The Rules Subcommittee approved the following (see the report and watch the meeting video):
- Amendments to Caucus Process (4-0) to allow for up to a ten-minute recess between votes at the Caucus of Councilors-Elect at the start of a new term. The change would provide breaks between voting rounds after three tied votes, ensuring no nominations of the tied candidates in the next round. Councilor Humphrey and Krintzman suggested “a broader look at the process” for potential further changes to the voting system.
The committee voted to reject the following proposal:
- Committee Meeting Schedule (4-0) Discussions on changing the meeting schedule to reduce conflicts by moving the Finance Committee meetings to the second and fourth Wednesday and shifting one of the 3Ps Committees to align with Zoning & Planning on the second and fourth Monday encountered opposition. Concerns were raised about conflicts with other committee schedules and the lack of overwhelming support from the Finance Committee chair.
The committee voted to hold the following:
- Balancing Workload Amongst Committees: The Subcommittee continued discussions on redistributing responsibilities among committees, specifically moving auto dealer licenses to the Public Safety & Transportation Committee and considering the reallocation of climate and sustainability items. The potential transfer of all climate and sustainability items to Public Safety & Transportation was debated, with suggestions for joint referrals with other committees to manage overlaps and complexities. Anything touching on Zoning has to go to the Zoning Committee, limiting how many items can be pulled from the climate portfolio. Other climate items, such as rodentincides and tobacco sales, are Health and Human Services items, currently under the Programs and Services Committee. Concerns were raised about the number of joint referrals and the increased complexity of scheduling items. The decision was to continue this discussion in future meetings, emphasizing careful consideration of committee workloads and referral processes.
Present: Councilors Oliver (Chair), Krintzman, Humphrey, and Baker
Also Present: Councilors Malakie and Wright
City Staff: Carol Moore, City Clerk/Clerk of the Council; and Jaclyn Norton, Committee Clerk