Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Ch. 2.01 City Council

All regular meetings of the City Council shall be held in the Council Chamber in the City Hall Building located at 1400 Highland Avenue, within the corporate limits of the City, unless adjourned to another location, provided such location has adequate audio amplification and recording capability.

(Amended by § 1, Ord. 1429, eff. September 18, 1975, and § 1, Ord. 2149, eff. October 6, 2011)

Regular meetings of the Council shall be held in the Council Chamber on the first and third Tuesdays of each calendar month. The Council may, however, by minute action, at its discretion, reschedule any specific regularly scheduled meeting to an alternate date or cancel any regular meeting. Any regular meeting may be adjourned to a date which shall be specified in the order of adjournment. When so adjourned, such adjourned meeting shall be a regular meeting for all purposes. An adjourned meeting may likewise be adjourned and, when so adjourned, shall be a regular meeting for all purposes. No notice of any adjournment of any regular meeting or adjourned regular meeting, when such adjournment is made by the Council or by a member thereof, need be given as all members of the Council are charged with the duty and responsibility of ascertaining the time and place of each adjourned meeting.

(§ 4, Ord. 509, as amended by § 1, Ord. 599; § 2, Ord. 1006, eff. September 7, 1965; § 1, Ord. 1931, eff. July 20, 1995; § 2, Ord. 2047, eff. August 15, 2003, and § 2, Ord. 2104, eff. August 3, 2007)

Special meetings of the Council may be called at any time by the Mayor of the Council, or by a majority of the members of the Council by written notice delivered personally to each member at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time specified for the proposed meeting. Such written notice may be dispensed with as to any member who has on file with the Office of the City Clerk a "Waiver of Notice for Special Meetings" stating that they waive the requirement for written notice during their term of office provided they are notified via telephone or facsimile transmission at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the time of the special meeting. A telegraphic communication from a Councilmember consenting to the holding of the meeting shall be deemed to be a consent in writing, within the meaning of the terms as expressed in this section. The power of the Council to transact business at any special meeting shall be limited to matters referred to in the written notice or written consent.

(§ 5, Ord. 509, as amended by § 2, Ord. 1931, eff. July 20, 1995)

A. Quorum. At any meeting of the Council a majority of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a less number may adjourn from time to time.

B. Compelled Attendance. Absent members may be compelled to attend Council meetings when the Mayor, or any two (2) members of the Council, sign a written order requiring the attendance of any Councilman or Councilmen, as the case may be, who may be absent from any meeting and shall have the power to send a member of the Police Department with such written order to bring the absent Councilman or Councilmen forthwith before the Council. It shall be unlawful for any member of the Council to fail or refuse to accompany such Police Officer to the Council Chamber immediately upon being served with such written order, unless such member of the Council is injured, ill or incapacitated to such an extent as to reasonably preclude such attendance on his part or unless he is so precluded by the serious illness or injury of any member of his immediate family.

(§ 7, Ord. 509)

In the absence of all of the members of the Council from any regular meeting or adjourned regular meeting, the City Clerk may declare the same postponed and adjourned to a stated day and hour, and must thereupon deliver, or cause to be delivered, personally to each member of the Council a written notice of such adjournment at least three (3) hours before the time to which such regular or adjourned regular meeting has been adjourned.

(§ 8, Ord. 509)

In the event any order of adjournment of a regular meeting fails to state the hour at which any adjourned meeting is to be held, such adjourned meeting may be validly held on the day specified in the order of adjournment if held at the hour prescribed for regular meetings.

(§ 9, Ord. 509)

It shall be unlawful for any person to disturb any meeting of the Council by loud or unusual noise, by tumultuous or offensive conduct, or by threatening, traducing, quarreling, challenging to fight, or fighting.

It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a member of the Council, present at any Council meeting and while the Council is in session to fail or refuse to be seated or remain quiet when ordered or commanded so to do by the Mayor or Mayor pro tempore.

(§§ 10, 11, Ord. 509)

Except as may be otherwise provided by law, the proceedings of the Council shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order. It shall be the duty of the Mayor or Mayor tempore to reasonably adhere to and enforce such rules, provided, however, that an inadvertent failure to observe or enforce such rules shall in no manner affect the regularity, validity or legality of any action or proceeding taken by the Council. However, should the Council desire to intentionally or knowingly violate the provisions of Robert's Rules of Order, a four-fifths majority vote shall be required.

(§ 12, Ord. 509, as amended by § 2 (part), Ord. 2118, eff. November 21, 2008)

The City Manager shall have power to sign all written contracts and conveyances made or entered into by the City, either personally or by his authorized deputy, in accordance with Section 40602 of the Government Code of the State of California.

(§ 1, Ord. 1543, eff. September 14, 1978)

Each member of the City Council and the City Treasurer shall be entitled to receive a salary (not including benefits) of five hundred dollars ($500.00) per month.

(§ 2, Ord. 2094, eff. March 17, 2009)