Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Council Orientation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
North Royalton committee accepts new council orientation handbook
Summary
The Review & Oversight Committee accepted a council orientation handbook prepared by the Council Office, asked for Charter language to be inserted verbatim in certain sections, and instructed staff to add committee-of-the-whole references and version numbering for future edits.
The Review & Oversight Committee on Sept. 16 accepted a new council orientation handbook prepared by the Council Office to help newly elected and returning council members navigate rules, contacts and procedural practice.
The handbook, compiled by Confidential Secretary Karin Foltzer, is a hyperlinked PDF with a physical binder that includes department contact slides, maps and a "Robert's Rules" cheat sheet. Chair Linda Barath said she received a printed copy and called it "very thorough," while Foltzer described the format as designed to be easy to edit and update.
Committee members asked that language about the Council President and Council Member duties be pulled directly from the City Charter and included verbatim in the handbook. "Take it 100% from the Charter," Councilmember Joanne Krejci said; Foltzer agreed to incorporate Charter text and to bullet key points. Members also asked that a "committee of the whole" entry be added and that the document include a visible revision date on the first page.
Law Director Tom Kelly and Clerk Helen Dunlap advised that some operational details—such as oversight of the Council Office—are found in codified ordinances or the Council Rules, and that new members should be encouraged to read both the handbook and the Council Rules.
The committee praised the handbook's practical features, including embedded email links for department contacts and guidance on making motions. After requested edits, the committee voted to accept the handbook and remove the Council Orientation item from the agenda; the motion carried unanimously.
The handbook will be distributed to newly elected and returning council members and kept as an editable PDF by the Council Office so updates can be made between elections.
