting or Study Session of the Council. AMC 2.04.030.E."
E. Council Packets. Written materials, from Councilors, staff and citizens, which are related
to agenda items to be included in the Council packet, must be submitted to the City
Administrator's office no later than 12:00 noon six days in advance of the Council meeting for
which it is intended. Materials submitted must include author's name and address.
F. Study Session Agenda Preparation. The City Administrator prepares the agenda for the
Study Sessions from:
1. Items requested by the Mayor and members of the Council to be listed on the agenda.
2. Items deemed appropriate by the City Administrator.
3. Business from the Council pertaining to committee reports and other business.
4. Items requested by City Commissions, Committees or Boards.
G. Time Limits. Items appearing on the Council Study Session agenda shall be assigned a
time limit and the Mayor shall hold discussion to within the time frame, unless the consensus
of the Council is to extend the time limit until an issue or item is discussed and resolved.
SECTION 2. Severability. Each section of this ordinance, and any part thereof, is
severable, and if any part of this ordinance is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction,
the remainder of this ordinance shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 3. Codification. In preparing this ordinance for publication and distribution, the
City Recorder shall not alter the sense, meaning, effect, or substance of the ordinance, but
within such limitations, may:
(a) Renumber sections and parts of sections of the ordinance;
(b) Rearrange sections;
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(c) Change reference numbers to agree with renumbered chapters, sections or other parts;
(d) Delete references to repealed sections;
(e) Substitute the proper subsection, section, or chapter numbers;
(f) Change capitalization and spelling for the purpose of uniformity;
(g) Add headings for purposes of grouping like sections together for ease of reference; and
(h) Correct manifest clerical, grammatical, or typographical errors.
PASSED by the City Council this day of , 2020.
ATTEST:
City Recorder
SIGNED and APPROVED this day day of , 2020.
Jo Stromberg, Mayor
Review as to form:
41�
�� W"n' �
David H. Lohman, City Attorney
ORDINANCE NO. 3183
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