Redding Municipal Code Ch. 2.04 City Council

Each member of the city council shall receive a monthly salary in accordance with the provisions of California Government Code Section 36516, as may be amended from time to time, with any compensation changes to be effective pursuant to the provisions of California Government Code Section 36516.5.

(Ord. 2058 § 1, 1993)

A. The city council shall hold regular meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month in the council chambers located at 777 Cypress Avenue, commencing at the hour of six p.m.

B. When any regular meeting falls upon a day declared by law, or by proclamation of the President of the United States or the Governor of the state, to be a legal holiday, the regular meeting shall be held on the next business day.

(Ord. 2374 § 1 (part), 2006: Ord. 1795 § 1, 1987)

(Ord. No. 2447, § 1, 10-26-2009; Ord. No. 2508, § 1, 8-19-2014)

The city council shall choose one of its own number as mayor and one of its own number as vice mayor.

(Ord. 2374 § 1 (part), 2006: prior code § 2-44)

A. The mayor shall preside at the meetings of the council. If he or she is absent or unable to act, the vice mayor shall serve until the mayor returns or is able to act. During such time, the vice mayor has all of the powers and duties of the mayor.

B. If the mayor and vice mayor are absent or unable to act, the mayor pro tempore shall serve until the mayor or vice mayor return or are able to act. During such time, the mayor pro tempore has all of the powers and duties of the mayor.

(Ord. 2374 § 1 (part), 2006: prior code § 2-45)

(Ord. No. 2532, § 1, 8-18-2015)

The mayor may make or second any motion and present and discuss any matter, as a member of the council.

(Prior code § 2-46)

If the city clerk is absent, the deputy city clerk shall act. If there is none, the mayor shall appoint one of the councilmen as city clerk pro tempore.

(Prior code § 2-47)

Any regular or adjourned regular meeting may be adjourned to a date specified in the order of adjournment. When so adjourned, the adjourned meeting is a regular meeting for all purposes. No meeting may be adjourned to a time later than the next regular meeting.

(Prior code § 2-49)

A. A majority of the council constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. Less than a majority may adjourn from time to time and may compel the attendance of absent members by subpoena. If all council members are absent from any regular meeting, the city clerk shall declare the meeting adjourned to a stated day and hour. The city clerk shall cause a written notice of adjournment to be delivered personally to each council member at least three hours before the adjourned meeting.

B. Unless a higher vote is required by provisions of state law, the affirmative votes of at least three members of the city council shall be required in order for the city council to take action on an item of business or the adoption of any ordinance or resolution, or for the making or approving of any order for the payment of money.

(Ord. 2374 § 1 (part), 2006: prior code § 4-49.1)

The city council at any special meeting shall act only on matters referred to in the notice or consent.

(Prior code § 2-49.2)

The clerk shall keep a complete clerk's record of the proceedings of the council. At the request of any council member, the city clerk shall enter the ayes and noes in the minutes.

(Prior code § 2-49.3)

All reports, communications, ordinances, resolutions, contract documents and other matters to be submitted to the council at a regular meeting shall be delivered to the city clerk not later than eleven a.m. on the Friday preceding a regular meeting. The administrative staff of the city shall submit a list of the agenda for each department respectively to the city clerk no later than two p.m. on the Thursday preceding a regular meeting. The city clerk shall prepare an agenda of all such matters according to the order of business and deliver or mail to each councilman, the city manager and the city attorney a complete copy of the agenda not later than one p.m. on the Friday preceding the meeting. The city clerk shall make the agenda available to the public in the clerk's office not later than nine a.m. on the following Monday. No matters other than those on the agenda shall be formally acted upon by the council; provided, however, that matters deemed to be emergencies by any councilman, the city manager or the city attorney, with an explanation of the emergency stated in open council meeting, may be considered and acted upon by the council.

(Prior code § 2-49.4.)

Promptly at the hour set by law on the day of the regular meeting, the members of the city council, the city clerk, the city attorney, and the city manager shall take their regular stations in the council chambers, and the business of the city council shall be taken up for consideration and disposition in the following order, except as may be otherwise ordered by the mayor or council:

A. Call to order.

1. Pledge of allegiance to the flag.

2. Invocation.

3. Roll call.

4. Introduction of city council meeting participants.

B. Proclamations, awards, commendations, and special presentations.

C. Non-agenda public comment, if any, for a period of time not to exceed thirty minutes.

D. Consent calendar, including approval of minutes of previous meeting, payroll, warrant register, action on claims, transfers of funds, and other items as deemed appropriate.

E. Appointments to boards, committees, and commissions.

F. Public hearings, petitions, and protests.

G. Regular calendar, including reports and communications of council members, departments, officers, boards, commissions, and committees.

H. Non-agenda public comment, if any remain.

I. AB1234 reimbursement report.

J. Suggestions from council members relative to topics for future city council meetings.

K. Adjournment.

(Ord. 2374 § 1 (part), 2006: Ord. 1586 § 1, 1982)

(Ord. No. 2447, § 1, 10-26-2009; Ord. No. 2518, § 1, 12-16-2014; Ord. No. 2588, § 1, 6-19-2018; Ord. No. 2615, § 1, 11-5-2019)

The presiding officer shall preserve order at all regular and special meetings of the council. He shall state each 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 the question of order.

(Prior code § 2-49.6)

A. Every member desiring to speak shall address the chair and, upon recognition by the presiding officer, shall confine himself to the question under debate, avoiding all personalities and indecorous language.

B. A member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless it is to call him to order or as otherwise provided in this chapter. If a member, while speaking, is called to order, he shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined, and, if in order, he shall be permitted to proceed.

C. The councilman moving the adoption of an ordinance or resolution shall have the privilege of closing the debate.

D. A motion to reconsider any action taken by the council may be made only on the day the action was taken. It may be made either immediately during the same session or at a recessed or adjourned session. The motion must be made by one of the prevailing side but may be seconded by any member and may be made at any time and shall have precedence over all other motions or while a member has the floor. It shall be debatable. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any member of the council from making or remaking the same or any other motion at a subsequent meeting of the council.

E. A councilman may request, through the presiding officer, the privilege of having an abstract of his statement on any subject under consideration by the council entered in the minutes. If the council consents thereto, the statement shall be entered in the minutes.

F. The clerk may be directed by the presiding officer, with consent of the council, to enter in the minutes a synopsis of the discussion on any question coming regularly before the council.

(Prior code § 2-49.7)

Any person desiring to address the council shall first secure the permission of the presiding officer to do so; provided, however, that under the following headings of business, unless the presiding officer rules otherwise, any qualified person may address the council without securing such prior permission:

A. Written Communications. Under the heading of "written communications" interested parties or their authorized representatives may address the council in regard to matters or communications submitted in writing in advance of the meeting and placed on the agenda for discussion.

B. Non-Agenda Public Comment. Under the heading of "Non-Agenda Public Comment," members of the public may address the council on any matter concerning the city's business, or any matter over which the council has control which is not scheduled for consideration on the agenda. The time limit for non-agenda public comment shall be three minutes, unless a request for extension of time is requested by the speaker and the time limit is extended or waived by the mayor for good cause.

C. Public Comment. In accordance with the Brown Act, members of the public shall be entitled to address the council regarding specific items on the agenda prior to or during consideration of the item. The time limit for public comment shall be three minutes, unless a request for extension of time is requested by the speaker and the time limit is extended or waived by the mayor for good cause.

(Ord. 2374 § 1 (part), 2006: prior code § 2-49.8)

(Ord. No. 2447, § 1, 10-26-2009)

After a motion is made by the council, no person shall address the council without first securing the permission of the council to do so.

(Prior code § 2-49.9)

Each person addressing the council shall fill out a speaker card and submit it to the city clerk prior to the close of the public comment period for the item under consideration, and, when called upon by the mayor, step up to the microphone, give his or her name in an audible tone of voice for the record. All remarks shall be addressed to the council as a body and not to any member thereof. No person, other than the council and the person having the floor, shall be permitted to enter into any discussion, either directly or through a member of the council, without the permission of the presiding officer. No question shall be asked a council member, except through the presiding officer. Speaker cards submitted after the public comment period has been closed for an item shall only be accepted and recognized by the mayor at the pleasure and discretion of the mayor.

(Ord. 2374 § 1 (part), 2006: prior code § 2-49.10)

(Ord. No. 2447, § 1, 10-26-2009)

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

(Prior code § 2-49.11)

A. While the council is in session, the members must preserve order and decorum, and a member shall neither, by conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the council nor disturb any member while speaking, or refuse to obey the orders of the council or its presiding officer, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.

B. Any person making personal, impertinent or slanderous remarks, or who becomes boisterous while addressing the council, shall be forthwith, by the presiding officer, barred from further audience before the council, unless permission to continue is granted by a majority vote of the council.

(Prior code § 2-49.12)

The chief of police, or such member or members of the police department as he may designate, shall be sergeant at arms of the council meetings. He, 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 to be prosecuted under the provisions of this Code, the complaint to be signed by the presiding officer.

(Prior code § 2-49.13)

A. 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 city manager, or prepared by the city attorney on his own initiative.

B. Before presentation to the council, all ordinances, resolutions and contract documents shall be approved as to form by the city attorney or his authorized representative, and where there are substantive matters of administration involved, shall be examined and approved for administration by the city manager or his authorized representative.

C. Ordinances, resolutions and other matters or subjects requiring action by the council must be introduced and sponsored by a member of the council, except that the city manager or city attorney may present ordinances, resolutions and other matters or subject to the council, and any councilman may assume the sponsorship thereof by moving that the ordinances, resolutions, matters or subjects be adopted; otherwise, they shall not be considered.

D. Resolutions, unless laid over by a majority vote of the council, shall be acted upon on the date of introduction or presentation.

E. However introduced or presented, ordinances and resolutions shall be called up for action only on motion of a member of the city council.

(Prior code § 2-49.15)

The mayor shall appoint, as the council's liaison, one council member to each city department and commission, and to such county and city agencies as the mayor may, in the mayor's discretion, determine.

(Ord. 2374 § 1 (part), 2006: Ord. 2190 § 4 (part), 1997; Ord. 2131 § 1 (part), 1995: prior code § 2-49.16)

Special committees may be appointed by the mayor to take charge of any subject brought before the council.

(Prior code § 2-49.17)

The special committees shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the mayor, unless otherwise provided by majority action of the city council.

(Ord. 2131 § 1 (part), 1995: prior code § 2-49.18)

Gifts, donations, legacies, or bequests of either real or personal property or funds, from either a public or private source, designated to be for either park or recreational use, or both, shall be considered by the city council, together with any conditions or reservations contained therein, and the council shall determine whether such gifts, donations, legacies, or bequests shall be accepted subject to the conditions or reservations imposed, if any, or shall be rejected. If accepted, funds from such gifts, donations, legacies, or bequests shall be deposited in the city treasury and shall be used only for the purposes set forth in the conditions or reservations set forth in the gift, donation, legacy, or bequest, and only with specific approval of the city council.

(Ord. 2190 § 6, 1997)