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Auburn council debates ad hoc rules-and-procedures revisions amid concerns over transparency and process
Summary
An ad hoc committee presented a redraft of the council rules of procedure; members debated transparency, whether the committee exceeded its recommendation role under Rule 16.2, and multiple substantive edits including adding council reports to study-session agendas and protocols for community listening sessions. City attorney advised the committee acted within the rules; the draft will be updated and returned for council action.
Councilmember Hannah Baldwin, chair of an ad hoc committee, presented a refresh of the council’s rules of procedure, saying the committee organized member feedback under three guideposts: legality, minimization of staff work, and service to the community. The draft consolidates submitted requests, incorporates scrivener fixes and reframes deputy-mayor language to remove perceived hierarchy.
The session became a substantive debate about process and transparency. Councilmember Ammert objected, saying the ad hoc appeared to have made decisions without full council consent and cited Rule 16.2 (which limits ad hoc committees to review and recommendation). Chair Baldwin and other committee members defended the work, saying committee meetings were held with staff and the city attorney and that all inputs were considered. City Attorney Jason Wayland advised the council that the ad hoc operated consistent with section 16.2 as drafted: the committee reviewed input, met with staff and reported findings to the full council rather than acting for it.
Key proposed or accepted changes discussed include adding a recurring 'council reports' item to study-session agendas to allow brief updates from council members; clarifying new-business procedures while retaining a 48-hour notice expectation for council agendas; reframing the deputy mayor role as a facilitator and adding 'assist as needed' language for training; a proposed council-attendance protocol that would ask members to notify 'council alerts' if they cannot attend events they RSVP'd for; addition of a training bullet (including police ride-alongs) as recommended orientation options for new members; and a protocol for majority-approved community listening sessions coordinated with the mayor and clerk.
Councilmembers debated the merits and practicalities of term limits for the deputy mayor role. Some members argued an explicit limit (one or two terms) would encourage rotation; others said annual election and peer choice provide natural rotation and that prescriptive term limits could create problems if the council’s composition changes. No consensus was reached on formal term limits.
The ad hoc’s redraft will be updated with tonight’s changes and placed on the next council agenda for final action, per the chair.
