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Council to consider attendance rules; matter referred to ordinance committee
Summary
Council discussed options for attendance rules, including forfeiture of pay for missed meetings and leave-of-absence procedures. After debate on enforcement and the nature of council duties, members voted to refer the topic to the ordinance committee for further development.
Councilmembers debated whether the city should tighten attendance rules for elected officials, including options ranging from withholding pay for missed meetings to defining excused versus unexcused absences and adding leave-of-absence procedures.
Councilmember Danielle presented a memo summarizing approaches used by other Washington cities, noting common provisions that reduce pay after specified absences and mechanisms for a leave of absence in illness or other circumstances. Members discussed tradeoffs: some said stricter rules preserve institutional memory and reduce repetitive briefing, while others argued that additional rules risk discouraging volunteers who serve while balancing work and family obligations.
The council discussed related process issues, including whether pay is a per-meeting per diem or an annual salary, and whether calling into a meeting should count as attendance. Several councilmembers emphasized that much of the council’s work occurs outside formal meetings — committee meetings, review of materials, constituent contacts — and that attendance rules should not ignore that commitment.
Where the council left the matter: by consensus the council referred the attendance-mitigation proposals to the ordinance committee for additional review and drafting. The ordinance committee will consider proposed language on pay forfeiture, excused/unexcused terminology, leave-of-absence and committee assignments and return a draft ordinance or recommendation to the full council.
