Coachella Municipal Code Ch. 2.04 City Council

A. California Government Code Section 36516 provides for compensation for each member of the city council based upon the population of the city. The city has an estimated population of forty-two thousand four hundred sixty two (42,462) as of January 2023, according to the California Department of Finance.

B. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 36516, each member of the city council shall receive an increase in his or her monthly salary, beginning on the starting date of the term of office for which candidates or city council members are elected in the November 2024 election. Beginning on the date on which a council member is sworn into a new term of office, the new monthly salary of each council member shall be one thousand two hundred seventy-five dollars ($1,275.00).

(Ord. 997 § 1, 2008: Ord. 874 § 1, 2002: prior code § 2-17)

(Ord. No. 1127, § 2, 10-10-18; Ord. No. 1207, § 2, 2-14-24)

Following any new and later estimates of population made by the California Department of Finance placing the city in a population group other than that set forth in Section 2.04.010, the salary is payable to each member of the council shall be increased or decreased accordingly to equal the sum prescribed for that population group in Section 36516 of the Government Code. The increase or decrease becomes payable only on and after the date when one or more council members become eligible beginning a new term of office following the next succeeding general municipal election held in the city. Council member salaries may also be increased beyond the amount provided in Section 2.04.010 pursuant to Government Code Section 36516, as amended, to account for cost-of-living adjustment and inflation.

(Prior code § 2-18; Ord. No. 1207, § 3, 2-14-24)

A. Subdivision (b) of Section 15651 of the California Elections Code authorizes cities to resolve a tie vote in an election by holding a special run-off election involving those candidates who received an equal number of votes and the highest number of votes.

B. When, in an election for any elective office of the city, two or more candidates receive an equal number of votes and the highest number of votes, a special run-off election shall be held between or among those candidates in order to determine the winner of the election. If a special run-off election is necessary, the city council, at its next regular or special meeting after the election at which there was a tie vote (but not before certifying the results of the election) shall call for a special run-off election to be held in the city on a Tuesday not fewer than forty (40) nor more than one hundred twenty-five (125) days after the administrative or judicial certification of the election that resulted in a tie vote. If a regular election is to be held throughout the city within that time period, the special run-off election shall be held on the same day as, and consolidated with, the regular election.

(Ord. 872 § 1, 2002)

The city council shall meet regularly on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at six p.m. at the Coachella City Council Chambers, City Hall located at 1515 Sixth Street, Coachella, California. The mayor may schedule closed sessions of the city council to commence at any time prior to or after such regular meetings. When a closed session shall be scheduled before a regular meeting of the city council, such closed session shall begin at five p.m.

(Ord. 952 § 1, 2006: Ord. 865 § 1, 2002: Ord. 855 § 3, 2001: prior code § 2-19)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 1074, § 1, adopted April 8, 2015, repealed § 2.04.050, which pertained to election of mayor to be presiding officer and derived from prior code, § 2-22; and Ord. 877, § 2, adopted in 2002.

The mayor shall assume the chair of the presiding officer immediately after his or her election. The presiding officer shall preserve strict order and decorum at all regular and special meetings of the council. He or she shall state every question coming before the council, announce the decision of the council on all subjects and decide all questions of order, subject, however, to an appeal to the council in which event a majority vote of the council shall govern and conclusively determine such question of order. He or she shall vote on all questions, his or her name being called last. He or she shall sign all ordinances and resolutions adopted by the council during his or her presence. In the event of the absence of the mayor, the presiding officer shall sign ordinances or resolutions as then adopted.

(Prior code § 2-23)

A majority of all the members elected to the council shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special meeting of the council. In the absence of a quorum, the presiding officer, shall, at the instance of any two members present, compel the attendance of absent members.

(Prior code § 2-26)

Unless a member of the council states that he or she is not voting, his or her silence shall be recorded as an affirmative vote.

(Prior code § 2-31)

The chief of police, or such member or members of the police department as he or she may designate, shall be sergeant-at-arms of the council meetings. He, she or they shall carry out all orders and instructions given by the presiding officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the council meeting. Upon instructions of the presiding officer, it shall be the duty of the sergeant-at-arms, or any of them present, to place any person who violates the order and decorum of the meeting under arrest, and cause him or her to be prosecuted under the provisions of this code, the complaint to be signed by the presiding officer.

(Prior code § 2-33)

All special committees shall be appointed by the presiding officer, unless otherwise directed by the council.

(Prior code § 2-35)

The only standing committee of the council shall be the committee of the whole. The mayor shall be the presiding officer of the committee of the whole, and the rules of proceedings in the council shall be observed in the committee of the whole as far as the same may be applicable.

(Prior code § 2-36)

Any member shall have the right to have the reasons for his or her dissent from, or protest against, any action of the council entered on the minutes.

(Prior code § 2-37)

No account or other demand against the city shall be allowed until the same has been considered and reported upon by the committee of the whole.

(Prior code § 2-38)

All ordinances shall be prepared by the city attorney. No ordinance shall be prepared for presentation to the council unless ordered by a majority vote of the council, or requested in writing by the mayor, city manager, or prepared by the city attorney on his or her own initiative.

(Prior code § 2-39)

All ordinances, resolutions and contract documents shall, before presentation to the council, have been approved as to form and legality by the city attorney or his or her authorized representative, and shall have been examined and approved for administration by the mayor or city manager, or his or her authorized representative, where there are substantive matters of administration involved.

(Prior code § 2-40)

The city manager or mayor shall designate noncontroversial items not requiring a roll call vote as consent calendar items. When the consent calendar is called, any council member may move that the matter be discussed and voted upon individually. Those items not brought up separately shall be approved in one vote as to all items on the calendar, as though each one was voted upon individually.

(Prior code § 2-41)

The proceedings of the council shall be governed under "Robert's Rules of Order" on all matters pertaining to parliamentary law, but no ordinance, resolution, proceeding or other action of the council shall be invalidated or the legality thereof otherwise affected by the failure or commission to observe or follow such rules.

(Prior code § 2-42)