HomeMy WebLinkAboutres1979-0011
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Date Mav 1, 1979
Introduced by: Will Roehl
Proposed No.79_
RESOLUTION NO. 79 -1
A RESOLUTION regarding rules of procedure
governing the time, place and conduct of
County Council meetings, and the intro-
duction, publication, consideration and
adoption of ordinances:
WHEREAS, Whatcom County has adopted a Home Rule Charter
effective May 1, 1979, and;
WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council, pursuant to the
Home Rule Charter for Whatcom County, has convened
and its members have been administered the oath of
office, and;
WHEREAS, the Council deems it necessary to adopt rules
of procedure to govern the time, place and conduct of
its meetings and the introduction, publication, consid-
eration and adoption of ordinances,
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
First meeting on or subsequent to the second
Monday in January shall be the annual reorganizational meeting, at
which time the Council shall elect, by roll call vote, the Chair-
person, Vice - Chairperson and the members of all standing committees
No Council member shall hold the position of Chairperson for more
than two full consecutive terms.
In the temporary absence of the Chairperson, the Vice - Chair-
person shall perform the duties and responsibilities of the Chair-
person. A temporary Chairperson shall be elected should both the
Chairperson and Vice - Chairperson be absent and shall serve during
such absence;
SECTION 2: The Chairperson shall have the general direction
of Council property and supervision of Council employees; provided,
however, that such powers shall be exercised at the direction of
the Council;
SECTION 3: The time of meeting of the Council shall be on
Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. at the Whatcom County Courthouse, unless
decided otherwise by the Council;
3-
1 SECTION 4: Four members shall constitute a quorum and,
2 unless otherwise required by the Charter, a majority vote of the
3 then entire membership of the Council shall be necessary for the
4 conduct of Council business. There shall be no voting by proxy
5 on any question before the Council.
6 SECTION 5: All official documents issued by order of the
7 Council shall be signed by the Chairperson and attested by the
8 Clerk of the Council, except as otherwise provided in the Charter.
9 SECTION 6: Business may include but not be limited to the
10 following order:
11 Roll Call
Reading and Approval of Minutes
12 Open Session
Special Matters
13 Hearings and Final Consideration of Ordinances
Introduction of Ordinances and Resolutions
14 Reports of Committees
Other Business
15
16 The Chairperson shall prepare the agenda, which, together
17 with supporting documents, shall be provided to all Council memberE
18 no less than three (3) days prior to each regular Council meeting
19 and at the earliest possible date prior to any special meeting.
20 The agenda shall also be posted conspicuously within the Whatcom
21 County Courthouse.
22 Upon request by any two or more members of the Council at
23 any Council meeting an item of business shall be placed on the
24 agenda of the next regular meeting;
25 SECTION 7: All ordinances and resolutions shall be intro -
26 duced in their entirety in writing. The subject of each ordinance
27 shall be clearly stated in the title and no ordinance shall contail
28 more than one subject. Proposed ordinances or resolutions shall
29 be filed with the Clerk of the Council and shall be introduced by
30 a Council member.
31 SECTION 8: The introduction of a proposed ordinance shall
32 be by title only, following which the Council may refer the
r
1 proposal to the appropriate standing or special committee or to the
2 Committee of the Whole. Upon being reported back from Committee
3 all proposed ordinancesshall be placed upon the agenda for public
4 hearing. Except for emergency ordinances at least thirteen (13)
5 days shall pass between introduction and final passage. Voting on
6 final passage of all ordinances shall be by roll call vote.
7 SECTION 9: Ordinances or summaries thereof, the place where
8 copies are filed and the times when they are available for inspec-
9 tion, shall be published when the ordinances are proposed and
10 again upon enactment;
11 SECTION 10: The veto message of the Executive which accom
12 panies a proposed ordinance passed by the Council shall be distrib-
13 uted to each Council member. Within thirty (30) days after being
14 returned to the Council, the Council may override by enacting the
15 ordinance by a minimum of five affirmative votes;
16 SECTION 11: The Council may go into Committee of the Whole
17 at any time;
18 SECTION 12: There shall be three (3) members of all standin(
19 committees, membership to be determined by majority roll call vote
20 of the Council. The committee membership shall be responsible for
21 election of a Chairperson and for their internal organization. No
22 Council member shall serve on any one standing committee for more
23 than two consecutive full terms.
24 The date and time of standing committee meetings shall be
25 determined by the Chairperson of such committee and an agenda,
26 including time and place of the meeting, shall be prepared and
27 disseminated at least one day prior to the committee meeting.
28 The committee meeting agenda shall further be posted conspicuously
29 within the Whatcom County Courthouse.
30 The following committees are hereby established:
31 1. Finance
2. Planning
32 3. Public Works
4. Public Safety
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SECTION 13: A recommendation of the Committee shall be
signed 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 recommendation ", "Postpone indefinitely" or
"Withdraw ". Minority reports may also be submitted;
SECTION 14: 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. No Council member shall serve for more than
two consecutive full terms on any such board, commission or
committee. 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 of the
Council;
SECTION 15: Appointments of non Council members to all count
governmental or intergovernmental boards, commissions or committees
which exercise a legislative function shall be made by the County
Council. Such appointments shall be made by majority roll call
vote of the Council;
SECTION 16: 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.
PASSED THIS / %oz�- day of May, 1979
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL,
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Vic; .
Chairperson
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Attest:
Clerk of the Cou cil
Approv as tYlvl
�C [G�,
Civil eputy Prosecuting Attorney
and;
RESOLUTION NO. 79 -1
as amended
by Resolution No. 79 -11
and Resolution No. 80 -42
aa�nnd Resolution No. 82 -1
A RESOLUTION REGARDING RULES OF PROCEDURE GOVERNING THE TIME, PLACE AND CONDUCT
OF COUNTY COUNCIL MEETINGS, AND THE INTRODUCTION, PUBLICATION, CONSIDERATION
AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCES
WHEREAS, Whatcom County has adopted a Home Rule Charter effective May 1, 1979,
WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council, pursuant to the Home Rule Charter for
Whatcom County, has convened and its members have been administered the oath of
office, and;
WHEREAS, the Council deems'it necessary to adopt rules of procedure to govern
the time, place and conduct of its meetings and the introduction, publication, con-
sideration and adoption of ordinances,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: First meeting on or subsequent to the second Monday in January shall
be the annual reorganizational meeting, at which time the Council shall elect, by
roll call vote, the Chair, Vice - Chair, the Executive Pro - Tempore and the members of
all standing committees. No Council Member shall hold the position of Chair for
more than two full consecutive terms. Terms of office shall begin at the conclusion
of the reorganizational meeting.
In the temporary absence of the Chairperson, the Vice - Chairperson shall perform
the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson. A temporary Chairperson shall
be elected should both the Chairperson and Vice - Chairperson be absent and shall
serve during such absence;
SECTION 2: The Chairperson shall have the general direction of Council property
and supervision of Council employees; provided, however, that such powers shall be
exercised at the direction of the Council;
SECTION 3: The regular meeting time of the Council shall be the first and
third Thursdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Whatcom County Courthouse, unless
decided otherwise by the Council. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson
of the Council as required, provided proper public notice and notice to Council
members is given.
SECTION 4: Four members shall constitute a quorum and unless otherwise required
by Charter, a majority vote of the then entire membership of the Council shall be
necessary for the conduct of Council business. There shall be no voting by proxy
on any question before the Council.
SECTION 5: All official documents issued by order of the Council shall be
signed by the Chairperson and attested by the Clerk of the Council, except as other-
wise provided by the Charter.
SECTION 6: Business may include, but not be limited to the following order:
Roll Call
Reading and Approval of Minutes
Open Session
Special Matters
Hearings and Final Consideration of Ordinances
Introduction of Ordinances and Resolutions
Reports of Committees
Other Business
amended Resolution 79 -1
page two
The Chairperson shall prepare the agenda, which, together with supporting docu-
ments, shall be provided to all Council members no less than three (3) days prior to
each regular Council meeting and at the earliest possible date prior to any special
meeting. The agenda shall also be posted conspicuously within the Whatcom County
Courthouse.
Upon request by any two or more members of the Council at any Council meeting,
an item of business shall be placed on the agenda of the next regular meeting;
SECTION 7: All ordinances and resolutions shall be introduced in their entirety
in writing. The subject of each ordinance shall be clearly stated in the title, and
no ordinance shall contain more than one subject. Proposed ordinances or resolutions
shall be filed with the Clerk of the Council and shall be introduced by a Council
member;
SECTION 8: The introduction of a proposed ordinance shall be by title only,
following which the Council may refer the proposal to the appropriate standing or
special committee or to the Committee of the Whole. Upon being reported back from
Committee, all proposed ordinances shall be placed upon the agenda. Except for -,
emergency ordinances, at least thirteen (13) days shall pass bttween introduction
and final passage. Voting on final passage of all ordinances shall be by roll call
vote;
SECTION 9: Any ordinance which has been introduced and not acted upon within
one hundred twenty (120) days of its introduction must be reintroduced, notice of
introduction republished, and at least thirteen (13) days elapsed before it can
come up for final consideration; EXCEPT, if any such ordinance has been under active
consideration by any standing committee, special ad -hoc committee, or Committee of
the Whole, and has appeared at least twice on such committee's published agenda, it
is not subject to this requirement;
SECTION 10: Ordinance or summaries thereof, the place where copies are filed
and the times when they are available for inspection, shall be published when the
ordinances are proposed and again upon enactment;
SECTION 11: The veto message of the Executive which accompanies a proposed
ordinance passed by the Council shall be distributed to each Council member. Within
thirty (30) days after being returned to the Council, the Council may override by
enacting the ordinance by a minimum of five affirmative votes;
SECTION 12: The Council may go into Committee of the Whole at any time;
SECTION 13: There shall be three (3) members of all standing committees, mem-
bership to be determined by majority roll call vote of the Council. The committee
membership shall be responsible for election of a Chair and for their internal or-
ganization.
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
amended Reso ion 79 -1
page three
SECTION 14: 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 recom-
mendation ", "postpone indefinitely" or "withdraw." Minority reports may also be
submitted.
SECTION 15: Membership of Council members on these boards, commissions or commit-
tees, 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: Appointments of non - Council members to all county governmental or
intergovernmental 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 their nominees, in writing, if possible, at a regularly
scheduled Council meeting. Voting on these nominations shall be at the next regularly
scheduled Council meeting unless a two- thirds vote request otherwise. Such appoint-
ments shall be made by majority roll call vote of the Council;
SECTION 17: Council confirmation of Executive appointments shall be handled
in the following manner: The Executive shall present in writing to the Council office
no later than the Friday before the Council meeting for Council consideration, the
names of his appointments, positions and terms to which they are to be appointed, and
any other information he deems appropriate, except in the case of executive appoint-
ments to executive and administrative offices, in which case, this information shall
include a job description and a resume. This information shall be mailed to each
Council member.
For nominees to boards and commissions, Council members will individually be
responsible for meeting or contacting the individuals prior to Council's consideration
of said nominee.
For nominees to executive and administrative offices, the Council Chairperson
shall arrange for the Council interview of the nominee prior to the Thursday Council
meeting, at which such appointment will be considered.
SECTION 18: 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.
Res. 79 -1 dated May 1, 1979
amendment to, Res:. 79 -11 dated July 5, 1979
amendment to, Res. 80 -42 dated July 10, 1980
amendment to, Res. 82 -1 dated January 7, 1982
amendment to, Res. 82 -8 dated January 21, 1982