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Council staff proposes recording proclamation votes in minutes; members debate consent placement and vote changes
Summary
City staff told the Wichita City Council on May 6 that the clerk’s office can now show votes on proclamations in the minutes. Council members discussed whether proclamations issued outside meetings should appear on the consent agenda, how abstentions are recorded, and whether members can add missed email votes later.
City staff told the Wichita City Council during its May 6 agenda review that the clerk’s office can now record individual council votes on proclamations in the meeting minutes, and asked whether members preferred proclamations listed on the meeting’s front page or consolidated on the consent agenda.
The change would show a yes, no or abstention for each proclamation in the minutes, staff said. Council members raised questions about proclamations approved by email before a council meeting, how abstentions are shown, and whether a member who missed an email vote can add their vote later.
Staff said the clerk’s office is offering a format that depicts voting on proclamations and suggested consolidating proclamations on the consent agenda so the minutes capture all proclamations issued to date rather than only those handed out at the meeting. “If you could have them all inclusively in the consent agenda, then you have all of the proclamations that have come through so far,” a staff presenter said.
Council members noted that some proclamations are circulated and approved by email once they receive four votes; those proclamations may not appear at the council meeting itself. One council member asked whether the minutes will show an abstention; staff confirmed that the minutes will show yes, no, or abstention. A council member asked whether a member who missed an email circulation could add their vote later; staff replied that current policy is that once staff records four votes they issue the proclamation, and that it would be up to the council to decide whether to allow later additions. Staff offered to report to council weekly the recorded votes for proclamations as of a cutoff day.
Council members also discussed whether it would be confusing to list proclamations on the meeting front page that were not being handed out at that meeting. Staff recommended placing all proclamations on the consent agenda to avoid that confusion and to provide a single record of what has been issued.
The discussion on procedure was advisory: no formal change or vote was recorded in the transcript. Staff indicated the existing practice—issuing a proclamation after staff records four votes by email—remains in effect unless council directs otherwise. The clerk will show recorded votes in the minutes under the proposed format if the council approves the procedural change.
City staff said they will continue to present the proposal and can include the proclamations and recorded votes on the consent agenda for council review prior to any formal decision.
