Chapter 2.05
CITY COUNCIL
Sections:
2.05.010 Meetings – Time and place.
2.05.015 Absences from council meetings.
2.05.020 Special meetings – Time and place.
2.05.030 Meetings – On holidays.
2.05.070 Mayor and mayor pro tem.
2.05.010 Meetings – Time and place.
A. The time and place for the regular meetings of the council shall hereafter be on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month in the council chambers at City Hall or such other place or places or by such method as shall be designated, in advance by the mayor, mayor pro tempore (in the absence of the mayor), or city manager or acting city manager (in the absence of the mayor and mayor pro tempore), to begin at six-thirty p.m.; provided, however, during the months of November and December, regular meetings of the city council shall hereafter be held beginning at six-thirty p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Regular council meetings will conclude by nine-thirty p.m. unless recessed for an executive session or extended by a majority vote of the city council.
B. The mayor, mayor pro tempore (in the absence of the mayor), or city manager or acting city manager (in the absence of the mayor and mayor pro tempore) may call a special meeting of the city council as provided in Section 2.05.020. A majority of members of the city council may also call a special meeting of the city council as provided in Section 2.05.020.
C. The mayor, mayor pro tempore (in the absence of the mayor), or city manager or acting city manager (in the absence of the mayor and mayor pro tempore) may arrange and allow for electronic participation at a council meeting.
1. The technology used for electronic meeting participation must allow all participants to contemporaneously hear the other meeting participants;
2. The technology used for electronic meeting participation must allow all members of the city council to be contemporaneously heard by the other meeting participants;
3. The technology used for electronic meeting participation must have capability to broadcast or otherwise provide public access to what is said during the meeting by all participants, and arrangements must be made for the public to hear the meeting while it is occurring and to provide testimony when necessary; and
4. Meeting place requirements shall be satisfied to the extent required by law. If the law requires a physical meeting place, such requirement may be satisfied by providing a place where city council members can meet and a place where the public can hear the meeting and have means to provide testimony when necessary. The places need not be at the same location.
5. Failure of the technology used for electronic meeting participation shall not void or invalidate action taken at a meeting where electronic meeting participation is allowed, but shall instead provide grounds for any member of the city council to later move for reconsideration of the action taken. (Ord. 2020-48 § 1, 2020; Ord. 2020-02 § 1, 2020: Ord. 94-12 § 1(Exh. A)(part), 1994).
2.05.015 Absences from council meetings.
Any council member who has reason to believe that he or she may be absent from a regular meeting of the council may communicate the reason for his or her absence to the mayor, mayor pro tempore, city manager, acting city manager, city clerk, or acting city clerk. At all regularly scheduled council meetings, the presiding officer or clerk shall identify each council member who is absent. The presiding officer, manager, clerk or those others who are present shall announce the reason for the absence of the council member if it is known. The council shall thereafter vote to determine whether or not the absence is excused. The council may vote on each council member absence separately. A majority vote of council members present at the council meeting shall determine whether or not an absence is excused. (Ord. 2013-05 § 1, 2013).
2.05.020 Special meetings – Time and place.
When it is necessary to hold special meetings of the city council, the same shall be scheduled at such time and place as the notice of a special meeting shall designate in accord with the provisions of RCW Chapter 42.30. (Ord. 94-12 § 1(Exh. A)(part), 1994).
2.05.030 Meetings – On holidays.
Should any day fixed for regular meeting of the council fall on a city designated holiday, such meeting shall be canceled. (Ord. 94-12 § 1(Exh. A)(part), 1994).
2.05.040 Agenda.
Prior to each regular council meeting, the city manager shall prepare an agenda of such meeting, which agenda shall fix the order in which council business for such meeting shall be considered. The council may, with the consent of a majority of the council present, vary or add to the agenda at any such meeting. (Ord. 94-12 § 1(Exh. A)(part), 1994).
2.05.050 Procedural rules.
Except as may otherwise be provided by laws of the state or the ordinances of the city, the council shall be governed in the conduct of its meetings by the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure contained in the then latest revised edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, modified as follows:
A. At all meetings of the council a majority of the council members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. While a lesser number may not transact business, they may adjourn to another time and compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as may be prescribed by ordinance.
B. All meetings of the council shall be presided over by the mayor, or in his absence, by the mayor pro tempore. If the clerk is absent from a council meeting, the deputy clerk shall act as clerk pro tempore.
C. 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. In general, the presiding officer shall give this permission at an appropriate time.
D. 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.
E. Motions to reconsider must be by a member who voted with the majority, and at the same or next succeeding meeting of the council.
F. The clerk shall keep a correct journal of all proceedings and the yes and/or no votes shall be taken on any question and entered in the journal.
G. All questions of order shall be decided by the presiding officer of the council with the right of appeal to the council by any members.
H. The presiding officer of the council may, at his/her discretion, call the mayor pro tem to take the chair and thereafter address the council from the floor, make a motion or discuss any matter at issue. If the mayor gives up the chair, he/she thereafter cannot vote on the matter at issue before the council.
I. Each member present must vote on all questions put to the council with three exceptions:
1. Matters with respect to which such council member has a personal financial interest;
2. Matters with respect to which such council member has a conflict of interest; and
3. The approval of the minutes of a meeting in which the member did not attend.
If a council member refuses or fails to vote on the question, and such refusal or failure to vote is determined by the chair to not fall within one of the three exceptions listed above, the council member’s vote shall be regarded as having been cast with the majority of those council members present and voting, and shall be so recorded in the minutes. In the event of a tie vote by the council members present and voting, the abstaining council member’s vote shall be recorded as a vote in a negative.
J. During all regular meetings of the council, a break may be taken or provided as called by the presiding officer.
K. All regular and special meetings of the council shall be public and no ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, order or directive shall be adopted except in a regular or special meeting open to the public, the date of which is fixed by law, rule or notice; but executive sessions, from which the public is excluded, may be held in accordance with the provisions of RCW Chapter 42.30 (Open Public Meetings Act).
L. The rules of the council may be altered, amended or temporarily suspended by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the council.
M. The chairman of each respective committee, or the council member acting for him/her in his/her place, shall submit or make all reports to the council when so requested by the presiding officer or any member of the council.
N. It shall be the duty of the presiding officer of the council meeting to:
1. Call the meeting to order;
2. Keep the meeting to its order of business;
3. State each motion and require a second to that motion before permitting discussion. Questions relative only to background information may be asked and answered before the motion is made;
4. Handle discussion in an orderly way:
a. Give every council member who wishes an opportunity to speak,
b. Permit audience participation at appropriate times,
c. Keep all speakers to the rules and to the questions,
d. Give pro and con speakers equal opportunity to speak;
5. Put motions to a vote and announce the outcome;
6. Suggest, but not make, motions for adjournments;
7. Appoint committees when authorized to do so. (Ord. 94-12 § 1(Exh. A)(part), 1994).
2.05.060 Compensation.
The salaries of the mayor and members of the city council shall be set by a salary commission in accordance with this section.
A. There is hereby established a five-member salary commission.
1. The members of the salary commission shall be appointed by the mayor subject to approval by the city council.
2. Members of the salary commission must reside in the city of Walla Walla.
3. No officer, official, or employee of the city of Walla Walla may be a member of the salary commission.
4. No immediate family member of an officer, official, or employee of the city of Walla Walla may be a member of the salary commission. “Immediate family member” means the parents, spouse, siblings, children, or dependent relatives of the officer, official, or employee, whether or not living in the household of the officer, official, or employee.
B. Members of the salary commission shall serve a three-year term, and may be reappointed for only one additional three-year term. No member of the salary commission may serve more than two terms.
1. If a position on the salary commission becomes vacant during a term of office, the mayor shall appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the term subject to approval by the city council. A member appointed to serve the remainder of a term may be reappointed for only one additional three-year term.
2. Members of the salary commission may be removed by the city council only for incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, malfeasance in office, or for disqualifying change of residence.
C. The salary commission shall review the compensation paid to the mayor and members of the city council periodically. Such review must take place at least every three years. After review, the commission may change the salary of the mayor and/or members of the city council; provided, however, that the salaries of council members other than the mayor shall be the same.
1. Any change in salary shall be filed by the commission with the city clerk and shall become effective and incorporated into the city budget without further action of the city council or the salary commission. A change in salary may become effective no sooner than thirty days after a salary change is filed by the commission with the city clerk.
a. Salary increases established by the commission shall be effective as to all elected officials, regardless of their terms of office.
b. Salary decreases established by the commission shall become effective as to incumbent elected officials at the commencement of their next subsequent terms of office.
2. Salary increases and decreases shall be subject to referendum petition in accordance with Chapter 1.19 in the same manner as a city ordinance. A referendum petition must be filed within thirty days after a salary change is filed by the commission with the city clerk. In the event of the filing of a valid referendum petition, the salary increase or decrease shall not go into effect until approved by a vote of the people. (Ord. 2021-12 § 1, 2021; Ord. 2007-19 § 1, 2007: Ord. 94-12 § 1(Exh. A)(part), 1994).
2.05.070 Mayor and mayor pro tem.
A mayor and mayor pro tem shall be elected by the city council at the time and in the manner provided for in RCW Chapter 35A.13. (Ord. 94-12 § 1(Exh. A)(part), 1994).