HomeMy WebLinkAboutord2015-021WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO.
2015 82 A
CLEARANCES
Initial
Date
Date Received in Council Office
Agenda Date
Assign to:
Originator..
5/12/2015
r
5/12/2015
Introduction
Division Head:
5/26/2015
:Finance /Council
De t. Head:
Prosecutor:
Purchasing/Budget:
Executive:
TITLE OF DOCUMENT:
Ordinance amending WCC 2.02 to revise Council meeting rules
ATTACHMENTS:
SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( ) NO
Should Clerk schedule a hearing ? ( ) Yes ( ) NO
SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( ) NO
Requested Date:
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public
hearing, you must provide the language for use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate.
Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.)
Ordinance amending WCC 2.02 to revise Council meeting rules
I
COMMITTEE ACTION:
COUNCIL ACTION.•
512612015: Forwarded to Council for approval
5/12/2105: Introduced 7 -0
5/26/2015: Adopted 4 -3, Brenner, Mann and Sidhu
opposed, Ord. 2015 -021
Related County Contract #: Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution
Number: Ord. 2015 -021
Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing
on the County's website at: www.co.whatcom.wa.us /council. j
1 2015 ord\Amend wcc 2.02 SPONSORED BY:
2 PROPOSED BY: Rud Browne
3 INTRODUCTION DATE: 5/12/2015
4
5 ORDINANCE NO. 2015 -021
6
7 AMENDING WHATCOM COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 2.02
8 TO REVISE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING RULES
9
10 WHEREAS, Whatcom County Code Section 2.02.060 sets forth guidelines for
11 conducting council and council committee meetings; and
12
13 WHEREAS, an amendment to the Whatcom County Code Section 2.02.060 is
14 necessary to clarify the council's basic rules for discussion and debate; and
15
16 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that
17 Whatcom County Code Section 2.02.060 is hereby amended as indicated in Exhibit
18 A to this ordinance.
19
20 ADOPTED this 26th day of May , 2015
21
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
24 ATTE`:`\.,`,•'��T� �,,` j= WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
zs _
26 •
27
28 Dana �3rawrl- pr,.Cle•of the Council Carl Weimer, Council Chair
29 F•SHIN�' •'
31 APPROV D/A ,,- TO -F�QI .��'���
�4pproved ied
32
33
34
35 Civil Deputy Prosecutor Jack Lou w ,County Ex cutive
36
37
Exhibit A
County Council
2.02.060 Meetings — Decorum of debate.
A. Any councilmember desiring to speak shall first be recognized by the chair, and
shall confine his or her remarks to one subject under consideration or to be
considered. The councilmember who has proposed a motion or the committee
member who has presented a report shall be allowed the first opportunity to
explain the motion or report, and usually is allowed to speak last on it. No member
or small group of members shall be permitted to monopolize the discussion on a
question. If a member has already spoken and other members wish to speak, they
should be recognized in preference to the member who has already spoken on a
question.
B. Councilmembers shall address each other as "councilmember" and the council
chair shall be addressed as "chair."
C. Staff members, presenters, and the general public shall be addressed as Mr.,
Mrs., Ms., or by their official or honorary title.
D. When two or more councilmembers desire to speak at the same time, the chair
shall name the member who shall have the floor.
E. When a councilmember is speaking, no other member shall hold discourse which
may interrupt the speaker except to raise a point of order. The chair should insist
that every member be attentive to the business before the assembly.
F. Councilmembers shall have time to explain any motion they intend to make. All
motions will begin with the words, "I move" and must receive a second prior to
being put to a vote.
G. When it appears that all councilmembers who wish to speak have done so, the
chair shall inquire, "Is there any further discussion ?" If there is not, the question is
put to a vote.
H. To bring a question to immediate vote, a councilmember may move to close
debate. If more than one motion is pending, the motion to close debate should
specify the pending motions to which it applies (main motion, motion to amend,
etc.). The motion to close debate cannot interrupt a speaker, is not debatable, and
requires an affirmative vote by two - thirds of the councilmembers in attendance.
The motion to close debate should be used in moderation, as members cannot be
expected to maintain interest in an organization if they are frequently denied the
right to participate in its deliberations. (Ord. 2010 -044 Exh. A; Ord. 2008 -004 Exh.
A).