Norwalk Municipal Code Ch. 2.08 City Council

A. Meetings. Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at the Norwalk City Hall, 12700 Norwalk Boulevard, Norwalk, California; provided, however, that if a date falls on a holiday or City, Statewide, or Presidential election, said meeting shall be held at the same hour on the next succeeding day unless canceled by City Council.

B. Vice Mayor Means Mayor Pro Tempore. The term "Vice Mayor," when used in this Code, shall have the same meaning as "Mayor Pro Tempore" when used in the California Government Code.

(Prior code § 2-1.1; Ord. 1470 § 1 1997; Ord. 21-1722 § 2)

A. 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. The presiding officer of the City Council, who shall be the Mayor, Vice Mayor or, in their absence, other member so designated by the City Council, shall be responsible for maintaining the order and decorum of meetings.

B. Rules of Decorum. While any meeting of the City Council is in session, the following rules of order and decorum shall be observed:

1. Councilmembers. The members of the City Council shall preserve order and decorum, and a member shall not by conversation or other means delay or interrupt the City Council proceedings or disturb any other member while speaking.

2. City Staff Members. Employees of the City shall observe the same rules of order and decorum as those which apply to the members of City Council.

3. Persons Addressing the City Council. Public oral communications at the City Council meetings should not be a substitute for any item that can be handled during the normal working hours of the municipal government. The primary purpose of oral communications is to allow citizens the opportunity to formally communicate with the City Council as a whole, for matters that cannot be handled during the regular working hours of the City government. Each person who addresses the City Council shall do so in an orderly manner and shall not make personal, impertinent, slanderous or profane remarks to any member of the City Council, staff or general public. Any person who makes such remarks, or who utters loud, threatening, personal or abusive language, or engages in any other disorderly conduct which disrupts, disturbs or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of any City Council meeting shall, at the discretion of the presiding officer or a majority of the City Council, be barred from further audience before the City Council during that meeting.

4. Members of the Audience. No person in the audience at a City Council meeting shall engage in disorderly or boisterous conduct, including the utterance of loud, threatening or abusive language, whistling, stamping of feet or other acts which disturb, disrupt or otherwise impede the orderly conduct of any City Council meeting. Any person who conducts him or herself in the aforementioned manner shall, at the discretion of the presiding officer or a majority of the City Council, be barred from further audience before the City Council during that meeting.

C. Addressing the City Council. A person wishing to address the City Council regarding an item which is on the City Council meeting agenda shall submit a request on the form provided, or he or she may seek recognition by the presiding officer of the City Council during discussion of any such item. Persons wishing to discuss a nonagenda item may seek recognition by the presiding officer during the oral communications portion of the meeting. No person shall address the City Council without first being recognized by the presiding officer. The following procedures shall be observed by persons addressing the City Council:

1. Each person shall step to the podium provided for the use of the public and shall state his or her name and address; the organization, if any, which he or she represents; and, if during the oral communications portion of the meeting, the subject he or she wishes to discuss.

2. During the oral communications portion, any subject which is not deemed relevant by the City Council shall be concluded.

3. Each person shall confine his or her remarks to the City Council agenda item or approved oral communications subject being discussed.

4. Each person shall limit his or her remarks for business items or oral communications to three minutes, unless further time is granted by the City Council.

5. All remarks shall be addressed to the City Council as a whole and not to any single member thereof, unless in response to a question from such member.

6. No question may be asked of a member of the City Council or of the City staff without permission of the presiding officer.

D. Enforcement of Decorum. The rules of decorum set forth above shall be enforced in the following manner:

1. Warning. The presiding officer shall request that a person who is breaching the rules of decorum be orderly and silent. If, after receiving a warning from the presiding officer, a person persists in disturbing the meeting, the presiding officer shall order him or her, to leave the City Council meeting. If such person does not remove himself or herself, the presiding officer may order any law enforcement officer who is on duty at the meeting as sergeant-at-arms of the City Council to remove that person from the City Council chambers.

2. Removal. Any law enforcement officer who is serving as sergeant-at-arms of the City Council shall carry out all orders and instructions given by the presiding officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the City Council meeting. Upon instruction of the presiding officer, it shall be the duty of the sergeant-at-arms to remove from the City Council meeting any person who is disturbing the proceedings of the City Council.

3. Resisting Removal. Any person who resists removal by the sergeant-at-arms shall be charged with a violation of this section.

4. Penalty. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall, pursuant to Section 1.16.010 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 him or her to do so, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the City Council shall require him or her to do so. If the presiding officer of the City Council 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 presiding officer for the limited purpose of enforcing any rule of this section which it wishes to enforce.

6. Adjournment. If a meeting of the City Council is disturbed or disrupted in such a manner as to make infeasible or improbable the restoration of order, the meeting may be adjourned or continued by the presiding officer or a majority of the City Council, and any remaining City Council business may be considered at the next meeting.

(Prior code § 2-1.2; Ord. 1470 § 2, 1997; Ord. 1703 § 1, 2018; Ord. 21-1722 § 2)

A. The Mayor or Vice Mayor may call the members of the City Council to assemble informally in the City Hall prior to any City Council meeting for a study session in order to be apprised of the various matters which will come before the meeting and to receive such detailed information in regard thereto as will enable the City Council to give intelligent consideration to such matters when they are presented for official action.

B. The City Attorney and City Manager shall attend such informal conferences and shall give members of the City Council such detailed information as they may possess regarding such matters.

C. No official action shall be taken at such preliminary conferences; although the City Council may conduct closed sessions or an executive session as part of such pre-City Council agenda session.

D. Unless otherwise ordered by the City Council or the Mayor, such meetings shall be held at 5:00 p.m. on the day of the regular scheduled City Council meeting, in the City Council Chambers, or other location as designated on the agenda.

E. Such meetings shall be open to the public, except for closed sessions, and notice of any change in the usual time or place thereof shall be furnished to any members of the press requesting the same.

(Prior code § 2-1.3; Ord. 1470 § 3, 1997; Ord. 21-1722 § 2)

A. Unless the law provides the manner in which members shall be appointed to various boards, commissions or committees, all such boards, commissions and committees in the City shall be composed of five members, one each to be appointed by each member of the Norwalk City Council. All persons shall occupy their appointed positions for such term as is provided in the ordinance or resolution establishing said board, commission or committee; unless the person is removed from his or her position by a majority vote of the City Council.

B. The term of any regular member of any board, commission or committee is automatically extended for not more than 90 days pending the qualification of his or her successor.

(Prior code § 2-1.4; Ord. 21-1722 § 2)

The City Council may establish, by resolution, the responsibilities of all City departments and the duties and compensation of heads of departments, officers and employees of the City.

(Prior code § 2-1.5; Ord. 21-1722 § 2)