Chapter 2.08
CITY COUNCIL
Sections:
2.08.010 Meeting time.
2.08.020 Order of procedure.
2.08.030 Regular and special meetings.
2.08.040 Quorum.
2.08.050 Mayor and mayor pro tempore – Powers and duties.
2.08.060 Order of business.
2.08.070 Addressing council – Members.
2.08.080 Addressing council – Nonmembers.
2.08.090 Duty of officers to report.
2.08.100 Motions reduced to writing when.
2.08.110 Motions to reconsider.
2.08.120 Journal of proceedings.
2.08.130 Questions of order.
2.08.140 Presiding officer to recognize members.
2.08.150 Order of motions.
2.08.160 Voting.
2.08.170 Meetings open to public when.
2.08.180 Motions for adjournment.
2.08.190 Alteration of rules of council.
2.08.200 Committee reports.
2.08.210 Attendance of city officers.
2.08.220 Presiding officer – Powers and duties.
2.08.230 Robert’s Rules of Order.
2.08.240 Elections and terms.
2.08.010 Meeting time.
The regular meeting of the city council shall be held on the first and third Wednesday of each month and shall convene at the hour of 7:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. (Ord. 363 § 1, 1966).
2.08.020 Order of procedure.
The order of procedure contained in this chapter shall govern deliberations and meetings of the council of the city of Soap Lake, Washington. (Res. 278 § 1, 1981).
2.08.030 Regular and special meetings.
A. Regular meetings of the council shall be held as provided for by ordinance.
B. Special meetings may be called at any time by the council on notice to each member 24 hours before the time specified for the proposed meeting; provided, however, that no ordinance shall be passed, or contract let, or entered into or bill for the payment of money allowed, at any special meeting. (Res. 278 §§ 2, 3, 1981).
2.08.040 Quorum.
At all meetings of the council, a majority of the councilmen shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a less number may adjourn from time to time and may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as may be prescribed by ordinance. (Res. 278 § 4, 1981).
2.08.050 Mayor and mayor pro tempore – Powers and duties.
All meetings of the council shall be presided over by the mayor, or, in his absence, by the mayor pro tempore. If the clerk-treasurer is absent from a council meeting, the mayor or mayor pro tempore shall appoint one of the members of the council as clerk-treasurer pro tempore. The appointment of a councilman as mayor pro tempore or as a clerk-treasurer pro tempore shall not in any way abridge his right to vote upon all questions coming before the council. (Res. 278 § 5, 1981).
2.08.060 Order of business.
The order of business shall be as follows:
A. Call to order, pledge of allegiance;
B. Roll call;
C. Reading and approval of the minutes of the previous meeting;
D. Mayor’s message;
E. Public comment (up to three minutes per person, for a total of 15 minutes). No action to be taken on matters brought up in public comment, unless the same is on the agenda;
F. Old business;
G. New business;
H. Hearings on petitions, applications, complaints, appeals, communications, etc.;
I. Consideration of bids, LID, and related matters;
J. Reports of standing committees;
K. Reports of special committees;
L. Reports of city officers;
M. Auditing of accounts;
N. Resolutions, ordinances, orders, and other business;
O. Discussions;
P. Adjournment. (Res. 499 § 1, 1996; Res. 278 § 6, 1981).
2.08.070 Addressing council – Members.
No member shall speak more than twice on the same subject without permission of the presiding officer. (Res. 278 § 7, 1981).
2.08.080 Addressing council – Nonmembers.
No person, not a member of the council, shall be allowed to address the same while in session without the permission of the presiding officer. (Res. 278 § 8, 1981).
2.08.090 Duty of officers to report.
Every officer, whose duty it is to report at the regular meetings of the council, shall, in default thereof, be fined at the discretion of the council. (Res. 278 § 9, 1981).
2.08.100 Motions reduced to writing when.
Motions shall be reduced to writing when required by the presiding officer of the council or any member of the council. All resolutions and ordinances shall be in writing. (Res. 278 § 10, 1981).
2.08.110 Motions to reconsider.
Motions to reconsider must be by a member who voted with the majority, and at the same or next succeeding meeting of the council. (Res. 278 § 11, 1981).
2.08.120 Journal of proceedings.
The clerk-treasurer shall keep a correct journal of all proceedings and at the desire of any member the ayes and nays shall be taken on any question and entered in the journal. (Res. 278 § 12, 1981).
2.08.130 Questions of order.
All questions of order shall be decided by the presiding officer of the council with the right of appeal to the council by any member. (Res. 278 § 13, 1981).
2.08.140 Presiding officer to recognize members.
The presiding officer of the council, may, at his discretion, call any member to take the chair, to allow him to address the council, make a motion, or discuss any other matter at issue. (Res. 278 § 14, 1981).
2.08.150 Order of motions.
Motions to lay any matter on the table shall be first in order; and on all questions, the last amendment, the most distant day, and the largest sum shall be put first. (Res. 278 § 15, 1981).
2.08.160 Voting.
Each member present must vote on all questions put to the council, except as to matters with respect to which such councilman has a personal financial interest. (Res. 278 § 16, 1981).
2.08.170 Meetings open to public when.
All regular meetings of the council shall be public and no ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, order or directive shall be adopted except in a regular meeting open to the public, the date of which is fixed by law or rule; but executive sessions, from which the public is excluded, may be held for purposes other than the final adoption of an ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, order or directive. (Res. 278 § 17, 1981).
2.08.180 Motions for adjournment.
A motion for adjournment shall always be in order. (Res. 278 § 18, 1981).
2.08.190 Alteration of rules of council.
The rules of the council may be altered, amended or temporarily suspended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present. (Res. 278 § 19, 1981).
2.08.200 Committee reports.
The chairman of each respective committee, or the councilman acting for him in his place, shall submit or make all reports to the council when so requested by the presiding officer or any member of the council. (Res. 278 § 20, 1981).
2.08.210 Attendance of city officers.
The clerk-treasurer, engineer, attorney and chief of police, and such other officers or employees of the city, when requested, attend all meetings of the council and shall remain in the council room for such length of time as the council may direct. (Res. 278 § 21, 1981).
2.08.220 Presiding officer – Powers and duties.
It shall be the duty of the presiding officer of the council meeting to:
A. Call the meeting to order;
B. Keep the meeting to its order of business;
C. State each motion and require a second to that motion before permitting discussion;
D. Handle discussion in an orderly way:
1. Give every councilman who wishes an opportunity to speak,
2. Permit audience participation at appropriate times,
3. Keep all speakers to the rules and to the questions,
4. Give pro and con speakers alternating opportunities to speak;
E. Put motions to a vote and announce the outcome;
F. Suggest but not make motions for adjournment;
G. Appoint committees when authorized to do so. (Res. 278 § 22, 1981).
2.08.230 Robert’s Rules of Order.
Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the deliberations of the council except when in conflict with any of the foregoing rules. (Res. 278 § 23, 1981).
2.08.240 Elections and terms.
A. RCW 35A.12.040, as now enacted, requires that the council members of a noncharter code city be elected for four-year terms. Soap Lake was previously organized as a second class city. RCW 35.23.051 provides one council position in a second class city shall be elected for a two-year term and six shall be elected for four-year terms. Prior to the adoption of the ordinance codified in this section, the city council had not made provision to abandon the method of electing second class city council members and replace it with a process for the election of noncharter code city council members.
B. Beginning with the municipal election of 2003, all council positions shall be elected for a four-year term. Four city council positions shall be elected in 2003 for four-year terms and three council positions shall be elected two years thereafter to four-year terms. This plan of election of city council members for noncharter code cities, as provided by Washington law, shall continue until changed. (Ord. 985 § 1, 2003).