The Rules Subcommittee discussed the following (see report and watch the meeting video):
- Outline of Work Plan: The committee intends to report by the end of the calendar year to the full City Council items under consideration or items completed and revised rules by mid-September 2025 for the full City Council to vote out before the end of the term.
- 8 Proposed Topics for the Subcommittee:
- Raising $50k joint referral threshold (Article 1 Section A(6)(d)).
- Defining existing processes that are NOT in the rules today.
- Council communications. Completed by the last subcommittee?
- Rules, or ‘Policies’?
- Creating a code of conduct. The current rules discourage personal attacks without clear penalties. The Council has no formal method of censuring City Council members for inappropriate remarks and comments. Subcommittee members disagreed on the need for a code of conduct. The Subcommittee plans to involve the Human Resources Department and review policies from other communities.
- Honoring long-serving councilors.
- Chronic absenteeism of Committee Members and Standards for Remote Participation.
- Reviewing departments under each committee to balance workloads and appropriate place. PS&T has a lighter load. Which committee should work with the sustainability, climate action, and DEI team items?
- Hygiene of the Document. The Committee discussed concerns the Clerk’s office and others have raised with the current rule formatting and disjointed sections.
- Submission of materials in advance of a meeting.
- Referral for Special Permits that are also seeking a rezone.
- The public has expressed interest in changes that would make Council meetings more understandable, such as clarifying the difference between report docket items and docket items, which will be voted on during the City Council meeting. The issue does not necessarily fall under the Rules Committee.
- Suggestion to have City Lawyers and other Committee Chairs advise on some items such as rezoning and raising the joint referral threshold.
- The Subcommittee discussed organizing topics into groups for future meetings to allow focused discussion on specific areas.