(3)AR 112007 Manual of Procedures

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CITY OF COLTON AGENDA REPORT ITEM #3 FOR COUNCIL MEETING OF NOVEMBER 20, 2007 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM: CAROLINA PADILLA, CITY CLERK DEAN DERLETH, CITY ATTORNEY SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION FOR ADOPTION OF REVISED CITY COUNCIL MANUAL OF PROCEDURE DATE: NOVEMBER 13, 2007 BACKGROUND: A City Council ad-hoc committee consisting of Mayor Chastain, Mayor Pro Tem Suchil and Councilmember Mitchell have been working with staff to review potential changes to the City Council Manual of Procedure ("Manual'), which was originally adopted in 1986. Although some resolutions affecting the Manual have been adopted since 1986, and although the Council considered some conceptual revisions in 2005, the overall Manual has not been reviewed and updated. In addition, the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code § 54950 et seq.) ("Brown Act") has been amended since 1986, and those amendments have not necessarily been reflected in the Manual. DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The ad-hoc committee has considered many substantive and format revisions to the Manual. A copy of the proposed new Manual is attached hereto for your reference. The following is an outline of the most significant proposed revisions: 1. THE BROWN ACT IS CROSS-REFERENCED. Rather than restating specific language from the Brown Act, the Manual now generally describes and cross-references the requirements of the Brown Act. This change not only shortens the overall size of the Manual, it allows flexibility and avoids the need to amend the Manual each year when the Legislature amends the Brown Act. 2. EXCUSED ABSENCES FROM MEETINGS (SECTION A-7). The Manual did not indicate how excused absences from Council meetings were obtained. Although it was common practice to notify the Mayor, City Manager or City Clerk, such practice was not provided for in the Manual. Section A-7 now provides that a councilmember may notify either the Mayor, City Manager and/or City Clerk if they are going to be absent from a regular meeting, and the Presiding Officer is to note such excused absence for the record. 3. TIME LIMITS FOR MEETINGS; ADJOURNMENT (SECTIONS A-9 & B-3). The Manual now expressly includes the 10:30 pm time limit/mandatory time for adjournmelt-requirements adopted by Resolution R-29-95, and it provides that each agenda for a special or emergency meeting is to provide an agenda item to allow the City Council the opportunity to establish a similar time limit for that meeting. 4. AUTHORITY TO PLACE ITEMS ON AGENDA; TIMING (SECTION B-1). The Manual reiterates the following: (1) that an agenda item may be placed on an agenda by any member of the City Council, the City Manager, the City Attorney or the City Clerk; (2) closed session items must be approved by the Risk Manager or City Attorney and must comply with the Brown Act; and (3) items of business relating to personnel matters involving performance review or discipline, ORANGE\DDERLETH\41039.1