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A. District Division And Terms: The City shall be divided into seven (7) Council districts of substantially equal population. One nonpartisan candidate shall be from each Council district. Council members elected shall serve four (4) year terms; however, Council members inaugurated January 7, 1980, from districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 shall initially serve a term of two (2) years. After the initial terms commencing January 7, 1980, have been completed, all subsequent terms shall be for four (4) years.
B. District Boundaries: The legislative districts of the City are as provided on the map duly approved by the Council. The districts shall be enlarged by subsequent contiguous City annexations and shall be reapportioned following each Federal decennial census to maintain substantially equal populations. The Council shall by resolution or ordinance adopt such district boundary modifications and may, also, by resolution or ordinance adopt maps and/or metes and bounds descriptions of the districts. A current copy of all such maps, resolutions and ordinances shall be on file with the City Recorder and available for public inspection. (Prior Code § 24-4-1)
A. Regular Meetings: The Council is a part time legislative body, but shall meet not less than twice monthly.
B. Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by order of the Chairperson of the Council, by a majority of the Council members or by the Mayor. The order signed by the party calling the meeting shall be filed with the City Recorder and entered in the minutes of the Council. Notice of such special meeting shall be given to the Mayor and all Council members who have not joined in the order, not less than forty eight (48) hours before the special meeting. The notice shall be served personally or a copy thereof left at the Council member's or Mayor's place of abode, either by leaving it with a person of suitable age and discretion or taping a copy thereof to the front door by the City Recorder or his/her designee.
C. Emergency Meetings: Emergency meetings of the Council may be called by order of the Mayor or by a majority vote of the Council, to consider unforeseen matters of an emergency or urgent nature. Such meetings may be held without any specific advance notice, but shall be had at a time so as to give the Mayor and all Council members the most opportunity to be present, considering the exigencies requiring the emergency meeting. However, notice of such meeting shall be attempted by the best means practical under the circumstances to the Mayor and each Council member, not joining in the order.
D. Open Meetings: All official meetings of the Council shall be open to the public as required by the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act or its successor; provided, however, that executive sessions may be closed by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Council members present at an open meeting, for discussions of appropriate matters as provided in the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act or its successor. No final decisions shall be made in closed meetings.
E. Electronic Meetings: The Council may hold an electronic meeting in accordance with the Open and Public Meetings Act.
F. Electronic Quorum: For purposes of determining when a quorum is present during an electronic meeting held in accordance with this Section, a Council member attending the meeting remotely is considered present when they are otherwise connected to the meeting via electronic means and makes their presence known. (Ord. 1-23, 2023: Ord. 20-21, 2021: Ord. 76-08 § 3, 2008: Ord. 78-02 § 1, 2002: Prior Code § 24-4-3)
A. Council Process For Open Government And Transparency: The Council shall set policy, adopt ordinances including an annual budget, provide oversight of the City administration, maintain a clear and accurate public record of council process and decisions, and encourage public engagement.
B. Council Meeting Agenda Development: Council meeting agendas are developed from a variety of sources, including but not limited to Council interest, individual Council member interest, Council office work with outside resources, and administrative transmittals. Any requirement listed in this section 2.06.035 may be waived by the Council chair or a majority of the Council when either determines the waiver would be in the best interest of the City. Violation of this section is not intended to result in criminal or civil liability.
C. Administration Transmittals:
1. The City administration shall forward transmittals to the Council as they are completed. The transmittals shall be forwarded no later than noon two (2) weeks before the Council meeting for which the item is suggested to be scheduled. This allowance of time enhances the opportunity for scheduling consideration and will allow time for community engagement, focused analysis, and opportunities for inclusive discussion. There is no guarantee that a transmittal will be scheduled at the suggested or desired time.
2. City administration transmittals must articulate the Mayor's formal recommendation to the Council. Transmittals may also include potential options for the Council's consideration. In cases when the City administration is forwarding a recommendation of another person or entity (such as the Planning Commission, a state agency, or an outside consultant commissioned by the City) and the Mayor wishes to provide a different recommendation, the Mayor may articulate the City administration's position in a letter included in the transmittal.
3. The City administration shall submit paperwork for Council consideration and agenda placement in a single transmittal format from the Mayor's office. Any exceptions to the noon, two (2) week timeline must be prearranged in writing with the Council executive director who shall seek the consent of the Council chair for any unusual or controversial situations.
4. All items submitted for Council consideration on any Council meeting agenda must include complete and relevant information. The transmittal must contain a level of detail sufficient to provide the public and the Council with adequate information to understand the issue, the requested actions, policy and budget impact, and long-term consequences of non-action or action.
5. A transmittal to the Council office is the Mayor's formal and official recommendation to the Council. The Council considers the signatures included in the transmittal cover sheet as a confirmation that the signatory has vetted the material before forwarding the content to the Council.
6. Concurrently with the transmittal process, the City administration shall submit paper copies noted "approved as to form" for proposed ordinances or resolutions to the City Recorder's office as part of the formal public record.
a. Transmittals must include the following:
(1) The date the transmittal was sent to the Council;
(2) The signature of a member of the Mayor's office staff;
(3) The signature of the relevant department director or designee;
(4) The subject of the transmittal;
(5) The name of the City administration's contact person with whom Council staff may correspond;
(6) The type of document being transmitted;
(7) The Mayor's recommendation about the document being transmitted;
(8) If applicable, the Planning Commission's recommendation about the document being transmitted;
(9) The budget impact;
(10) Background and discussion information, including timeline considerations; (see description in subsection C.4)
(11) Any exhibits to the transmittal, including documentation describing the public notice and engagement process undertaken by the City administration, including any objections received from persons affected by the proposal or the general public.
b. Upon receipt of the transmittal, Council staff shall promptly share the information with Council members and place it in a queue for staff to schedule for analysis. Council staff shall review transmittal paperwork and may ask clarifying questions to the City administration in advance of the scheduling process.
c. If Council staff identifies incomplete, inconsistent, or inaccurate information in the transmittal, it shall communicate any revisions or corrections to the City administration and may suspend its review until the City administration provides accurate or updated information, even if that suspension would delay the schedule and the public process.
d. If the City administration makes any official changes to the transmittal material, the transmittal shall be amended or updated by the Mayor's office through the Council agenda software, with an email alert to Council staff of the updated material.
e. If the transmittal involves a matter that has a deadline for action, the City administration shall provide to the Council office documentation and complete information about the nature and reason for the deadline.
f. Council staff shall wait for complete and correct information to be verified if council staff finds that initially provided information is inaccurate.
7. The City administration shall endeavor to provide clear, concise, complete, and accurate information in transmittals.
D. Agenda Scheduling - Administrative Items: For items the City administration suggests scheduling for a particular Council meeting, the City administration shall:
1. Make advance arrangements in writing with Council staff;
2. Ensure the paperwork is reviewed in detail by the relevant department director, deputy director(s), and the Mayor's office in advance;
3. Respond promptly and thoroughly in writing to a Council member's or Council staff member's questions or requests for clarification; and
4. Ensure the City Attorney and Finance Department have a working knowledge of the issue, have been consulted and their feedback is reflected in the transmittal. Any legal and financial issues shall be clearly disclosed and addressed in the transmittal. If the issues raised by either department are not addressed in the complete transmittal, the omission shall also be disclosed.
E. Informal Updates: The City administration may provide to the Council informal informational updates, particularly on large or significant items. Those updates may be completed as often as needed in a letter, memorandum, or email format. The Council may elect to schedule a briefing on any of the provided informal updates. Nevertheless, informal updates are not a substitute for a complete, fully-vetted transmittal.
F. Closed Meeting Material: Information provided for closed Council meetings must be provided to the Council by the Mayor's office after being vetted by the City Attorney. Closed meeting material shall be provided no later than noon on the Thursday immediately before the scheduled closed meeting. The City administration may seek feedback from Council members in closed meetings.
G. Council Meeting Outline: Council meetings may involve separate agendas for the work session and the formal meeting.
1. The work session meeting agenda may include:
a. Updating or briefing Council members on agenda requests and City administration transmittals before the Council for consideration;
b. Providing opportunities for Council members to discuss public policy and budget initiatives and policies;
c. The Council's executive director updating Council members about announcement items, agenda items, and other items of mutual interest and concern;
d. City administration updates to the Council;
e. Council members interviews of audit firms, potential appointed City employees, and potential appointees to City boards and commissions; and
f. Receiving information about issues not directly related to City government, but that have a fiscal or policy link to the City. Outside organizations may not use work sessions to lobby for City funds.
2. Council staff shall send the agenda to the Mayor's office at least forty eight (48) hours in advance of the meeting to enable the Mayor's office to notify and confirm City administration attendance and presentation at the scheduled meeting. The Mayor's office shall provide to Council members a list of City administration staff authorized to present on each topic as part of the transmittal at least twenty four (24) hours before the scheduled Council meeting.
3. The formal meeting agenda may include:
a. Opening Ceremony:
(1) Pledge of Allegiance
(2) Approval of minutes
(3) Resolutions
(4) Special recognitions;
b. Scheduled Public Hearings: Public hearings about matters for which the Council would like to receive public input, including hearings requiring legal advertisement under state law;
c. Potential action items;
d. Comments:
(1) Questions to the Mayor;
(2) Public comments to the Council. Persons who desire to address the Council concerning an issue not scheduled for a public hearing must fill out a comment card, complete the steps for public comment (two (2) minute comment time limit) and follow the Council's standards of conduct.
e. New Business: Includes matters that appear for the first time on a Council agenda even if a briefing takes place on the same date. New business items not designated as urgent or requiring immediate action may be referred by motion or without objection to a future Council agenda for further action. If the Council chooses to act on a matter of new business, it may suspend its rules and take action. Council members may request the deferral of matters in the New Business section.
f. Unfinished Business: Matters that have received an introduction or briefing in a formal meeting or work session on the same date or on a previous date. All items under unfinished business are subject to further discussion.
g. Consent: Consent agenda matters are scheduled for action at the soonest possible date and typically do not require reports by the Council office staff because those matters are generally ongoing in nature or related to housekeeping items. Routine consent agenda matters include appointments and reappointments to City boards and commissions; confirming dates for public hearings; authorizing signature of interlocal agreements; amending special assessment areas; and authorizing telecommunication agreements.
H. Mayor Attendance At Council Meetings: Utah Code section 10-3b-202(l)(d)(vii) states that the Mayor may "attend each Council meeting, take part in Council meeting discussions, and freely give advice to the Council." A member of the Mayor's senior staff may attend a Council meeting in place of the Mayor. If the senior staff member provides comments or advice, they must clearly state whether they are exercising authority on behalf of the Mayor and whether they have been authorized to speak for the Mayor. The Mayor or official designee will be recognized by the presiding officer of the meeting in the same manner that Council members are recognized for discussion.
I. Council Agenda Addenda Matters: Addenda will be added to the Council agenda for unforeseen, emergency matters, or to correct clerical errors. Such matters must be approved by the Council chair in consultation with the Council's executive director, and may satisfy one (1) or more of the following criteria:
1. The matter requires action that, if postponed to the next regularly scheduled Council meeting, would adversely affect:
a. The safety and welfare of the residents of Salt Lake City;
b. The finances of the City, an organization, a private person, or a governmental entity;
c. The relationship between the City and Salt Lake County, the state of Utah, or the federal government.
2. The above criteria notwithstanding, the Council may consider only those matters that meet the general criteria of being complete and in proper form. (61-19, 2019)
A. Not less than twenty four (24) hours' notice shall be given of each Council meeting as required by the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act or its successor. The notice shall include the agenda, date, time, and place of the meeting. A copy of each meeting agenda shall be:
1. Posted in the Office of the City Recorder and on the Utah public notice website; and
2. Given to a local media correspondent.
B. The notice requirements in subsection A of this section do not apply to an emergency meeting held as provided by the Act.
C. At least once each calendar year before May 15, the City Recorder shall publish, in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, the annual meeting schedule of the City Council. The notice shall include the date, time, and place of such meetings.
D. Minutes and a recording shall be kept of all open meetings as required by the Act or its successor. Open meeting minutes and recordings shall be public records, filed with the City Recorder, and shall be available for public inspection as required by the Act or its successor. A recording of a closed meeting shall be made as required by the Act or its successor. (Ord. 14-13, 2013)
In the event of a vacancy in the Council, it shall within thirty (30) days of the occurrence and declaration of such vacancy, by majority vote of the remaining Council members, appoint a qualified elector of the City to fill the unexpired term. The appointee shall serve with all of the rights and powers of a duly elected Council member, until the next election and the date a successor is duly elected, qualified and sworn into office. A vacancy shall occur if a Council member shall die, resign, terminate legal domicile within the corporate limits of the City and the appropriate Council district boundaries, or be judicially removed from office. (Prior Code § 24-4-6)
The Council shall exercise the legislative powers of City government, including the adoption of ordinances and resolutions; setting appropriate tax levies; adopting the City budget; establishing sewer and water rates and setting other general tax and service rates. The Council shall supervise, appoint and direct its own staff and establish job descriptions, job functions, job classifications or reclassifications and compensation therefor, within the budgeted appropriations and consistent with State law. It may also review and monitor the Municipal administration, conduct public hearings and perform all other duties and responsibilities authorized or required by State law. The Council shall consider and give, where appropriate, its advice and consent to the Mayor on all proposed appointments to City boards, commissions, committees or other bodies established to provide advice or assistance to the operation of City government, except as may otherwise be specified by law. (Prior Code § 24-4-2)
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