HomeMy WebLinkAboutres1983-045SUBSTITUTE DRAFT
1 DATE August 4. 1983 INTRODUCED BY Van Zanten
2 PROPOSED BY Cole
3 RESOLUTION NO. 83 -45
4 A RESOLUTION AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 79 -1, REGARDING
RULES OF PROCEDURE GOVERNING TIME, PLACE AND CONDUCT
5 OF COUNTY COUNCIL MEETINGS, AND THE INTRODUCTION,
PUBLICATION, CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCES
6 (as amended by Resolution No's. 79 -11, 80 -42, 82 -1,
and 82 -8)
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8 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS THAT THE ABOVE
9 REFERENCED RESOLUTION IS AMENDED TO READ:
10 WHEREAS, Whatcom County has adopted a Home Rule Charter
11 effective May 1, 1979, and;
12 WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council, pursuant to the Home
13 Rule Charter for Whatcom County, has convened and its members
14 have been administered the oath of office, and;
15 WHEREAS, the Council deems it necessary to adopt rules of
16 procedure to govern the time, place and conduct of its meetings
17 and the introduction, publication, consideration and adoption of
18 ordinances,
19 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:
20 SECTION 1: Organization of Council.
21 The first meeting on or sub.sequent.to the second Monday in
22 January shall be the annual reorganizational meeting, at which
23 time the Council shall elect, by roll call vote, the Chair,
24 Vice - Chair, the Executive Pro - Tempore and the members of all
25 standing committees. Prior to each reorganizational meeting, the
26 Council Chairperson shall ask Council members to circulate to
27 each other in writing their requests for committee assignments and
28 other offices. No Council member shall hold the position of Chair
29 more than two full consecutive terms. The Chair of the Council .
30 shall act as Executive Pro - Tempore in the absence of the regular
31 Executive Pro - Tempore who was selected pursuant to the above.2ro-
32 cedure. Terms of office shall begin at the conclusion of the
RESOLUTION - 1.
September 15, 1983
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1 reorganizational meeting.
2 In temporary absence of the Chairperson, the Vice- Chair-
3 person shall perform the duties and responsibilities of the Chair -
4 person. A temporary Chairperson shall be elected should both the
5 Chairperson and Vice - Chairperson be absent and shall serve during
6 such absence.
7 SECTION 2: Powers of Chairperson.
8 The Chairperson shall have the general direction of Council
9 property and supervision of Council employees; provided, however,
10 that such powers shall be exercised at the direction of the
11 Council.
12 SECTION 3: Meetings.
13 The regular meeting time of the Council.shall be the first
14 and third Thursdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Whatcom
15 County Courthouse, unless decided otherwise by the Council.
16 Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson of the Council
17 as required, provided proper public notice and notice to Council
18 members is given.
19 SECTION 4: Quorum.
20 Four members shall constitute a quorum and unless otherwise
21 required by Charter, a majority vote of the then entire membership
22 of the Council shall be necessary for the conduct of Council
23 business. There shall be no voting by proxy on any question
24 before the Council.
25 SECTION 5: Signing of Documents.
26 All official documents issued by order of the Council shall
27 be signed by the Chairperson and attested by the Clerk of the
28 Council, except as otherwise provided by the Charter.
29 SECTION 6: Order of Business at Meetings.
30 Business may include, but not be limited to the following
31 order:
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RESOLUTION - 2.
September 15, 1983
1 Roll Call
2 Reading and Approval of Minutes
Open Session
3 Executive Items
4 Special Matters
5 Hearings and Final Consideration of Ordinances
Consent Items
6 Introduction of Ordinances and Resolutions
7 Reports of Committees
8 Other Business
Motions or Announcements by Council members
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10 The Chairperson shall prepare the agenda, which, together
11 with the supporting documents, shall be provided to all Council
12 members no less than three (3) days prior to each regular Council
13 meeting and at the earliest possible date prior to any special
14 meeting. The agenda shall also be posted conspicuously within
15 the Whatcom County Courthouse.
16 Upon request by any two or more members of the Council at
17 any Council meeting, an item of business shall be placed on the
18 agenda of the next regular meeting. Consent items may be acted
19 upon en masse, provided, however, that any consent item shall be
20 considered separately if so requested by a Council member.
21 SECTION 7: Ordinances and Resolutions - Introduction.
22 All ordinances and resolutions shall be introduced in1heir
23 entirety in writing. The subject of each ordinance shall be
24 clearly stated in the title, and no ordinance shall contain more
15 than one subject. Proposed ordinances or resolutions shall be
26 filed with the Clerk of the Council and shall be introduced by a
27 Council member.
28 SECTION 8: Ordinances and Resolutions - Procedure after
Introduction
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The introduction of a proposed ordinance shall be by title
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only, following which the Council may refer the proposal to the
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appropriate standing or special committee or to the Committee of
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the Whole. Upon being reported back from Committee, all proposed
RESOLUTION - 3.
September 15, 1983
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I ordinances and resolutions shall be placed upon the agenda.
2 Except for emergency ordinances, at least thirteen (13) days
3 shall pass between introduction and final passage of ordinances.
4 Voting on final passage of all ordinances shall be by roll call
5 vote.
6 SECTION 9: Ordinances - Time Lapse.
Any ordinance which has been introduced and not acted upon
8 within one hundred twenty (120) days of its introduction must be
9 reintroduced, notice of introduction republished, and at least
10 thirteen (13) days elapsed before it can come up for final
11 consideration; EXCEPT, if any such ordinance has been under active
12 consideration by any standing committee, special ad -hoc committee
.3 of the Whole, and has appeared at least twice on such committee's
14 published agenda, it is not subject to this requirement.
15 SECTION 10: Ordinances - Publication.
18 Ordinances, or summaries thereof, the place where copies are
17 filed and the times when they are available for inspection, shall
18 be published when the ordinances are proposed and again upon
19 enactment.
20 SECTION 11: Ordinances - Veto.
2111 The veto message of the Executive which accompanies a pro -
22 posed ordinance passed by the Council shall be distributed to each
23 Council member. Within thirty (30) days after being returned to
24 the Council, the Council may override by enacting the ordinance
25 by a minimum of five affirmative votes;
;cu SECTION 12: Committee of the Whole.
27 The Council may go into Committee of the Whole at any time.
28 SECTION 13: Standing Committees.
29 There shall be three (3) members of all standing co,-nmittees,
30 membership to be determined by majority roll call vote of the
31 Council. The committee membership shall be responsible for elec-
32 tion of a Chair and for their internal organization.
RESOLUTION - 4.
September 15, 1983
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The date and time of standing committee meetings shall be
determined by the Chairperson of such committee and an agenda,
including time and place of the meeting, shall be prepared and
disseminated at least one day prior to the Committee. The
committee meeting agenda shall further be posted conspicuously
within the Whatcom County Courthouse.
The following committees are hereby established:
1. Finance
2. Planning and Development
3. Public Services
4. Law and Justice
A recommendation of the Committee shall be agreed to by a
majority of the committee in a regularly called meeting before a
proposed ordinance may be reported out. A majority recommendation
of the committee may be "do pass ", "do pass as amended ", "do pass
the attached substitute ordinance ", "do not pass ", "no recommenda-
tion", "postpone indefinitely" or "withdraw ". Minority reports
may also be submitted.
SECTION 15: Council Membership on External Bodies.
Membership of Council members on those boards, commissions
or committees, which by law members of the Legislative body are
required to sit, shall be determined by majority roll call vote
of the Council. Council members of all other county governmental
boards, commissions or committees, other than ad hoc council
committees, shall likewise be determined by a majority roll call
vote by the Council.
SECTION 16: Council Appointments to External Bodies.
Appointments of non - Council members to all county or inter-
governmental boards, commissions or committees which exercise a
legislative function shall be made by the County Council. Council
members shall make nominations and provide information about theirl
nominees, in writing, if possible, at a regularly scheduled
RESOLUTION - 5.
September 15, 1983
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1 Council meeting. Nominations for appointment to any position
2 having a residency requirement as to Councilmanic district shall
3 be made only by the Council members from that district or the
4 Council member at- large. Voting on these nominations shall be at
5 the next regularly scheduled Council meeting unless the Council,
6 a two - thirds votes requests otherwise. Such appointments shall
7 be made by majority roll call vote of the Council.
8 SECTION 17: Confirmation of Executive Appointments.
9 Council confirmation of Executive appointments shall be
10 handled in the following manner: The Executive shall present in
11 writing to the Council office no later than the- F -Piday seven days
12 before the Council meeting ife -P- 6eanei-l- 6eeetderat4ee; at which
_3 action is requested, the names of his appointments, positions
14 and terms to which they are to be appointed, information on the
15 appointees' qualifications or background, and any other information
16 he deems appropriate, except in the case of executive appointments
17 to executive and administrative offices, in which case, this
18 information shall include a job description and a resume. This
19 information shall be mailed to Council members and at such time
20 shall also be make available upon request to the public.
21 For nominees to boards and commissions, Council members will
22 individually be responsible for meeting or contacting the indivi-
23 duals prior to Council's consideration of said nominee.
24 For nominees to executive and administrative offices, the
2r, Council Chairperson shall arrange for the Council interview of
2u the nominee prior to the Thursday Council meeting, at which such
27 appointment will be considered.
28 The names of appointees by the Executive, and the names of
29 nominees by Council members, together with the offices to which
30 they are nominated, shall be published in the agenda for the
31 Council meeting at which action is to be taken in filling a posi-
32 tion or confirming an appointment.
RESOLUTION - 6.
September 15, 1983
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The Council shall confirm or reject
)ointments by the Counti
Executive within thirty (30) days of the date the names are sub-
mitted to its failure to act within this time period shall cause
the appointees to be deemed confirmed. Confirmation or rejections
shall be by majority roll call vote.
NEW SECTION 18: Vacancies on External Bodies - Posting,
Application.
The Clerk of the Council shall cause to be compiled and pub-
lished at regular intervals, but in any event not less than semi-
annually, a listing of vacancies and anticipated vacancies on all
citizen boards, committees, and commissions, within the appointive
jurisdiction of both the Council and the Executive.
The listing shall state the title and term of office of each
position, residency requirements (if any) the appointing authorit
and an address and telephone number for obtaining further informa-
tion or for making application. The listing shall also include a
brief description of the duties of each position and information
on when the regular meetings of the body in uc estion are held.
The listing shall be posting in conspicuous places in the
Courthouses provided to all County Council members, public
libraries and City Halls in Whatcom County, and be made available
to the public and news media at no charge.
Persons expressing an interest in applying for appointment to
a board, commission, or committee shall be given an application
form with they may voluntarily complete and file with the Clerk,
giving their name, address, telephone number, occupation and
relevant qualifications. The applications shall be kept on file
in the Clerk's office.
In fulfilling the obligations of this section, the Clerk
shall seek the cooperation of the Executive and may accomplish his
her obligations through joint action with the Executive's office.
RESOLUTION - 7.
September 15, 1983
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NEW SECTION 19: Open Meetings.
It is the policy of the Council that, to the greatest extent
,possible, meetings will be open to the public. All Council and
committee meetings shall be held in compliance with the state Open
Public Meetings Act (Chapter 42.30 RCW). A standing or special
committee meeting may be held in executive (closed) session only
upon determination to that affect by a majority of the Committee
in a recorded, roll call vote. A Council or Committee of the
Whole meeting may be held in executive session only upon a deter -
mination;:to that effect by a majority vote of the Council members
present in a recorded, roll call vote.
NEW SECTION 20: Suspension of Rules.
The rules and procedures set forth in this Resolution may be
(suspended in specific instances by an affirmative roll call vote of
at least two - thirds of the members of the Council'.
SECTION 21 (renumbered, previously Section 18): Response to
Correspondence for Council
It shall be the responsibility of the Council Chairperson to
respond when appropriate to any correspondence on behalf of the
Council. Communications requesting Council action shall be placed
on the appropriate Council committee agenda for consideration. A
copy of all Council initiated correspondence shall be kept in the
Council office.
DATED this 6th day of October , 1983
ATTEST:
Clerk,; 4 -the' .4 Council
APPROYE,p - 48" TO FORM:
Bruce L. Disend, Civil
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
RESOLUTION - 8.
September 15, 1983
WHA
WHO,
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COUNTY COUNCIL
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