Lemoore City Council poised to approve new 'Rules of Procedure' policy

Councilmembers also finalized the ordinance mandating district-elections, sending the century-long at-large voting system to the dustbin of history. Lemoore’s first election utilizing the new system will take place during this year’s November General Election.

www.lemoore.com/agendas/2018/mar20.pdf

The proposed rules of procedure – all 13 chapters – is something akin to a manual of the “dos” and “don’ts” of being a councilmember, while concurrently providing additional guidance to the city’s staff and the public at large.

The document consists of several chapters outlining how councilmembers should conduct themselves during meetings and with the public and other legislative bodies. Included in the report are extensive sections regarding the conduct of city staff and the public.

For example, Chapter 1 defines the reasons for and purposes of the document. It is a list of priorities for determining how the city council decides its own rules and order of business – when not in conflict with the city’s charter, the state constitution, or the Ralph M. Brown Act – which requires councilmembers to conduct business in a public forum.

Councilmembers duties are outlined in Chapter 2 while Chapter 3 delves into the conduct of councilmembers. For example, the proposed rules would mandate that councilmembers be professional and always put their constituents first and treat fellow councilmembers, staff, and members of the public with dignity, courtesy, and respect. Other items include:

• value all opinions, be tolerant of new and different ideas, and encourage creativity and innovation;
• follow through on commitments and be accountable to each other;
• clarify when items are discussed in confidence and maintain appropriate confidentiality;
• be attentive to others, limiting interruptions and distractions;
• encourage dissent in debate while being mindful not to prolong discourse or block consensus;
• be candid with each other about ideas and feelings, and resolve conflicts directly;
• keep comments clear, concise, and on-topic to maximize opportunities for all to express themselves;
• continuously strive to improve how members work as a team;
• place clear and realistic demands on staff resources and time when requesting action;
• start and end meetings on time, work from an agenda, and be present, attentive, and prepared;
• present problems in a way that promotes discussion and resolution; and
• continually work to build trust in each other

Councilmember Dave Brown proposed the new policy. “It was brought up during council comments about six months ago, and I had the consensus of the council to proceed with putting together these procedures.”

Brown told The Leader that there needs to be a policy manual spelling out rules for councilmembers, staff, and the public about how best to conduct oneself during a city council or legislative meeting.

“What we’re looking at is that we want to ensure we have something you can give to a councilmember so that he or she knows what to do. I wanted it to refer to the code of ethics too. If someone doesn’t follow the rules, what does a councilmember do.”

Brown said that the proposed rules of procedures put the city’s guidelines in a “nice little booklet” that they can all refer to. "Right now, I think everything’s all over the place, and with (these guidelines) we’re all going by the same guide, the same rules.”

Brown inferred that the idea for his “Rules of Procedure” manual came to him after his experience with a previous city council. As a former Lemoore planning commissioner, Brown resigned in protest when he disagreed with actions some councilmembers took.

“The public can help hold us accountable. They can read this.”

Councilmembers will probably get another look at the revised “Rules” at their April 3 meeting. Brown said additional comments might be included before voting on the new policy, or they could delay final passage for another session.

 “I’m just trying to make sure we have a good way forward,” insisted the first-term councilmember. “It helps remind us of what we need to do as councilmembers. It’s going to be another way to communicate.”