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Council committee proposes phased repeal and revision of outdated city ordinances; staff to bring repeal ordinances starting June 3
Summary
A council-appointed committee reviewed more than 400 ordinances and recommended repeals and revisions for about 51 items; staff proposed a phased schedule starting June 3 to bring batches of repeal ordinances and to complete revisions by mid-December.
A council-appointed ordinance-review committee presented an action plan May 20 to repeal or revise outdated city ordinances in a phased approach, and staff said they will begin bringing repeal ordinances to council starting June 3.
The committee — made up of three council members and supported by city staff — reviewed several hundred ordinances and identified an initial list of 51 that need action. Staff proposed bringing repeal ordinances in small batches (three per meeting) beginning June 3 to cover 10 proposed repeals; a second group of 14 ordinances will be revised with a goal of completing revisions by Dec. 16.
Nut graf: Committee members said much of the work is cleanup — removing obsolete references to former offices and policies — and staff said the phased approach will allow legal review and preserve council oversight while clearing out legacy rules that no longer match the city’s organization or procedures.
Mark McElwey, the city administrator, told council the city has passed more than 400 ordinances since incorporation but that not all remain in effect; staff detailed categories of action: repeal (10), revise (14), pending further review (10), and no action recommended (17) within the first 51-item tranche. “Based on the recommendation from the committee, essentially, we're going to propose, or or agree with the committee's recommendation to repeal 10 of those ordinances,” McElwey said; he asked whether council supported a schedule of bringing repeal ordinances by batch beginning June 3.
Councilmembers asked whether staff could deliver all ten repeals at once; staff said the pace is constrained by capacity and preparation needs. Multiple councilmembers thanked the committee for the work; one noted many ordinances dated to the city’s incorporation and contained outdated references to positions or technology.
Ending: Council did not vote on repeal hearings at the meeting but raised no objections to the staff’s proposed schedule; staff said they will return with repeal ordinances and revised drafts on the schedule presented.
