HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution - 2022-R0027 - Amended City Council RulesResolution No. 2022-R0027
Item No. 7.37
January 11, 2022
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS the City Council of the City of Lubbock deems it to be in the best interest
of the citizens of the City of Lubbock to adopt revised City Council rules; NOW
THEREFORE:
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LUBBOCK:
THAT the City Council does hereby adopt revised and updated City of Lubbock City
Council rules, as set forth in Exhibit "A" attached hereto and incorporated herein for all
purposes; and
THAT the effect of said adoption shall be immediate; and
THAT the City Secretary shall make record and keep on file the revised City Council
rules, which shall stand in replacement of any prior version.
Passed by the City Council on January 11 202
DANIEL M. POPE, MAYOR
ATT T:
Rebecca G a, City Secretary
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
�e s
Bill Ho erton, Deputy City Manager
First Assistant City Attorney
ccdocs/RES.Council Rules
January 3, 2022
Resolution No. 2022-R0027
CITY OF LUBBOCK
CITY COUNCIL RULES
(as amended, January 11, 2022)
I. AUTHORITY:
The Charter of the City of Lubbock provides that the Council shall determine its own rules and
order of business. Lubbock, Tex., Charter ch. 1, art. IX, sec. 13 (1917). By virtue thereof, and
when not in conflict with the Charter of the City of Lubbock and the Constitution and laws of the
State of Texas, the following set of rules shall be in effect upon adoption by the City Council and
until such time as they are amended or new rules adopted in the manner hereinafter provided and
shall prevail to govern the business of the City Council of the City of Lubbock.
A. Adoption of Council Rules — Adoption of the Rules for the City Council, City of Lubbock, shall
be accomplished by means of a resolution with the affirmative vote of a majority of all members
of the City Council.
B. Amendments to Council Rules — These rules may be suspended, amended or new rules
adopted provided that these rules do not conflict with General Laws of the State of Texas or the
Charter of the City of Lubbock.
II. MEETINGS:
A. City Council Meetings:
1. Regular Council Meeting — The City Council shall meet twice each month in the City
Council Chambers, Municipal Building, on the second and fourth Tuesday, beginning at
4:30PM, or on such other day, or at such other time or place as shall be selected by the
Mayor; provided, however, that for such meetings, any citizen comments to, and public
hearings held by, the City Council shall not be scheduled to begin before 5:OOPM. City
Council meetings shall be held in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas
Government Code, Chapter 551.
2. Invocation — It is the policy of the City Council to allow for, but not mandate, an
invocation or prayer to be offered before its meetings for the benefit of the City Council in
order to solemnize the proceedings. The invocation shall be offered by one person only.
a. The invocation shall not exploit to proselytize or advance any one, or disparage
any other, faith or belief. The invocation speaker shall offer words of wisdom in a
respectful tone and invite the City Councilmembers to reflect upon shared ideals
and common ends prior to beginning the business of governing.
b. The invocation shall be voluntarily delivered by the invocation speaker selected
by the City Secretary in accordance with the policy adopted by the City Secretary's
Office.
c. The invocation shall be given prior to the opening gavel that officially begins the
meeting and the agenda/business of the public.
Lubbock City Council Rules Page 1 of 8
3. Citizen comments — Any citizen wishing to appear before any regular meeting of the
City Council to speak shall sign up to speak at the City Council meeting, but shall be limited
to speaking only on matters posted on the City Council agenda, and must appear before
the City Council in person.
a. The length of the time given for each citizen to make such comments shall be
determined by the City Council, in its sole discretion, at the beginning of the
citizen comment period.
b. The form to be used for a citizen to sign up to address the City Council during
the citizen comment portion of the meeting shall be in substantially the same
form and content as attached hereto as Exhibit "A".
c. Individuals wishing to use a PowerPoint presentation or other video imaging
must submit the presentation to the City Manager's office no later than twenty-
four (24) hours prior to the start of the Council meeting so that City staff may
have adequate time to verify technological compatibility, and to perform
security protocols on any hardware or data files submitted. Files must be hand
delivered on a CD, DVD, or USB drive to the City Manager's Office, 1314
Avenue K, 1111 Floor, Lubbock, Texas 79401. The USB drive, CD, or DVD
will not be returned to the presenter. The following digital image formats are
acceptable for submission: PowerPoint slides, Jpeg photo images, TIF files,
PDF files, and PNG files. Videos must play from a standard DVD. No web
access is available.
d. City Council may accept written comments on certain agenda items at its
discretion. In addition, the City Council may direct these comments be placed
on the City's website from time to time at its discretion. City Council may limit
the number of characters, letters, or words permitted for each individual
comment. To be accepted, written comments shall not contain any graphics,
images, or videos.
4. Special Meetings — The Mayor, Mayor Pro-Tem or any two of the Councilmembers in
the absence of the Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem, or in the event of their refusal after a
request is made, may call special meetings of the Council at any time deemed advisable.
Lubbock, Tex., Charter ch. 1, art. IX, sec. 13 (1917).
5. Minuted Action — Minuted action may only be used in instances wherein formal written
action of the Council is not required, including appointments of City boards and ceremonial
actions.
B. Conduct:
1. Quorum — Any four members of the City Council shall constitute a quorum and the
affirmative vote of any four members of the Council shall be sufficient and necessary to
Lubbock City Council Rules Page 2 of 8
adopt or repeal any ordinance or resolution. Lubbock, Tex. Charter ch. 1, art IX, sec. 15
(1988).
2. Presiding Officer — The Mayor of the City shall be the presiding officer of the Council,
and in the event of the absence of or disqualification of Mayor, the Mayor Pro-Tempore
shall preside. In the event of the absence of or disqualification of the Mayor or Mayor Pro-
Tempore the position of Mayor pro tempore shall be occupied by the Councilmember
having the most seniority in service on the City Council. Lubbock, Tex. Charter ch. 1, art.
IX, sec. 11 (1917).
3. Rules of Order — Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the proceedings of the
Council in all cases, unless they are in conflict with these rules.
4. Right to Floor — Any Councilmember or other person appearing before the Council
desiring to speak shall be recognized by the presiding officer, and shall confine his or her
remarks to the subject under consideration or to be considered. Any person who wishes
to address the Council must have the unanimous consent of the Council. This rule does
not apply to anyone appearing at a public hearing in response to an official notice or the
Citizens Comment period.
5. Agenda — The order of business of each meeting shall be contained in the agenda
prepared by the City Manager. The City Manager shall provide the Council with an
analysis of items to be acted upon by the Council at its regular meetings. This analysis
may be made to the Council orally or in writing.
a. Placing an Item on Agenda
Councilmember—Any two members of the Council may, before the agenda
deadline, place an item on the agenda by providing written direction to the
City Manager. The City Manager shall provide staff research support when
requested to do so in writing.
b. Removing Item from Consent Agenda
If a councilmember wishes to remove an item from the consent agenda for
purposes of discussion, conflicts of interest, recusals or any other reason,
the councilmember shall make such a removal no later than twenty-four
(24) hours prior to the time of the start of the public portion of the regular
meeting. The council member shall notify the City Manager which items
on the consent agenda are to be removed, the reasons for such removal,
and if the councilmember wishes to hold a discussion regarding the item.
c. Planning and Zoning Commission Zone Cases.
When preparing the City Council agenda, the City Manager shall organize
and place Planning and Zoning Commission zone case ordinances by
Council districts, in numerical order of the district, and denoted accordingly.
Planning and Zoning Commission zone case ordinances having passed
first reading by a unanimous vote of the City Council shall be placed on the
Lubbock City Council Rules Page 3 of 8
Consent Agenda for consideration on second reading, subject to Rule
II(B)(5)(b) above.
6. Electronic Devices — Members of the City Council shall not use any electronic devices
for the purpose of communicating on matters of City business with any person, including
other Council members, during a City Council meeting, unless such device is used in
conjunction with such meeting in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Texas
Open Meetings Act. The use of electronic devices by members of the City Council on
matters not related to City business should be done in a manner that does not disrupt the
meeting.
7. Inaudible Conversations — City Council members shall refrain from participating in any
conversations related to matters of City business with other Council members that are
inaudible to the public during any Council meeting or work session.
C. Attendance
1. Mayor and Councilmembers — The Mayor and any Councilmember shall forfeit, not
exceeding $10.00 per meeting of his salary, if absent from any regular meeting of the
Council, unless such absence from the meeting is unavoidably necessitated in the
services of such officer on business of the City away from the City at the time the meeting
is held. Lubbock, Tex., Charter ch. 1, art. IX, sec. 14 (1917).
2. City Manager — The City Manager shall attend all meetings of the Council with the right
to take part in the discussion, but having no vote. Lubbock, Tex., Charter ch. 1, art. X, sec.
4(1917).
3. City Attorney — The City Attorney or Acting City Attorney shall attend all meetings of the
City Council unless excused and shall, upon request, render written or oral opinion on
questions of law. The City Attorney shall act as the City Council's parliamentarian. The
City Attorney is authorized to engage and retain outside counsel in the defense or
prosecution of any case in which the City is a party, or in any administrative matter or
transactional issue in which the City is involved, where attorney's fees do not exceed
$50,000.
The City Attorney is also authorized to incur litigation expenses for the City, including the
retention of experts, or incur any other fees or costs deemed necessary to defend or
prosecute any lawsuit brought against it or in which it has brought suit.
4. City Secretary — The City Secretary shall attend all meetings of the City Council, unless
excused, and shall keep an account of all proceedings of the City Council to be entered in
a well -bound book or permanent file.
III. GENERAL INFORMATION CONCERNING ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, AND
MOTIONS:
A. Passage of Ordinances, Resolutions, or Motions — Approval of every ordinance, resolution, or
motion shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of all members of the City Council, except
Lubbock City Council Rules Page 4 of 8
as specified hereinafter when the Charter and certain State statutes impose other voting
requirements on various questions. Lubbock, Tex., Charter ch. 1, art. IX, sec. 15 (1917).
B. Recording of Votes — The yeas and nays shall be taken upon the passage of all ordinances
and resolutions and entered upon the minutes of the City Council. Lubbock, Tex., Charter ch. 1,
art. IX, sec. 15 (1917).
C. City Attorney to Approve — All ordinances and resolutions shall be approved as to form and
legality by the City Attorney.
D. City Secretary to Calendar Deadlines — The City Secretary shall calculate and calendar any
and all deadlines adopted by City Council, including, but not limited to appointee evaluations, ad
hoc committee reports, and consideration of future legislation. The City Secretary shall place
such items on the Council agenda for appropriate consideration in accordance with the deadlines.
In addition, the City Secretary shall alert City Council members, City Manager, and City Attorney
to upcoming deadlines two (2) weeks prior to the meeting at which such items shall be considered.
IV. CITY COUNCIL CODE OF ETHICS:
Each member of the City Council has a duty to:
A. Respect and adhere to the American ideals of government, the rule of law, the
principles of public administration and high ethical conduct in the performance of public
duties.
B. Represent and work for the common good of the City and not for any private interest.
C. Refrain from accepting gifts or favors or promises of future benefits, which might
compromise or tend to impair independence of judgment or action.
D. Provide fair and equal treatment for all persons and matters coming before the
Council.
E. Learn and study the background and purposes of important items of business before
voting.
F. Faithfully perform all duties of office.
G. Refrain from disclosing any information received confidentially concerning the
business of the City, or received during any closed session of the Council held pursuant to
state law.
H. Decline any employment incompatible with public duty.
I. Disclose all sources of income which may represent a substantial conflict of
interest with the duties as a Councilmember and to disclose the nature and extent of the
interest as an officer, agent, member, or owner of any business entity or other association
Lubbock City Council Rules Page 5 of 8
which is subject to regulation by the City and such disclosure shall be made to the proper
authority established for that purpose.
J. Refrain from abusive conduct, personal charges or verbal attacks upon the character,
motives, ethics or morals of other members of the Council, staff or public, or other personal
comments not germane to the issues before the Council.
K. Listen courteously and attentively to all public discussions at Council meetings and
avoid interrupting other speakers, including other Council members, except as may be
permitted by established Rules of Order
L. Faithfully attend all sessions of the Council unless unable to do so because of disability
or some other compelling reason.
M. Maintain the highest standard of public conduct by refusing to condone breaches of
public trust or improper attempts to influence legislation, and by being willing to censure any
member who willfully violates the rules of conduct contained in this Code of Ethics.
V. CITY COUNCIL RELATIONSHIP TO STAFF:
In accordance with Article X, Section 6 of the City Charter, the governing body shall hold the City
Manager responsible for the proper administration of all affairs of the City. The City Manager or
his designated representative is responsible for the appointment and removal from office of all
City employees unless the City Charter specifically assigns this responsibility to the governing
body.
The City Manager is the Chief Executive Officer of the City. The City Council charges the City
Manager with carrying out its policies and directives. The City Manager is responsible for
implementing City Council policies by planning, organizing and directing the activities of the City
staff. The City Charter of the City of Lubbock stipulates that the members of the governing body
shall defer to the City Manager the responsibility of directing the activities of the City staff.
However, the City Charter allows the members of the governing body to make inquiries about the
City's policies and procedures with City staff. The members of the governing body should address
all other questions and requests through the City Manager or his designated representative.
Appointees reporting directly to the City Council shall be subject to an annual performance
evaluation to be scheduled between July 1 and August 31, the form and substance of such
evaluation shall be determined at the sole discretion of the City Council.
VI. AMENDMENTS:
Any amendment to these rules that are adopted by Council shall be incorporated into these rules
and such amendments thereto shall be included in reprints of these rules. Any repeal of any
portion of these rules shall also be excluded from the rules by omission from reprints of these
rules.
Lubbock City Council Rules Page 6 of 8
Name:
Address (optional):
PUBLIC COMMENT SIGN-UP FORM
Regular Meeting Date:
"Please PRINT all information"
Phone (optional):
Exhibit "A"
E-mail (optional): Comments: WRITTEN ORAL
Comments will be presented for AGENDA ITEM #
FOR WRITTEN COMMENTS, PLEASE USE SPACE PROVIDED BELOW:
(COMMENTS CONTINUED ON ATTACHED PAGES IF NEEDED)
FOR ORAL COMMENTS:
1. YOU MUST SIGN UP PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED MEETING;
2. YOU WILL HAVE ONE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK; and
3. YOU MUST OBSERVE THE 3-MINUTE TIME LIMIT. (Time cannot be transferred to another
speaker.)
Inquiries from speakers about matters not listed on the agenda will either be directed to the Staff, or placed
on a future agenda for Council consideration. See reverse side for additional rules.
Lubbock City Council Rules Page 7 of 8
RULES FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS AT
CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Public Comments/Reeular and Consent Agendas: The City Council welcomes written and oral comments
from the public at regular meetings. Individuals wishing to speak on matters posted on the regular or
consent agendas must complete and submit a form to the City Council meeting attendant prior to the
deadline set forth in the published agenda. Speakers will have one opportunity to speak during the
allotted time period, and they must observe the three -minute time limit. Time cannot be transferred.
When a speaker yields the floor, he/she waives any remaining time, but that remaining time does not get
added to another speaker's time.
Written Comments / Handouts: Individuals may use the comment sheets provided at the City Council
meeting prior to the deadline, which will be copied and distributed to the Council Members. An individual
who wishes to submit other written material should submit 10 copies to the City Council meeting
attendant for distribution to Council Members and senior staff.
Rules for Speakers:
1. Members of the public may address the City Council at the following times during a meeting:
• During a public hearing on an agenda item.
• During the Citizens Comment portion of the agenda.
• During Work Session, Consent, or Regular Agenda items with the permission of the presiding
officer.
2. Speakers must state their name and address for the record.
3. Speakers must address all comments and questions to the presiding officer.
4. Speakers must limit their comments to three minutes.
5. Speakers may not employ tactics of defamation, intimidation, personal affronts, profanity, or
threats of violence.
Lubbock City Council Rules Page 8 of 8