Maywood Municipal Code Ch. 1 City Council

(a) Regular meetings. Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held at least once a month and the date and time of the meetings shall be set by City Council resolution, pursuant to Government Code Section 36805. Meetings will be held in the Council Chamber of the City Hall of the City of Maywood, County of Los Angeles, State of California or such other place as the City Council may designate. When the day for such regular City Council meeting falls on a legal holiday for the City, the meeting shall not be held on such holiday but shall be held at the same hour at the next succeeding day which is not a holiday or on such other day as the City Council adjourns to at its preceding meeting.

(b) Informal meetings. Prior to the regular meetings of the Council, the Council shall hold a regular informal meeting, to be devoted exclusively to the presentation and exchange of information, which shall include discussions of items on the agenda or to be added to the agenda. Such informal meetings shall be held at the hour of 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the City Hall and shall be open to the public. The agenda for each regular meeting shall state the time of the informal meeting and shall state that the informal meeting is open to the public. At such informal meeting, the Council shall not take any formal or binding action upon any formal motion, resolution, ordinance, or other action required by law to be taken by the Council. No formal or informal vote or poll shall be taken by the Council at such meeting.

(Ord. 244, § 2, as amended by Ord. 67-22, § 1, eff. 7-27-1967, Ord. 68-60, § 1, eff. 1-25-1969; Ord. 87.317, § I, eff. June 11, 1987; Ord. 88-340, § 1, eff. 8-27-1988; Ord. No. 08-03, § 1, 4-8-2008; Ord. No. 14-05, § 1, 8-13-2014; Ord. No. 16-01, § 1, 8-10-2016; Ord. No. 22-03, § 1, 1-11-2023)

All official meetings of the Council shall be held in that certain building located at 4319 East Slauson Avenue in the City of Maywood, County of Los Angeles, State of California. Such building is hereby designated as the City Hall of the City.

(§ 1, Ord. 246)

The Mayor of the City or, in his absence, the Mayor pro tempore, or, in the absence of both, one of the members of the Council selected by the Council shall preside at all meetings. The decision of the presiding officer as to the interpretation and enforcement of the rules of procedure shall be final and conclusive, subject to an appeal of the presiding officer's decision.

(§ 2, Ord. 487, as amended by § 1, Ord. 563)

An agenda for each meeting shall be prepared by the City Clerk. The preparation of the agenda for each regular meeting of the Council shall be completed and the agenda closed at 4:00 p.m. on the last work day of the week preceding the date of the Council meeting. Such agenda shall be posted in the lobby leading to the Council Chamber so as to be fully visible from outside of such lobby. No item may be considered at the meeting unless the item is on the posted agenda or under the emergency situations and subject to the procedures listed in the Government Code of the State.

(§ 3, Ord. 487, as amended by § 2, Ord. 563, § 2, Ord. 87-317, eff. June 11, 1987, and § 1, Ord. 92-383, eff. May 28, 1992)

(a) Regular meetings. The order of business for all regular and adjourned regular meetings of the City Council shall be established by resolution of the City Council. The order of business at regular and adjourned regular meetings may be changed in any given meeting when the circumstances require it upon majority consent, by vote, of the members of the city council present at such meeting.

(b) Special meetings. The order of business at special meetings shall be as follows:

(1) Roll call;

(2) Transaction of business for which the special meeting is called; and

(3) Adjournment.

(c) Any person wishing to address the Council on a specific agenda item, other than at a regularly scheduled public hearing, may do so provided he shall first have so notified the City Clerk, in writing, prior to the commencement of the meeting.

(§ 5, Ord. 487, as amended by § 3, Ord. 563, § 1, Ord. 594, § 1, Ord. 67-27, eff. July 13, 1967, § 1, Ord. 78-166, eff. May 25, 1978, and § 1, Ord. 78-183, eff. October 26, 1978)

(Ord. No. 08-03, § 2, 4-8-2008)

Regular meetings, adjourned regular meetings, and special meetings of the Council shall be held pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Government Code of the State and shall be conducted pursuant to the rules of procedure set forth in this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 487)

(a) Robert's Rules of Order. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, or as provided by law, Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the procedures at all meetings of the City Council.

(b) Decorum. Meetings of the City Council shall be conducted in an orderly manner to ensure that the public has a full opportunity to be heard and that the deliberative process of the City Council is retained at all times. In discussion of any issue before the City Council, Councilmembers must confine themselves to the question before the Council. The presiding officer of the City Council shall be responsible for maintaining order and decorum at Council meetings. Any Councilmember may make a motion for a vote to censure or for a vote for removal or ejection as set forth herein.

(c) Rules of decorum. While any meeting of the City Council is in session, the City Council shall preserve order and decorum and shall strictly abide by the instant rules of decorum. A Councilmember shall not by conversation, by the utterance of loud, threatening, profane or abusive language, or by engaging in any other disorderly conduct at any City Council meeting delay or interrupt the City Council proceedings. Dilatory conduct, which includes, but is not limited to, a Councilmember's persistence in discussing an agenda item or any other matter before the Council after the matter has been called to a vote, shall constitute a violation of this section.

(d) Enforcement provisions. A violation of the rules of decorum by a Councilmember shall be subject to the following enforcement provisions:

(1) Votes of censure. Any Councilmember who reasonably believes that another Councilmember is violating these rules of decorum shall be allowed to make a motion calling for a vote of censure by identifying the Councilmember, and that Councilmember's speech, actions or behavior, that he/she believes constitutes such violation. Upon such motion, all Councilmembers present shall immediately vote on the motion and state whether they agree that the identified speech, actions and/or behavior actually constitutes a violation and justifies a vote of censure. If a majority of the Councilmembers present vote for censure, then that vote shall be duly noted by the City Clerk and the subject of that vote shall have two (2) minutes to make a rebuttal statement indicating why the vote should be overturned. After such rebuttal any Councilmember shall be entitled to make a motion to overturn the vote to censure. If such motion is approved by a majority vote of those Councilmembers present, then the City clerk shall remove such censure from the record. If the vote to censure is not overturned, then such vote shall remain part of the record. Motions to overturn a vote of censure may only be made at the meeting at which the vote of censure was made. This section contemplates no other administrative remedy to a vote of censure other than the two (2) minute rebuttal.

(2) Fines for censure. Any Councilmember who receives a vote of censure shall be subject to a One Hundred and no/100ths ($100.00) Dollar fine per censure. Such fine(s) shall be paid to the City Clerk within thirty (30) days of the date imposed. Failure to pay such fine(s) within sixty (60) days shall give rise to a civil action by the City of Maywood for collection, or shall be deducted or offset from the Councilmember's compensation or per diem entitlements.

(3) Removal. Any Councilmember who receives three (3) votes of censure during a City Council meeting, in addition to the attendant fines, shall also be subject to a vote, upon motion by any member, by a majority of the City Council present, to remove such offender from the City Council meeting. If a majority of the City Council votes for removal, then the subject of that vote shall have two (2) minutes to make a rebuttal stating why the vote should be overturned. After such rebuttal any Councilmember shall be entitled to make a motion to overturn the vote to remove. If such motion is approved by a majority vote of those Councilmembers present, then the City Clerk shall remove such vote from the record. If the vote to remove is not overturned, then such vote shall remain part of the administrative record. Motions to overturn a vote of removal may only be made at the meeting at which the vote of removal was made. If the offending Councilmember, or member of the public, does not leave voluntarily, the presiding officer may order any law enforcement officer who is on duty at the City Council meeting as sergeant-at-arms to remove the offender from the City Council chambers. It shall be the duty of any law enforcement officer who is serving as sergeant-at-arms at the City Council meeting to carry out all orders and instructions given by the presiding officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum, including the removal of disruptive Councilmembers.

(4) Resisting removal; Penalty. Any Councilmember who resists removal by the sergeant-at-arms shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(5) Motion to enforce. If the presiding officer of the City Council fails to enforce the rules set forth above, any member of the City Council may move to require the presiding officer to do so, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the City Council shall mandate such action. If the presiding officer fails to carry out the will of a majority of the City Council, the majority may designate another member of the City Council to act as the presiding officer for the limited purpose of enforcing any provisions of this subsection which it desires to enforce.

(§ 6, Ord. 487, as amended by § 1, Ord. 98-454, eff. September 24, 1998)

All meetings of the Council shall be open to the public.

(§ 3, Ord. 244)

At any meeting of the Council, any person who refuses or fails to observe and comply with the provisions of this chapter or other applicable laws of the State, or who fails, refuses, or neglects to observe and comply with the rulings of the presiding officer, or who uses improper language or indulges in contumacious or other improper conduct shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Such person shall also be subject to removal from the Council Chamber upon an order of the presiding officer, which order shall be enforced by a member of the Police Department.

(§ 7, Ord. 487)

The compensation for members of the City Council shall be Nine Hundred Fifty and no/100ths ($950.00) Dollars per month, which shall be payable at the same time and in the same manner as salaries paid to other employees of the City.

(Ord. No. 24-01, § 3, 2-28-2024)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 24-01, § 2, adopted Feb. 28, 2024, repealed the former § 2-1.10, and enacted a new § 2-1.10 as set out herein. The former § 2-1.10 pertained to salaries: authorized and derived from Ord. 66-3, § 1, effective April 7, 1966; and Ord. 83-261, § 1, effective Nov. 10, 1983.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 24-01, § 4, adopted Feb. 28, 2024, repealed § 2-1.11, which pertained to salaries: estimate of population of City and derived from Ord. 66-3, § 2, effective April 7, 1966; and Ord. 83-261, § 1, effective Nov. 10, 1983.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 24-01, § 4, adopted Feb. 28, 2024, repealed § 2-1.12, which pertained to salaries: payment and derived from Ord. 66-3, § 3, effective April 7, 1966; and Ord. 83-261, § 1, effective Nov. 10, 1983.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 24-01, § 4, adopted Feb. 28, 2024, repealed § 2-1.13, which pertained to salaries: increases and decreases and derived from Ord. 66-3, § 4, effective April 7, 1966; and Ord. 83-261, § I, effective Nov. 10, 1983.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 24-01, § 4, adopted Feb. 28, 2024, repealed § 2-1.14, which pertained to salaries: operative date and derived from Ord. 66-3, § 6, effective April 7, 1966; and Ord. 83-261, § 1, effective Nov. 10, 1983.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 24-01, § 4, adopted Feb. 28, 2024, repealed § 2-1.15, which pertained to salaries exclusive of expense reimbursements and derived from Ord. 66-3, § 5, effective April 7, 1966; and Ord. 83-261, § 1, effective Nov. 10, 1983.

Whenever it becomes necessary to appoint a member of the Council as a representative of the City to serve on a board, committee, or commission, such Council member shall be appointed under the following procedure:

(a) It shall be the responsibility of the Mayor to recommend to the Council the appointment of a member of the Council to such board, committee, or commission.

(b) The Council shall confirm or reject, by a majority vote of those Council members in attendance, the recommendation of the Mayor.

(c) If the recommendation of the Mayor is rejected, the Mayor shall ask for recommendations from the various Council members, and the Council shall adopt or reject, by a majority vote of those Council members in attendance, the recommendation made by a Council member.

(§ 1, Ord. 79-191, eff. March 15, 1979)

The appointment of a member of the Council to serve in such capacity as a representative of the City upon any board, committee, or commission shall terminate upon the occurrence of either of the following:

(a) A vote by the majority of the Council to terminate such Councilmember's appointment to such board, committee, or commission; or

(b) Such Councilmember's removal from office or the termination of such Councilmember's status as an elected official of the City.

(§ 1, Ord. 79-191, eff. March 15, 1979)

(a) The City Council of the City of Maywood declares that there is a need for a Community Development Commission in the City of Maywood to function with respect to the Maywood Redevelopment Agency.

(b) The City Council declares itself to be the Community Development Commission of the City of Maywood.

(c) All officers and employees of the Maywood Redevelopment Agency are selected and appointed to the same corresponding positions in the Community Development Commission. All agreements and contractual arrangements heretofore entered into by both the Redevelopment Agency and the City of Maywood are hereby adopted and ratified on behalf of the Community Development Commission.

D. All by-laws, rules and procedures heretofore adopted by the Maywood Redevelopment Agency are adopted as the by-laws, rules and procedures of the Community Development Commission, subject to amendment by the Commission in accordance with their terms.

(§§ 1, 2, 3 and 4, Ord. 03-504, eff. August 12, 2004)