Council debates codifying pro tem and co-chair nomination process

Councilwoman Durham introduced a substitute to Ordinance 26-108 aimed at clarifying procedures for selecting committee co-chairs and the president pro tem following November elections. She said the change would standardize notice so incoming members have an opportunity to participate in leadership votes.

"I just thought, with all the changes coming up in November... I just feel that that we should have the co chairs and the pro tem always... have an election, so whoever that new council member is gets a chance to vote like everyone else on those positions," Councilwoman Durham said, arguing the substitute provides clarity about notice and nominations.

Council members debated whether floor nominations would still be permitted. Counsel explained the substitute preserves a floor-nomination option as an exception if no timely nominations are submitted, while the standard process would require members interested in consideration to submit names by email at least 10 calendar days before the meeting. Michael McGlory (counsel) noted that lines in the draft permit consideration of other procedural rules only where no timely submissions exist.

Councilman Koneko, Councilman Smiley and others discussed how the email-solicitation process would interact with historical practice; several members characterized the change as a procedural 'cleanup' to provide notice without eliminating the ability to nominate from the floor in exceptional vacancies.