REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Eric G. Parra, Interim City Manager
VIA: Travis K. Hopkins, Assistant City Manager
PREPARED BY: Catherine Jun, Deputy City Manager
Subject:
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Adopt Resolution No. 2024-23 to Adopt a Revised City Council Manual
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Statement of Issue:
Consider adopting a revised City Council Manual to facilitate Council meetings and business. The revised Manual maintains significant portions of the previous Council Manual (revised and adopted in 2019) but features additional rules of order and improved organization, in order to continuously provide a foundation of guiding principles that will support the City Council’s work as the legislative body of Huntington Beach.
Financial Impact:
There is no fiscal impact.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 2024-23, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Adopting a Revised City Council Manual.”
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve the recommended action, and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
Charter section 304(c) states, “The City Council shall establish rules for the conduct of its proceedings…” which include Council meetings, business, and other administrative matters. Many cities have formally adopted such rules to facilitate their Council’s work as their legislative body. In Huntington Beach, City Council directed staff to review best practices and bring forth rules that outline the Council’s duties, standards of conduct, the orderly facilitation of meetings and discussions, and other matters. Given this opportunity, staff has revised the existing City Council Manual from 2019 to incorporate these rules, along with various other policies that were previously dispersed across different documents. Staff has also enhanced the organization of the Manual, for ease of use.
The Council Manual is and will continue to remain a living document that may be revised by the City Council, within the parameters of the Charter, current municipal codes, and applicable laws. Updating the Council Manual when needed ensures the Council can operating efficiently based on current best practices and regulations. The last major revision was adopted by Resolution in 2019; furthermore, more administrative and routine updates to the Manual are presented annually to City Council in January. Staff requests consideration of Resolution No. 2024-23 to replace the 2019 Manual with the proposed revised City Council Manual (see Exhibit A).
Environmental Status:
This action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Non Applicable - Administrative Item
For details, visit www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/strategicplan <http://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/strategicplan>.
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution No. 2024-23 to Adopt a Revised City Council Manual
2. Exhibit A: Revised City Council Manual (June 2024)