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Council directs city attorney to draft changes to meeting rules: mayor chosen at first December meeting; nominations in order
Summary
Council reviewed rules for public meetings and gave direction to the city attorney to draft revisions: elect mayor/vice mayor at the first December meeting each year; keep a future-agenda item but remove adversarial language about the city manager; take nominations in the order received with self-nomination allowed and no second required.
The council discussed proposed updates to the city’s Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Public Meetings and gave clear direction to staff and the city attorney on procedural changes.
Staff explained statutory and legislative updates affecting remote participation and agenda posting. City attorney Adams clarified drafting mechanics during the discussion, asking, "So are you saying you right now, it's worded that, in nonelection years, it's the 1st meeting in December, and in election years, it's the meeting at which the the election results are certified. Do you wanna just say the mayor is selected at the 1st meeting in December?" Council agreed to that simplification.
On nominations and order of business, council members debated historical practice and recent controversy. The council favored keeping collaborative appointment practices while clarifying procedures: take nominations in the order they were made, allow self-nominations, and require no second for nominations. Council directed the city attorney to draft amendments that (1) set the mayor/vice mayor selection at the first December meeting; (2) retain future-agenda items but remove language asserting the city manager cannot advise or move agenda placement in an adversarial fashion; and (3) adopt the intended nomination procedure. Staff will return a revised policy for formal consideration.
Why this matters: Procedural rules determine internal governance, fairness in assignments to regional bodies and clarity on how the council sets its agenda; the changes aim to reduce ambiguity and avoid surprises during reorganization.
What’s next: City attorney Adams will prepare draft amendments for a future meeting so the council can adopt updated rules in time for December reorganization.
