Attachment 3ATTACHMENT 3
COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL
TITLE: Town Agenda Format and Rules
POLICY NUMBER: 2-01
EFFECTIVE DATE: 12/15/1986
PAGES: 6
ENABLING ACTIONS: 1986-183; 1987-
024; 1988-124; 1993-181; 1994-057;
1996-108; 2001-077; 2004-033; 2009-
002
REVISED DATES: 12/15/1986; 3/2/1987;
6/6/1988; 6/15/1992; 12/6/1993;
4/4/1994; 8/5/1996; 7/2/2001; 4/5/2004;
1/20/2009; 3/16/2009; 12/6/2010;
8/5/2013; 3/3/2015; 9/20/2016;
6/20/2017; 8/1/2017; 12/4/18;
3/195/2019
APPROVED:
PURPOSE
To establish procedures which standardize Town agendas and insure an orderly meeting. This
Policy applies to Town Council and all Town Boards, Commissions, and Committees.
POLICY
The following policies have been established:
A. Order of the Agenda
Subject to the Mayor’s, or Chair’s, discretion to change the order of consideration of any
agenda item during any individual meeting:
Meeting Called to Order
Roll Call
Pledge of Allegiance
Appointments
Presentations
Closed Session Report
Consent Calendar
Verbal Communications
Public Hearings
Other Business
Council Matters
Manager Matters
Adjournment (No later than midnight without vote)
Small Town Service Community Stewardship Future Focus
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B. Closed Session Report
At the first Council meeting following any Closed Session, the Town Attorney will report on
the Closed Session describing what occurred, but without reporting any information which
could damage the Town’s position on a) potential or existing litigation, b) the acquisition or
disposition of property, or c) any employee’s privacy interests. In addition, the Closed
Session agenda shall clearly identify the subject of each agenda item consistent with the
requirements of the Brown Act.
C. Communications by Members of the Public
1. Verbal Communications. Comments by members of the public during the initial Verbal
Communications portion of the agenda on items not on the Council agenda shall be
limited to 30 minutes and no more than three (3) minutes per speaker. As an item not
listed on the agenda, no response is required from Town staff or the Council and no
action can be taken. However, the Council may instruct the Town Manager to place the
item on a future agenda. At the conclusion of the first Verbal Communications, the
agenda will proceed onto the Public Hearings and Other Business sections of the
agenda. In the event additional speakers were not able to be heard during the initial
Verbal Communications portion of the agenda, an additional Verbal Communications
section can be opened prior to Adjournment.
2. Public Hearings. Presentations during the Public Hearings portion of the agenda by
appellants and applicants, including any expert or consultant assisting with the
presentation, shall be limited to a total of no more than ten (10) minutes for all
speakers. Appellants and applicants shall be provided no more than five (5) minutes to
rebut at the end of the public hearing. Other members of the public testifying at public
hearings shall be limited to no more than three (3) minutes.
3. Submittal of written materials by Applicant and Appellant. To allow Town Council,
Boards, Commissions, Committees, Town Staff, and the public the opportunity to review
material in advance of a hearing, all materials submitted by the Applicant or Appellant
must be received by the Town Clerk fourteen (14) days prior to the scheduled public
hearing. Documents and materials received from the Applicant or Appellant after the
deadline will be accepted; however, the Town Staff may not have the time to analyze
the documents and material, and Town Council may not have the time to consider
materials submitted after the deadline. The submittal of any additional material by the
Applicant or Appellant shall not be considered prima facie evidence (sufficient to
establish a fact or raise a presumption) under Town Code Section 29.20.300.
4. Other Agenda Items. Comments by members of the public concerning any other item on
an agenda shall be limited to no more than three (3) minutes per item.
5. Mayor’s Discretion. All time limits noted above shall be subject to change at the Mayor’s
discretion.
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D. Consent Calendar
Items on the Council agenda that are considered to be of a routine and non -controversial
nature are placed on the Consent Calendar. Typical items include meeting minutes, final
reading and adoption of ordinances, resolutions approving agreements, awards of
contracts, status staff reports, etc.
Consent items shall be approved by a single Council motion, unless a member from the
Council or the public requests that an item be removed for separate Council action. Items
removed from the Consent Calendar may be considered at that meeting at the Mayor’s
discretion.
E. Presentations
The Presentations portion of the agenda is intended to allow organized groups to make
formal presentations to the Council and to recognize and honor deserving individuals
and organizations. All matters included on the Presentations portion of the agenda
require the prior approval of the Mayor and shall be limited to no more than ten (10)
minutes, unless the Mayor grants additional time.
F. Council Matters
Members of Council may report on the activities of the committees to which they belong or
the meetings they attend, question staff briefly on matters upon which the Council has
taken action or given direction, make brief announcements, or discuss whether to place
particular items on future agendas for action by the Council. Future agenda items to be
briefly discussed here shall be identified consistent with Section G of this policy, or may be
raised for the first time under this item.
G. Adjournment
Council meetings will be adjourned at midnight unless a majority of the Council Members
present vote to extend the adjournment time.
H. Americans with Disabilities Notice on Town Agendas
As part of the requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Town is required
to provide notice of whom to contact in advance of a public meeting for assistance to
disabled individuals who might wish to participate. The following notice shall be provided in
at least one location on each Town agenda for Council, Boards, Commissions, or
Committees.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to
participate in this meeting, please contact the Clerk Administrator at (408) 354-6834.
Notification 48 hours before the meeting will enable the Town to make reasonable
arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting [28 CFR §35.102-35.104]
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I. Preparation of the Agenda
The agenda is prepared by staff in consultation with the Mayor for the Mayor’s final
approval. If there is a disagreement between the Mayor and staff, the Mayor makes the
ultimate call on the Agenda and its items. Any member of the Council may submit a request
through the Town Manager or directly to the Mayor to make a change or addition to the
agenda. In no event may the subject of whether to amend the agenda be discussed outside
of a public meeting by more than two (2) members of the Council.
Items thus proposed to be added to the agenda require the Mayor’s agreement to be added
for action. If the Mayor does not agree, the item shall be listed on the agenda for discussion
purposes only under the Council Matters section of the agenda. Council may then discuss
whether to place the item on a future agenda for action. Two (2) or more members of the
Council must vote in favor of placing an item on a future agenda for action. The Mayor in
good faith will make every effort to place the item on the first available Council agenda in
consultation with the Town Manager.
If the wish of the Council is to add an item on the agenda of the current meeting, th en the
Brown Act generally requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote or a unanimous vote of those present if
less than five (5) Council Members are present, with a finding that there is a need to take
immediate action and the need for action came to the attention o f the Town after the
agenda was posted.
J. Agenda Schedule and Preparation
In general, questions or inquiries from Council Members to the Town Manager and/or Town
Attorney regarding agenda items should be responded to within 24 hours, and then placed
into Addenda and/or Desk Items, as appropriate.
Thursday, prior
to the meeting
Written agenda is finalized and printed. Agenda packets distributed to
Town Council Members. Public comments on agenda items received
by 11:00 a.m. will be included in the agenda packet.
Friday, prior to
the meeting
Additional information from staff available after the Thursday
distribution of the agenda packet, and public comments received prior
to 11:00 a.m. on Friday will be distributed to Town Council members as
an Addendum to a staff report.
Monday, prior
to the meeting
Additional information from staff available after the Friday Addendum
and received prior to 11:00 a.m. on Monday will be distributed to Town
Council members as an Addendum to a staff report.
Day of Council
Meeting
Council comments and questions received by 7:00 a.m. and public
comments received by 11:00 a.m. on the morning of a Council meeting
will be included in a Desk Item for distribution Town Council members
by 1:00 p.m. on the afternoon of a Council meeting. Council comments
and questions received after 7:00 a.m. may be addressed during the
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Council meeting. Public comment received after 11:00 a.m. will not be
distributed to the Council in the Desk Item; however, public comment
may be submitted by individuals during the Council meeting.
In general, questions or inquiries from Council Members to the Town Manager and/or Town
Attorney regarding agenda items should be responded to within 24 hours, and then placed
into Addenda and/or Desk Items, as appropriate.
K. Agenda Posting
Council Agendas shall be posted at least 72 hours prior to a regular meeting, and at least 24
hours prior to a special meeting. Notice of any meeting of a formally appointed Committee
where two Council Members could be present shall be posted at least 24 hours in advance
of any such meeting with a note as to the time and location, and an invitation to the public
to attend.
L. Conduct of Town Council Meetings
The Council shall adopt:
1. Robert's Rules of Order or
2. Some other rules of order, or
3. Allow the Mayor to conduct the meeting as deemed appropriate so long as all
members of the Town Council concur.
M. Attendance at Meetings
The Town Council Rules provisions concerning Telephonic Attendance shall apply to all
Boards, Commissions, and Committees (Commissions) as well as the Town Council.
Requests by Council Members to attend a Council meeting and Planning Commissioners to
attend a Planning Commission meeting via telephonic appearance are actively discouraged.
Telephonic attendance shall only be permitted in the event of extraordinary events such as
a medical, family or similar emergency requiring a Council Member’s absence or in the
event the Councilmember is out of the area on official Town business. In addition, at least a
quorum of the Council must participate from a location within the Town. Requests by
Commissioners to attend Commission meetings via telephonic appearance are actively
discouraged and shall only be permitted once in a consecutive 12-month period.
N. Proposed Reconsideration of Prior Council Actions
Reconsideration of prior Council actions is discouraged and may only occur in special
circumstances subject to the procedural restrictions outlined herein. Reconsideration does
not include, and this Policy does not prohibit, the repeal of a resolution or ordinance in
response to a lawsuit or a referendum challenging that adoption.
Step 1 – Motion to Place Reconsideration of a Prior Action on a Future Council Agenda
a) The motion must be made by a Council Member who previously voted on the
prevailing side of the prior action;
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b) The maker of the motion shall specifically articulate the new information, analysis
and/or circumstances that warrant(s) reconsideration of the prior action;
c) The motion must be adopted by a majority of the full Council; and
d) The motion may only be made and considered at the next regularly scheduled meeting
of the Council after the item was originally acted upon.
Step 2 – Full Reconsideration of the Prior Action, if a motion as outlined in Step 1 is
approved.
a) The full reconsideration of the prior action will be placed on the next available Council
agenda following the agenda-setting and required public notification process.
b) The agenda, public notification and staff report for the full reconsideration of the prior
action shall clearly state that the item has been previously acted upon by the Council
and is being reconsidered by the Council.
c) Action on the reconsideration of the prior action shall adhere to regular Council policies
and practices as if the item was being heard for the first time.
d) The full reconsideration of the prior action (whether sustained, reversed or otherwise
modified) will be the final action on that item, and no further reconsiderations will be
considered.
O. Motions by the Chairperson
The Chairperson of the meeting may make or second motions. The Chairperson may also
restate, or ask that the maker restate, all motions immediately prior to any vote.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Robert Schultz, Town Attorney