| CHAPTER 6—CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS |
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| 6.1 | Preamble All meetings of the City Council are governed by the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code 54950 et seq.). The Act applies to the City Council, and all subordinate boards, commissions and standing committees of the City. The City Council views the Brown Act as a minimum set of standards and in several respects, the City's open meeting requirements exceed the requirements of the Brown Act. If any member of a City legislative body, or City staff, believe that action has been taken on an item in contravention of the Brown Act, that person is privileged to place the item on a future agenda for reconsideration and/or action. |
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| 6.2 | Regular Meetings |
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| | 6.2.1 | Regular meetings of the City Council are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Mountain View City Hall, 500 Castro Street. All regular Council meetings are open to the public. |
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| 6.3 | Study Sessions |
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| | 6.3.1 | Study sessions are conducted as part of a public meeting which the Council may set from time to time to allow for a detailed review of important matters. Study sessions may be conducted jointly with another City board, commission or committee or another governmental agency. Formal action is typically not taken at a study session unless the agenda indicates that action may be taken. All study session meetings are open to the public. |
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| 6.4 | Closed Sessions |
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| | 6.4.1 | Closed sessions are also regulated pursuant to the Ralph M. Brown Act. All written materials and verbal information regarding closed session items must remain confidential. Written reports and/or exhibits or materials furnished to members of the Council as part of a closed session must not be copied or saved and must be returned to staff at the conclusion of the closed session. No member of the Council, employee of the City or anyone else present should disclose to any other person the intent or substance of any discussion that takes place in a closed session unless authorized by a majority of the Council. |
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| | 6.4.2 | Permissible topics/issues for a closed session discussion include but are not limited to: labor negotiations, pending litigation, personnel actions, real estate negotiations and certain licensing and public security issues. |
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| | 6.4.3 | All public statements, information and press releases relating to closed session items should be handled by the City Attorney or as otherwise directed by the Council majority. |
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| | 6.4.4 | Closed session meetings are closed to the public and the press. |
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| | 6.4.5 | Any suspected violation of the confidentiality of a closed session discussion shall be reported to the City Attorney. "Confidential information" means a communication, verbal or written, made in closed session that is specifically related to the legal basis for conducting the closed session. |
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| 6.5 | Special and Emergency Meetings |
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| | 6.5.1 | Pursuant to the Ralph M. Brown Act, the Council may also hold special or emergency meetings as deemed necessary. |
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| 6.6 | Council Agenda |
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| | 6.6.1.1 | The agenda and its supporting information is prepared by the City Manager and City Clerk. |
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| | 6.6.2 | Placing Items on Agendas |
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| | 6.6.2.1 | The City Manager determines, in consultation with the Mayor, which items are placed on the agenda and the timing for scheduling such items. |
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| | 6.6.2.2 | A Councilmember's request for an item to be agendized will be done as an action item with support work of up to one hour by staff. If more than one hour of work is required, then the item will be agendized to ask Council if time should be spent on preparing a full report on the proposed agenda item. |
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| | 6.6.2.3 | Any person may request placement of a matter on the Council agenda by submitting a written request with the agreement of a sponsoring Councilmember. |
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| | 6.6.3 | Order of Agenda Items The order of Council agenda business items is as follows: |
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| | 1. | Call to Order/Pledge of Allegiance |
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| | 2A. | Proclamations/Presentations |
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| | 4. | Consent Calendar The consent calendar includes all matters of a routine or noncontroversial nature. All items on the consent calendar are approved by a single motion and vote. Any item on the consent calendar can be removed at the request of any member of the Council, City staff or member of the audience when properly recognized by the Mayor. Any items removed are considered separately by the City Council after the consent calendar. |
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| | 5. | Public Hearings During this portion of the meeting, public hearings are conducted on all matters that have been properly and legally noticed as public hearings. Any issue scheduled for a public hearing will provide the proponents and opponents of the issue with the opportunity to express their points of view to the City Council. After all views have been expressed, the Mayor will close the public hearing, invite Council to discuss the matter and ask Council to render its decision on that matter. |
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| | 6. | Oral Communications from the Public This is the portion of the Council meeting devoted to oral presentations to the Council by members of the public. During this time, a speaker may address the Council on any issue which does not appear on the printed agenda. In most instances, speakers will be limited to three minutes in addressing the City Council. Members of the Council shall not engage in debate with a member of the public or respond to issues/questions raised during this portion of the meeting. No person who addresses the Council shall make any belligerent, personal, slanderous, threatening or abusive remark, statement or commentary toward the Council, staff or other individuals in a manner which disrupts, disturbs or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the Council meeting, nor shall any person engage in any disorderly conduct which disrupts or impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting. Any violation of this rule shall be grounds for terminating the speaker's comment period. Continued inappropriate behavior or comments, after having been directed to discontinue, shall be grounds for removal from the meeting. Nothing in this section shall prohibit or discourage orderly criticism of any City decision or policy within the limits of State or Federal law or these rules. |
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| | 7. | Unfinished Business These are items of business which, for a variety of reasons, are carried over from a previous meeting and require final Council action. |
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| | 8. | New Business This portion of the meeting is devoted to discussion or consideration of items of business that have not previously been before the City Council. |
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| | 9. | Items Initiated by Council Under this item, any Councilmember may bring before the Council for consideration any item he or she believes should be considered by the Council. |
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| | 10. | Council, Staff/Committee Reports Councilmembers may provide a brief report on their activities, including reports on their committee activities, reports on inquiries they have received from any member, or the Council itself may provide a reference to staff or other resources for factual information, request staff to report back to the Council at a subsequent meeting concerning a matter, or take action to direct staff to place a matter of business on a future agenda. |
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| | 11. | Closed Session Report The City Attorney will announce any reportable closed session actions taken by the City Council. |
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| 6.7 | Rules of Procedure |
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| | 6.7.1 | City Council Policy A-13, City Council Meetings, provides general guidance for the conduct of Council meetings. From time to time, the Council may depart from its specific requirements for the convenience of the public, Council consideration and debate or to expedite the processing of business. The Council by majority vote, however, may at any time reinvoke Policy A-13's specific requirements. |
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| | 6.7.2 | In instances not addressed by the rules provided in City Council Policy A-13, City Council Meetings, The Modern Edition of Robert's Rules of Order may be used for reference and/or guidance. |
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| 6.8 | Decorum |
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| | 6.8.1 | While the City Council is in session, all persons shall conduct themselves with reasonable decorum. |
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| | 6.8.2 | Any person who is so disorderly or who so persistently disrupts the business meeting so far as to interfere with the proper conduct of the business may be ordered removed from the meeting place. At such time, the Mayor may call a recess. |
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| | 6.8.3 | The Police Chief or authorized representative shall be sergeant at arms of the Council meeting. The sergeant at arms shall carry out all orders and all instructions of the presiding officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at Council meetings. |
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| 6.9 | Time of Adjournment It is the policy of the City that all evening meetings of the Council, including study sessions, be adjourned no later than 10:00 p.m., which time is referred to as the normal time of adjournment. No new item of business shall be taken up by the City Council after the normal time unless the Council has determined by majority vote to set aside this policy. In the event it appears that the entire agenda cannot be completed by the normal time of adjournment, the Council may take up and act upon the more pressing agenda items. All agenda items not considered at the meeting shall be on the agenda of the next regular, special or adjourned regular meeting unless the Council directs otherwise. |
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6.10 | Agenda Packets |
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| | 6.10.1 | Agenda packets are to be made available at the City Clerk's Office, the Mountain View Public Library, the City's web site (www.mountainview.gov) and at the Council meeting. Council meeting agendas, minutes and staff reports are available for public review beginning the Friday evening before each Council meeting. |
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| | 6.10.2 | Agenda packets are to be delivered to Councilmembers on the Friday prior to (Tuesday) Council meetings. |
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| | 6.10.3 | Agenda packets may be released to the press or members of the public at 4:30 p.m. on the Friday preceding Tuesday Council meetings. |
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| | | NOTE: Also refer to City Council Policy A-13, City Council Meetings. This policy sets forth the rules of procedure for the conduct of City business. |
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