For City Council Meeting [September 10, 2019]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Rod Foster, City Administrator
Title
Request City Council to Introduce for First Reading Ordinance No. 1622, entitled “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIALTO, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING SECTION 2.02.010 OF THE RIALTO MUNICIPAL CODE TO AMEND THE START TIME OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TO SIX THIRTY P.M.,” reading by title only and waiving further reading thereof.
(ACTION)
Body
BACKGROUND
California Government Code section 54954 requires that city councils designate their regular meeting start times by ordinance or other formal action. The Rialto Municipal Code, at Section 2.20.010 provides that the regular meetings of the City Council on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month are to be held at 6:00 p.m. following closed sessions.
There have been many instances where the City Council closed session discussions take longer than the hour allotted before the regular start time for the regular City Council meetings. To avoid any delay in the commencement of the City Council meetings and reduce the instances where the Council needs to recess back into closed session after the open session, the Council may consider adjusting the start time of the regular public session portion of the meetings.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The proposed ordinance provided with this report confirms the start time for closed sessions to be 5:00 p.m., to assure compliance with the Government Code. Further, to reduce the potential for delays in the commencement of the open session, the start time for City Council open meetings is proposed to begin at 6:30 p.m.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The requested City Council action is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 3A in the General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports this staff report and Ordinance.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no Financial Impact.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff request that the City Council Introduce for First Reading of an Ordinance entitled “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIALTO, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING SECTION 2.02.010 OF THE RIALTO MUNICIPAL CODE TO AMEND THE START TIME OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TO SIX THIRTY P.M.,” reading by title only and waiving further reading thereof.