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Council approves most consent items, pauses changes to agenda-finalization policy
Summary
Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council approved nine consent items, including an ordinance adopting the 2025 fire hazard severity zone map and purchase of two police vehicles; the council pulled and continued item 6 (revisions to council meeting policy) for further wordsmithing and return to a future meeting.
The Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council approved the bulk of its consent agenda but delayed final action on proposed revisions to the city’s council-meeting policy.
At a special meeting the council adopted nine consent items by roll call while pulling item 6 for additional refinement and further discussion. Consent items approved included the second reading and adoption of an ordinance amending the Carmel Municipal Code to adopt the 2025 fire hazard severity zone map, a resolution naming Mayor Dale Byrne as the voting delegate to the League of California Cities conference with Mayor Pro Tem Bob Delves as alternate, acceptance of donations from Carmel Cares, purchase authority for two budgeted police vehicles, and updates to Monterey Regional Taxi Authority board appointments.
Council members raised several operational concerns during discussion on item 6, which would revise city policy on council meetings, agenda packets and agenda finalization. Council members said they want clearer language on who finalizes agendas and how times are assigned to items that draw high public interest. One council member suggested the mayor and another council member should jointly prepare agendas; others urged retaining flexibility so a future mayor cannot unilaterally control the agenda.
The council debated language that changes the draft-agenda process from “the mayor and the mayor pro tem meet with the city administrator and city clerk prior to the meeting to finalize the draft agenda” to phrasing that would allow approval by “the mayor or the mayor’s designee.” Several council members recommended restoring or clarifying the role for two people (mayor and mayor pro tem or designees) in agenda preparation so a single mayor cannot act alone.
Mayor Dale Byrne said the city already maintains an “agenda forecast” circulated months in advance to seed future agendas and that staff work with council members in the weeks before a meeting to refine items. Staff and council agreed to circulate the proposed policy language for comment and return item 6 for a future vote; the council moved to continue item 6 to the next meeting and that continuation carried on a recorded roll-call vote.
Separately, staff and council noted a wildfire-preparedness meeting is scheduled for July 30 and that Monterey Fire is continuing work on property-level assessments and the 2025 fire-hazard mapping referenced in the adopted ordinance.
The meeting then adjourned to closed session to discuss several real-property negotiation items (properties on Scenic Road/South Martin Way and Rio Park east of Dolores Street and Lausanne Drive) under Government Code section 54956.8, and labor negotiations with the Police Officers Association under Government Code section 54957.6.
Votes at a glance: the consent motion to approve items 1–10 other than item 6 passed on roll call (votes recorded as Barron — yes; Bueter — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Bob Delves — yes; another council member yes; Mayor Dale Byrne — yes). The later motion to continue item 6 to the next meeting passed on roll call (votes recorded as Barron — yes; Bueter — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Bob Delves — yes; Dramoff — yes; Mayor Dale Byrne — yes).
