15 - COUNCIL AGENDASItem No. 15
memorandum
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: John Godwin, City Manager
SUBJECT: COUNCIL AGENDAS
DATE: March 10, 2015
BACKGROUND: At the March 9 council meeting, the council generally agreed to adopt a
policy to encourage early establishment of a final agenda, and documentation on items to help
the public, staff, and other council members be prepared for meetings. Some revisions were
requested, however.
STATUS OF ISSUE: I have made changes to the attached policy (noted in red), moving the
deadline from Tuesday to Wednesday, adding a previously used form for council members to
complete, and deleting item 4 completely. We understand emergencies do occur, so there are
always exceptions, but I request that they be rare due to concerns about our ADA assistance
requirements.
BUDGET: NA
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a policy on council agenda preparation.
AGENDA POLICY
1. All agenda materials shouldmustbe submitted to the city manager by no later than 12:00 noon the
WednTuesday before each regular council meeting. This includes the item wording, covering
memorandum, backup documents, contracts, ordinances and resolutions (prepared in advance by
the city attorney if required), etc.
2. Sufficient data should be provided to city staff to allow them to prepare suitable memoranda to
accompany each agenda item (see attached form).
3. The cover memorandum should be thorough enough to allow a lay reader to understand the issue
and the purpose of it being placed on the council's agenda, and should anticipate likely questions.
i4. Pailure to Fneet this deadline will Fesult in an itern beiRg Femeyed fFeFn an agenda.
5. Where practical, the city manager and /or city attorney should assist with appropriate captioning.
6. Agenda items should not duplicate one another.
7. Only a council member on the prevailing side may place a previously voted item on a subsequent
agenda for reconsideration.
8. Agendas will be distributed on Thursday afternoons, before 5:00 p.m.
COUNCIL MEMBER AGENDA ITEM REQUEST
Please complete this form to have an item placed on the agenda for the Council's consideration. The
deadline for requesting an item on an agenda will be the Friday two full weeks before the council
meeting takes place. This time is necessary so that staff can research the matter and prepare /review an
ordinance, resolution, or other document such as a contract. In order for your fellow Council Members
to fully understand your item, have productive discussion, ensure efficient council meetings, and for
staff to be able to assist you as completely as possible, it is important that you describe the item with as
much detail as possible and include any supporting documentation so that it may be included in the
Council's meeting packets. Please return this completed form to the City Manager's office or the City
Clerk's office.
Council member making request:
❑ Aaron Jenkins ❑ Matt Frierson
❑ Sue Lancaster ❑ Edwin Pickle
❑ Benny Plata ❑ A.J. Hashmi
❑ Richard Grossnickle
Description of
Are additional sheets or supporting materials attached? ❑ Yes ❑ No
I request that this item be placed on the agenda for the:
❑ City Council meeting on this date:
❑ Sometime in the next 2 meetings
❑ No specific time in mind —just keep it on a list of pending issues
Signature: Date: