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F t s 5 Yakima -Cit C our cil Comm ee Meetin ,. Oq
RULES AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE
Thursday, March 20, 2008
2:00 —'3:30 p.m.
City Manager's Conference Room, 1 Floor, City Hall
Council Members Staff -
Norm Johnson - Chair Dick Zais, City Manager
Neil McClure Dave Zabell, Asst. City Manager
Micah Cawley Ray Paolella, City Attorney
Randy Beehler, Community Relations Mgr.
The meeting convened at 2:02 pm.
Agenda
1. Election of Committee Chair
Norm Johnson was elected Chair of the Council Rules & Procedures Committee.
2. Procedure /Policy re: Forwarding Council Committee Recommendations to
the Full Council
Johnson suggested that Council committee recommendations be forwarded to the
full Council with either a "Do Pass" or "Do Not Pass" designation. The "Do Pass /Do
Not Pass" designation, along with the results of a committee's vote on a given item,
should be noted on Agenda Statements when presented to the full Council.
Cawley suggested that committees should make a recommendation on every item
that is forwarded to the full Council. An item should not move forward unless and
until a committee has voted on it.
Committee Action: McClure moved the committee recommend to the full Council
that; 1) Committee recommendations include "Do Pass /Do Not Pass" designations;
2) Agenda Statements include "Do Pass /Do Not Pass" designations and committee
vote results; 3) Committees must vote on items before they are forwarded to the full
Council.
The motion was seconded by Cawley.
Vote: 3 -0 in favor of motion.
3. Policy re: City Council Ballot Measure Support/Opposition Votes
Johnson suggested that if the Council determines that it will continue its current
411 practice of considering voting to support or oppose ballot measures, then a process
should be established for organizations /individuals to make such requests of the
Council. Johnson proposed that requests be processed through the Council Rules
& Procedures Committee.
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The committee discussed potential timing problems that may arise due to requiring
requests be processed through the Rules & Procedures Committee. Ultimately, the •
committee agreed that requesters should know well ahead of time when a measure
will be on the ballot. Therefore, allowing a request to go through the full process,
including committee review, is a reasonable requirement.
Cawley said he is not in favor of the Council voting to support/oppose any ballot
measures. However, Cawley agreed that a procedure should be in place should
the Council decide to continue its current practice of taking support/opposition
votes on ballot measures.
Committee Action: Johnson moved the committee forward a "Do Pass"
recommendation to the full Council to:
- Establish a 3 -step process for requests for Council support/opposition of
ballot measures to include: 1) Requests for Council support/opposition of
ballot measures will initially be reviewed by the Council Rules & Procedures
Committee; 2) The committee will make a recommendation to the full
Council to conductor not conduct a public hearing on the ballot measure;
3) The full Council will vote to conduct or not conduct a public hearing on the
ballot measure.
The motion was seconded by Cawley.
Vote: 2 -1 in favor of motion.
* Note: Cawley dissented. Cawley reiterated that he objects to the Council
taking ballot measure support/opposition votes. Cawley does, however,
support the committee's proposed 3 -step request review process.
4, Policy re: Audio. Taping of City Council Executive Sessions
The committee discussed the potential of beginning to make audio recordings of
Council executive sessions now but restrict release of the recordings until
additional direction regarding release was provided by the state legislature.
Paolella noted that executive session audio recordings made now would be subject
to the state Public Disclosure Act. Requests for release of executive session audio
recordings (which would become public records under existing state law) would
need to be processed in the same way any other Public Disclosure Requests
currently are.
Zabell provided information about the Pierce County Council and the Seattle City
Council having passed resolutions earlier this year supporting proposed state
legislation re: audio taping executive sessions. However, neither entity has, to this
point, taken any action to begin taping executive sessions.
Committee Action: By consensus, the committee directed City legal staff to
conduct additional research re: audio taping of Council executive sessions
(specifically including asking the State Attorney General's office for guidance) and
to report back to the committee.
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5. Televising City Council Committee Meetings on Y -PAC
The committee discussed whether any Council committee meetings other than
those already approved by the full Council should be televised. on Y -PAC. At its
February 19 study session, the Council approved televising meetings of the
following committees: 1) Public Safety; 2) Economic Development; 3) Budget;
4) Downtown Futures Initiative Oversight; 5) Neighborhood Development; and,
6) Transit/Transportation Planning. Only those committees hold regularly -
scheduled, monthly meetings. The remaining Council committees meet on an "as
needed" basis.
Cawley mentioned that televising additional committee meetings may present
operational /staffing challenges for Y -PAC. McClure noted that the committee
meetings already being televised have become much more formal, and Tess open
discussion is taken place during those meetings. Johnson said that he favors
continuing to televise the committee meetings already approved by the full Council.
Committee Action: Cawley moved the committee recommend to the full Council
that only those committee meetings previously approved by the full Council be
televised.
The motion was seconded by McClure.
Vote: 3 -0 in favor of motion.
4110 6. Other Business
Johnson suggested City legal staff brief Council committee chairs regarding the
appropriateness of conducting committee executive sessions.
Cawley asked City staff to involve Council committee chairs more in the
development of committee meeting agendas.
The meeting adjourned at 3: ..m.
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No u 'John : e , Chairman
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