City attorney presents draft council rules of procedure; council asks for edits on reconsideration, remote attendance, and disclosures

City Attorney Nicole Kaur presented a draft “Rules of Procedure” for City Council July 15, proposing written guidelines around meeting types, agenda preparation timelines, sponsor-driven agenda items, executive-session handling, public-comment protocols and a code of conduct. Council discussion touched on several contested draft items: a proposed 12-month limit that would bar bringing an item back for reconsideration within a year after council action drew sustained objection from several members, who said circumstances and council composition change and that the draft provision should be removed or softened. Members also discussed agenda-timing expectations: staff requested a four-week lead time for new council-requested items but agreed to preserve flexibility for urgent matters with a Tuesday-before-meeting deadline for late additions. Remote attendance was another substantive point: staff proposed allowing video/teleconference participation but council asked for a limit (staff were asked to draft a cap of six regular-meeting remote attendances per calendar year, with exceptions for city business or medical reasons). Members also discussed memorializing a Q&A document to add staff responses to council questions into the agenda packet to improve transparency and meeting efficiency. Council and staff discussed a recommended practice for routing legal questions through the city manager to control outside counsel costs, and asked the city attorney and manager to draft clearer language and exceptions. Why it matters: formal rules will standardize meeting procedures, clarify agenda sponsorship and removal mechanics, improve transparency for questions and responses, and manage external legal costs. Staff will revise the draft to reflect council direction and return with a proposal for action.