Resolution 1565RESOLUTION NO. 1565
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
EDMONDS, WASHING TON, AMENDING THE RULES OF
PROCEDURE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL
WHEREAS, Chapter 35A.12.120 RCW gives the City Council of each code city the power
to set rules for conducting its business within the provisions of Title 35A RCW; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 1562 establishing Rules of
Procedure to govern the conduct of council meetings and other council business; and
WHEREAS, the City Council sees fit to update the Rules of Procedure to be be consistent
with amendments made to Edmonds City Code 1.04, Council Meetings.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDMONDS,
WASHING TON, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Rules of Procedure are hereby amended to reflect the changes shown in
Exhibit A.
Section 2. Repealer. Resolution No. 1562 establishing Rules of Procedure is hereby
repealed.
RESOLVED this 4th day of February, 2025.
ATTEST/ AUTHENTICATED:
~
PASSEY
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK:
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL:
RESOLUTION NO.
APP ~/4-
MAYOR, MIKE ROSEN
January 30, 2025
February 4, 2025
1565
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1. AUTHORITY
1 .1 Intent of Policies ............................................................................................ 1
1.2 Effect/Waiver of Rules .................................................................................... 1
1.3 Footnotes and References ............................................................................. 1
SECTION 2. COUNCIL ORGANIZATION
2. 1 Oath of Office ................................................................................................. 1
2.2 Election of Council President and Council President Pro Tern ....................... 1
2.3 Duties of Officers ............................................................................................ 2
2.4 Appointments to Boards and Commissions .................................................... 2
2.5 Filling a Council Vacancy ............................................................................... 2
SECTION 3. AGENDA PREPARATION
3.1 Role of City Clerk ............................................................................................ 3
3.2 Placement of Items on the Agenda ................................................................. 3
3.3 Format for Agenda Memos ............................................................................. .4
3.4 Agenda Item Priority ...................................................................................... .4
3.5 Readings for Ordinances ................................................................................ .4
SECTION 4. CONSENT AGENDA
4.1 Establishment of Consent Agenda ................................................................. 4
4.2 Adoption of Consent Agenda ......................................................................... 4
4.3 Removal of Item from Consent Agenda ......................................................... 4
SECTION 5. COUNCIL MEETINGS
5.1 Open Public Meetings ................................................................................. 5
5.2 Meeting Cancellation .................................................................................... 5
5.3 Regular Meetings ......................................................................................... 5
5.4 Forms of Address ......................................................................................... 6
5.5 Seating Arrangement ................................................................................... 6
5.6 Quasi-Judicial Items ..................................................................................... 6
5. 7 Council Committees ..................................................................................... 7
5.8 Executive Sessions ..................................................................................... 8
5.9 Special Meetings .......................................................................................... 8
5.10 Emergency Meetings ................................................................................. 8
5.11 Meeting Place ............................................................................................ 8
Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
5.12 Notice of Meetings, Public Hearings .......................................................... 8
5.13 Quorum ...................................................................................................... 8
5.14 Attendance, Excused Absences .................................................................. 8
5.15 Remote Attendance ..................................................................................... 9
5.16 Role of Clerk ................................................................................................ 9
SECTION 6. COUNCIL CONDUCT
6 .1 General Conduct ............................................................................................ 9
6.2 Conduct with City Staff, and the Council Legislative Assistant ..................... 10
6.3 Conduct with Boards , Committees, Commissions, and Outside Agencies .... 10
6.4 Implementation, Compliance, and Enforcement. ........................................... 11
SECTION 7. CODE OF ETHICS
7.1 Code of Ethics .............................................................................................. 11
SECTION 8. PUBLIC TESTIMONY
8.1 Public Hearings ............................................................................................ 12
8.2 Audience Comments .................................................................................... 12
8.3 Group representation .................................................................................... 12
8.4 Quasi-Judicial Items ...................................................................................... 12
8.5 Recognition by Chair ..................................................................................... 13
8.6 Decorum ........................................................................................................ 13
8. 7 Identification of Speakers .............................................................................. 13
8.8 Instructions for Speakers ............................................................................... 13
8.9 Donation of Speaking Time .......................................................................... 13
8.10 Campaigns and Elections ........................................................................... 13
SECTION 9. MOTIONS
9.1 Voice Votes ................................................................................................... 13
9.2 Motions that do not Receive or Require Seconds ......................................... 13
9.3 Tie Votes ...................................................................................................... 13
9.4 Nature of Motion ............................................................................................ 13
9.5 Request for Written Motions .......................................................................... 13
9.6 Discussion Following a Motion ..................................................................... 13
9. 7 Council Consensus ...................................................................................... 14
9.8 Withdrawal of Motions .................................................................................. 14
9.9 Motion to Table .............................................................................................. 14
9.10 Motion to Postpone to a Time Certain ........................................................ 14
9.11 Motion to Postpone Indefinitely ................................................................... 14
9.12 Motion to Call for the Question .................................................................. 14
9.13 Motion to Amend ........................................................................................ 14
9.14 Repetition of the Motion Prior to Voting ..................................................... 14
9.15 Voting ......................................................................................................... 14
9.16 Recusal ...................................................................................................... 14
9.17 Silence and Abstention ............................................................................... 15
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
9.18 Prohibition of Voting by Proxy .................................................................... 15
9.19 Close of Discussion .................................................................................... 15
9.20 Motion to Reconsider ................................................................................. 15
9.21 Questions of Interpretation ......................................................................... 15
SECTION 10. ITEMS REQUIRING FOURVOTES ............................................. 15
SECTION 11. ITEMS REQUIRING A UNANIMOUS VOTE ................................ 15
SECTION 12. COUNCIL REPRESENTATION
12 .1 Correspondence .......................................................................................... 15
12.2 Use of City Resources ................................................................................. 16
12.3 Controversial Communications ................................................................... 16
SECTION 13. REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES
13.1 Authorized Expenses .................................................................................. 16
SECTION 14. SUSPENSION AND AMENDMENT OF RULES
14 . 1 Suspension of Rules ................................................................................... 16
14 .2 Amendment of Rules ................................................................................... 16
iii
Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
Section 1. Authority.
1.1 These rules constitute the official rules of procedure for the Edmonds City
Council. In all decisions arising from points of order, the Council shall be
governed by the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order," a copy of which is
maintained in the City Council Office .
1.2 These rules of procedure are adopted for the sole benefit of the members of the
City Council to assist in the orderly conduct of Council business. These rules of
procedure do not grant rights or privileges to members of the public or third
parties . Failure of the City Council to adhere to these rules shall not result in any
liability to the City, its officers, agents, and employees, nor shall failure to adhere
to these rules result in invalidation of any Council act.
1.3 Any provision of these rules of procedure that is footnoted with a citation to the
Revised Code of Washington, the Edmonds City Code , or other statute or ruling
is included here for ease of reference only and is not intended to be adopted as a
rule herein because it already constitutes governing law . Likewise, any conflict
between such a provision and the law cited in the footnote shall be resolved in
favor of the law cited in the footnote. Provisions herein that are not footnoted with
a citation to the Revised Code of Washington or the Edmonds City Code have
been adopted by City Council resolution as the Council 's procedural rules and
may be amended at any time by subsequent resolution .
Sec ti on 2. Cou nc il Organizat ion.
2 .1 New Councilmembers shall be sworn in by one of the following persons: court
commissioner, judicial officer, judge, clerk of the court, county auditor or deputy
auditor, county commissioner or county councilmember, mayor of a code city , a
town, or a second-class city, mayor pro tern of a second-class city, clerk of a
code city, town clerk or deputy clerk.
2.2. The Council sha'II elect a Council President and Council President Pro Tern for a
one-year term. The election of the Council President shall be conducted by the
City Clerk. No one Councilmember may nominate more than one person for a
given office until every member wishing to nominate a candidate has an
opportunity to do so . Nominations do not require a second. The Clerk will repeat
each nomination until all nominations have been made . When it appears that no
one else wishes to make any further nominations, the Clerk will ask again for
further nominations and if there are none, the Clerk will declare the nominations
closed . A motion to close the nominations is not necessary. After nominations
have been closed, voting for Council President takes place in the order
nominations were made. Councilmembers will be asked to vote by a raise of
hands. As soon as a nominee receives a majority vote (four votes), the Clerk will
declare him/her elected. No votes will be taken on the remaining nominees. If
Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
none of the nominees receives a majority vote, the Clerk will call for nominations
again and repeat the process until a single candidate receives a majority vote .
The same process is conducted for the election of the Council President Pro
Tern.
2.3 Duties of Officers
A. The Mayor shall be the Presiding Officer at all Council Meetings except
Council Committee Meetings. In the absence of the Mayor, the Council
President shall become Mayor Pro Tern and act as the Presiding Officer,
performing the duties and responsibilities regarding conduct of meetings
and emergency business. In the absence of both the Mayor and the
Council President, the Council President Pro Tern shall act as a temporary
Presiding Officer.
B. It shall be the duty of the Presiding Officer to :
1. Call the meeting to order.
2 . Keep the meeting to its order of business.
3. Control discussion in an orderly manner.
a. Give every Councilmember who wishes an opportunity to
speak when recognized by the chair.
b. Permit audience participation at the appropriate times.
c . Require all speakers to speak to the question and to observe
Robert's Rules of Order.
4 . State each motion before it is discussed and before it is voted
upon.
5 . Put motions to a vote and announce the outcome.
C. The Presiding Officer shall decide all questions of order, subject to the right
of appeal to the Council by any member.
2.4 Appo intm en t s to Bo ards and Co mmittees1
The Council President shall appoint Councilmembers to Council committees and
outside boards and committees that are not otherwise specified or governed by
other rules . Prior to appointment, the Council President shall solicit interest from
Councilmembers for their preferred appointments . The Council President shall
then circulate the final appointment list to the Council at least seven (7) days
prior to appointment. The Council President shall make his or her appointments
as soon as practicable, following election of the Council President.
2.5 Fillin g a Co un c il Vacancy
1 ECC 1.02.03 l(B)
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
A If a vacancy occurs in the office of Council member, the Council will follow
the procedures outlined in the Revised Code of Washington 2 . To fill the
vacancy with the most qualified person available until an election is held,
the Council will widely distribute and publish a notice of the vacancy at
least two weeks in advance, the procedure by which the vacancy will be
filled, and an application form.
B. The Council staff will draw up and Council will approve an application form
to aid the Council's selection of the new Councilmember.
C . Those candidates selected by the Council will be interviewed by the
Council during a regular or special Council meeting open to the public.
The order of the interviews will be determined by drawing the names.
Applicants will be asked to answer questions posed by each
Councilmember during the interview process. The interview process will
be designed to be fair and consistent. Since this is not a campaign,
comments about other applicants will not be allowed.
D. The Council may recess into executive session to discuss the
qualifications of all candidates. Nominations, voting and appointment of a
person to fill the vacancy will be conducted during an open public meeting .
E. The term of an appointed Council position expires upon certification of the
next election .
Sectio n 3. Age nda Preparati on.
3.1 In an administrative capacity , the City Clerk receives agenda topics and preferred
dates from the administration for council or council committee agendas. The
same process applies to the extended council meeting agendas.
The City Clerk provides these inputs to the Council President for agenda setting
in advance of publishing the agenda for the next public meeting. The Council
President is responsible for determining which items will be moved forward for
council business or moved to a future date. In the same way, the president
determines what section of the meeting an item will appear and in what order.
The resulting agendas for Council committees and Council regular meetings will
set forth a brief general description of each item to be considered by the Council
and specify the time and place of the meeting. The agenda for the next council
meeting and the extended agenda are published online by the City Clerk.
3.2 An item for a Council meeting may be placed on the agenda by one of the
following methods:
2 RCW 42.12.070
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
A Majority vote or consensus of the Council.
B. By the Council President or Council President Pro Tern when acting in the
absence of the Council President.
The Council President will make every effort to place an item Council
approved by consensus or majority vote on an agenda. If time is not
available for the requested date, it shall be placed on the next available
agenda.
3.3 Agenda memos shall be in a standard format. The Mayor shall determine the
format.
3.4 Agenda items will generally be prioritized in the following order of importance: 1)
joint meetings or presentations involving outside agencies; 2) items scheduled for
statutory compliance; 3) advertised public hearings; 4) continued items from a
prior meeting; and 5) items scheduled for convenience, such as those involving
outside consultants.
3.5 Except when the Council President has authorized an exception for items of an
emergency or unexpected nature requiring immediate action, ordinances
scheduled for Council action will receive a minimum of two readings . Action by
the Council (by the consent agenda , or council motion and vote) will always be
one of the readings . Other reading(s) will be in the number the topic warrants,
and could include any or all of the following :
1. publication on the extended agenda
2 . presentation of the topic by staff
3 . discussion at council committee and/or meetings of the full council
4 . public hearings (sometimes mandated by law)
Section 4. Consent Agenda.
4.1 Upon approval of the Council President, the administration shall place matters on
the Consent Agenda which: (a) have been previously discussed by the Council or
council committee , or (b) based on the information delivered to members of the
Council , by the administration , can be reviewed by a Councilmember without
further explanation , or (c) are so minor or routine in nature that passage is likely.
4.2 The motion to adopt the Consent Agenda shall be non-debatable and have the
effect of moving to adopt all items on the Consent Agenda .
4 .3 Since adoption of any item on the Consent Agenda implies unanimous consent,
any member of the Council shall have the right to remove any item from the
Consent Agenda. Councilmembers are given an opportunity to remove items
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
from the Consent Agenda after the motion is made and seconded to Approve the
Agenda. If any matter is withdrawn, the Presiding Officer shall place the item at
an appropriate place on the agenda at the current or future Council meeting,
subject to Council agreement.
Section 5. Council Meeti ngs.
5.1 All Council meetings shall comply with the requirements of the Open Public
Meetings Act3 . All Regular Meetings, Committee Meetings, and Special Meetings
of the Council shall be open to the public. A Council meeting is defined as a
properly noticed meeting in which a quorum of the Council transacts official City
business as defined by the OPMA. Meetings under the OPMA require an
agenda, public notice, and an official record in the form of meeting minutes.
Meetings attended by Council members which do not involve the transaction of
City business are not considered meetings under the Act. If a quorum of Council
members attends such meetings, they are encouraged to sit separately , refrain
from discussing City business , and only participate as passive observers .
5.2 Any Council meeting may be canceled by a majority vote or consensus of the
Council. The Council President may cancel a Council meeting for lack of official
business.
5.3 Regular Meetings4 of the City Council shall be held in accordance with the
meeting schedule adopted in Edmonds City Code 1.04.010. Council meetings
shall adjourn no later than 4G~:OO p .m. on the day initiated unless such
adjournment is extended by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Council as a
whole plus one.
3 RCW 42.30
Order of Business f o r Regular Meetings. The order of business shall
generally be as follows :
Regular Meeting (-7§:00 p .m .)
1. Call to Order, Flag Salute
2 . Land Acknowledgment
3. Roll Call
4. Approval of the Agenda
5. Presentations
6 . Public Comment
7. Approval of the Consent Agenda
8. Received for Filing 5
4 ECC 1.04 .0lO (A )
5 Received for Filing is a method of providing information on an agenda that doesn 't require council action. It
includes but is not limited to: financial reports , program/project status updates, committee reports, claims for
damages , public comments, and appointments to boards/commissions .
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
9. Public Hearing(s)
10 . Council Business: The following procedures shall be used:
• Introduction of item by Presiding Officer
• Presentation by staff
• Council motion to adopt legislation
• Council deliberation and potential action
11 . Council Comments
12 . Mayor's Comments
13 . Adjournment (4-G~:00 PM)
5.4. Meetings of the council shall be presided over by the mayor, if present, or
otherwise by the mayor pro tempore (Council President or Council President Pro
Tempore) or by a member of the council selected by a majority of the
councilmembers at such meeting. Appointment of a councilmember to preside
over the meeting shall not in any way abridge his or her right to vote on matters
coming before the council at such meeting .
5.5 . At all meetings, the Mayor shall be addressed as "Mayor (surname)." The
Council President shall be addressed as "Council President (surname)."
Members of the Council shall be addressed as "Councilmember (surname)." At
all meetings, the Mayor shall sit in the Presiding Officer's seat, and the Council
President shall sit at the right hand of the Mayor. Other Councilmembers are to
be seated in a manner acceptable to Council. If there is a dispute, seating shall
be in position order.
5.6 Prior to commencement of discussion of a quasi-judicial item, the Mayor will ask
if any Councilmember has a conflict of interest or Appearance of Fairness
Doctrine concern which could prohibit the Councilmember from participating in
the decision-making process . If it is deemed by the Councilmember, in
consultation with the City Attorney, that it is warranted, the Councilmember
should step down and not participate in the Council discussion or vote on the
matter. The Councilmember shall leave the Council Chambers while the matter is
under consideration.
5. 7 Council Committees 6. The City Council shall have the following Standing
Committees: Finance ("FIN"); Parks and Public VVorks ("PPVV''); Public Saf:ety ,
Personnel, Human Services , and Planning ("PSPHSP") Committee A: Committee
B, and Comm ittee of the Whole . Regular meetings of the City Council standing
committees shall be held in accordance with the meeting schedule adopted in
Edmonds City Code 1.04 .010. The audio and/or video of Council Committee
meetings shall be recorded and posted online.
A . The purpose of council committees is to provide a forum for discussion
6 ECC 1.04.010(8)
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
and vettin g of top ics o r iss ues pro pos ed fo r counci l ap p rova l. Th is for um may
address issues of a minor or routine na tu re , or significant issues that warrant
additional info rm ati on sharin g an d discuss ion p ri o r t o fi nal coun cil action .
A B. Business items considered by a City Council committee should only be
forwarded to the City Council Consent Agenda with the unanimous consent
of the committee members. 7
.B,. C. Committee business items that have not received unanimous support of
the committee to be forwarded to the Consent Agenda may be discussed at a
forthcoming committee meeting if additional committee work is likely to
produce unanimity . Alternatively, the Council President may place the item on
a future Council agenda for further deliberation and/or action by the City
Council.8
G,. D. The Council President shall be a nonvoting ex-officio member of all
Council committees , except when a regular committee member is absent, in
which case the Council President may vote. When a committee chair is
absent, the oth e r reg u lar committe e me m be r sh all se rv e as th e co mmittee
GRaif regular comm ittee member with the most council seniority will chair, or
in case of a tie in se nio rity, the co u nci lmember w ith th e lowest cou ncil
pos iti on. 9
G:-£,. The Mayor and Council members from other committees may attend
committee meetings of which they are not members and may join the
discussion and ask questions about a committee business item if they have
been present during the entire discussion of that business item; provided , that
only committee members , or the Council President when substituting for an
absent committee member, may vote on committee business. Presence of a
quorum of the City Council at a committee meeting shall not change the
character of the meeting from a committee meeting to a City Council
meeting.10
F. Items ma y be placed on the agenda of any standing com m ittee at the
discretion of the co u ncil president, PROVIDED THAT any standing committee
agenda may be modified during any reg ular meeting of the committee by the
consent of a ma jo rity of the committee.11
5.8 The Council may hold Executive Sessions or Closed Sessions from which the
public may be excluded, for those purposes set forth in the Revised Code of
7 ECC 1.04.050
8 ECC 1.04 .050
9 ECC 1.04.050
10 ECC 1.04.050
11 ECC 1.04.050
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
Washington 12 . Before convening an Executive Session, the Presiding Officer
shall announce the purpose of the Session and the anticipated time when the
Session will be concluded. Should the Session require more time, a public
announcement shall be made that the Session is being extended.
Councilmembers should keep confidential all written materials and verbal
information provided to them during Executive Sessions, to ensure that the City's
interests are not compromised. Councilmembers should refrain from taking notes
in Executive Session because such records may be subject to public disclosure ,
thereby compromising the confidential nature of the matters discussed.
Confidentiality also includes information provided to Councilmembers outside of
Executive Sessions when the information is exempt from disclosure under the
Revised Code of Washington . If a Councilmember unintentionally discloses
Executive Session discussion with another party , that Councilmember shall make
full disclosure to the Mayor and/or the City Council in a timely manner as soon as
the error is discovered.
5.9 Special Meetings 13 may be held by the Council subject to notice requirements
prescribed by State law. Special Meetings may be called by the Council
President, Mayor, or any four members of the City Council by written notice
delivered to each member of the Council at least twenty-four hours before the
time specified for the proposed meeting. The notice of such Special Meetings
shall state the subjects to be considered, and no subject other than those
specified in the notice shall be considered.
5.10 An Emergency Meeting 14 is a special Council meeting called without the 24-
hour notice. It deals with an emergency involving injury or damage to persons or
property or the likelihood of such injury or damage, when time requirements of a
24-hour notice would make notice impractical and increase the likelihood of such
injury or damage . Emergency meetings may be called by the Mayor or the
Council President with the consent of a majority of Councilmembers. The
minutes will indicate the reason for the emergency.
5.11 Special Meetings and Emergency Meetings will be at a time and place as
Council directs.
5.12 The City shall comply with the public notice provisions of the Revised Code of
Washington 15 . Unless specified otherwise, the public shall receive notice of
upcoming public hearings through publication of such notice in the City's official
newspaper at least ten (10) days prior to the hearing .
5.13 At all Council Meetings, a majority of the Council (four members) shall constitute
a quorum for the transaction of business . In the absence of a quorum, the
12 RCW 42.30.110 and RCW 42 .30.140
13 RCW 42.30
14 RCW 42.30
15 RCW 35A.12 .160
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
members present may adjourn that meeting to a later date .
5.14 Members of the Council may be excused from attending a City Council meeting
by contacting the Council President prior to the meeting and stating the reason
for his or her inability to attend. If the member is unable to contact the Council
President, the member shall contact the Mayor, who shall convey the message to
the Council President. Following roll call, the Presiding Officer shall inform the
Council of the member's absence, state the reason for such absence, and inquire
if there is a motion to excuse the member. This motion shall be nondebatable.
Upon passage of such motion by a majority of members present, the absent
member shall be considered excused and the Clerk will make an appropriate
notation in the minutes. Councilmembers who do not follow the above process
will be considered unexcused and it shall be so noted in the minutes. A motion to
excuse a Councilmember may be made retroactively at the next meeting.
Removal of a sitting Councilmember for three (3) consecutive unexcused
absences is authorized by RCW 35A.12.060 .
5.15 Remote Attendance: Notification of the need to attend a meeting remotely shall
be made to the City Clerk by noon of the meeting day . When attending a council
meeting remotely , Councilmembers must have video and audio capabilities and
enable them during the meeting whenever possible. Any attendee (Council, staff,
or presenter) must enable their video and audio when speaking, unless technical
difficulties do not allow . Attendees must attempt to contact the technology
department to resolve any problems prior to the meeting. If the problem cannot
be resolved, the attendee must inform the Council President and/or the Mayor
prior to the meeting.
5.16 The City Clerk or an authorized Deputy City Clerk shall attend all Council
meetings . If the Clerk and the Deputy Clerk are absent from any Council
meeting, the Mayor shall appoint a Clerk Pro Tempore. The minutes of the
proceedings of the Council shall be kept by the City Clerk and shall constitute the
official record of the Council.
Section 6. Council Conduct.
The City Council finds that Councilmembers should seek to continually improve the
quality of public service and ensure public confidence in the integrity of local
government and its effective, transparent, and equitable operation. Councilmembers
have a public stage and privileged platform to show how individuals with contrasting
points of view can find common ground, demonstrate problem-solving approaches, and
achieve solutions that benefit the community as a whole. Central to these principles is
that civility and decorum shall apply to all Councilmember conduct in relation to city
business. To this end, the following Code of Conduct for members of the Edmonds City
Council is established.
6.1 General Conduct
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
A. Councilmembers shall focus discussions and debates on vision, policies,
and their implementation .
B. No Councilmember shall dominate proceedings during Council or other
public meetings.
C. Personal, insulting, or intimidating language, body language and actions ,
are not allowed. Councilmembers may raise a point of order for ruling by
the Chair or by the Body to address inappropriate remarks.
D. Ensuring that all meeting participants feel welcome is a vital part of the
democratic process. No signs of partiality, prejudice, or disrespect should
be evident on the part of Councilmembers toward any individual
participating in a public meeting. Every effort should be made to be
respectful in listening to Council, staff and public testimony and
discussions .
E. Technology allows words written or said to be distributed far and wide.
Councilmember written notes, voicemail messages, texts , email, or other
electronic communications, are public records and shall follow this code .
6.2 Co nd uct wi th City Staff, and th e Co un cil Leg islati ve Ass ist an t
The community is best served when the abilities, experience, and knowledge of
staff and contract employees work alongside councilmembers, and
councilmembers will value these resources and relationships by:
A. Using respectful language and avoiding aggressive tones .
B. Whenever possible, provide questions ahead of public meetings and
otherwise avoid surprises .
C . Recognize that calls and emails may not be returned outside of business
hours.
D. Expressing concerns about performance only to the Mayor, in the case of
staff, and the Council President, in the case of Council legislative aide .
E. Understanding that Council, as a legislative body, directs City business via
policy change initiated by majority Council vote only; councilmembers
acting individually shall refrain from directing staff or otherwise intruding
on the City's administrative functions .
6.3 Conduct with Boards , Committees , Co mmi ss ion s, a nd O utside Age nc ie s
Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
A The City maintains several boards and commissions as a means of
encouraging and gathering community input. Residents who serve on
boards and commissions are a valuable resource to the City 's leadership
and shall be treated with appreciation and respect.
B. Councilmembers are appointed as non-voting members to serve as the
primary two-way communication liaison between the Council and boards,
commissions, and committees. Councilmembers are not to direct the
activities or work of the board, commission, or committee.
C . Councilmembers may attend any board or commission meeting to which
they are not appointed but shall do so as a member of the public. Personal
comments or positions, if given, will be identified as such and shall not be
represented as the position of the City or Council.
D . Councilmembers shall not contact a board or commission member to
lobby on behalf of an individual, business, or organization, with the
exception of the hearing examiner or architectural design board . It is
acceptable for Councilmembers to contact boards or commissions and
their members, so long as all interactions are in line with the Edmonds
Code of Ethics.
E. When attending a non-city sponsored event, meeting, conference, or other
activity , Councilmembers shall do so in an individual Councilmember
capacity only. Likewise , a Councilmember may be authorized to represent
the City only in compliance with RCW 35A.12.100.
6.4 Implementation , Compliance , and Enforcement
As an expression of the standards of conduct that best serve the City, the Code
of Conduct is intended to be self-enforcing and is most effective when members
are thoroughly familiar with it and embrace its provisions .
A This Council Code of Conduct shall be included in the regular orientations
for newly seated Councilmembers. Members entering office shall sign a
statement affirming they read and understood the City of Edmonds
Council Code of Conduct.
B. The Code of Conduct shall be reviewed and reaffirmed annually by the
City Council.
C. When a breach of this code occurs, Councilmembers are encouraged to
remind one another of the Code of Conduct terms . These communications
may be documented with the subject line, "Code of Conduct Reminder."
D. Repeated breaches, or egregious instances, may be dealt with according
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
to the terms set out in the Council's adopted Robert's Rules of Order or
other applicable laws and regulations.
Section 7. Code of Ethics.
7 .1 Code of Ethics. The purpose of a Code of Ethics is to strengthen the quality of
government through ethical principles which shall govern the conduct of the City
Council. To this end, the Council shall:
1. Be dedicated to the concepts of effective and democratic government.
2. Affirm the dignity and worth of the services rendered by government and
maintain a sense of social responsibility.
3. Be dedicated to the highest ideals of honor and integrity in all public and
personal relationships .
4. Recognize that the chief function of local government at all times is to
serve the best interest of all the people.
5. Keep the community informed on municipal affairs and encourage
communications between the citizens and all municipal officers.
Emphasize friendly and courteous service to the public and each other;
seek to improve the quality of public service, and confidence of citizens .
6. Seek no favor; do not personally benefit or profit by confidential
information or by misuse of public resources.
7. Conduct business of the city in a manner which is not only fair in fact, but
also in appearance.
Section 8. Public Testimony.
8.1 Public Hearings:
a . Individuals will be allowed three minutes to speak.
b. The Presiding Officer may allow additional time for receipt of written
testimony when needed .
c. The Clerk shall be the timekeeper.
d. Prior to closing the public hearing, the Presiding Officer shall inquire if
there are any additional speakers other than those that have signed up
and previously spoken, and if there are, they shall be allowed to testify.
8 .2 Other Audience Comment at Regular Meetings
Audience comments are offered at the beginning of regular meetings. This is an
opportunity for members of the public to speak to any topic not listed as a public
hearing or closed record review .
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
A speaker sign-up form will be at the entry table.
The procedures for the Public Hearing testimony in 8.1 A and C above are
generally followed for audience comment; 8.1 D is followed for audience
comment as time allows.
8.3 When large numbers of people are signed up to speak on the same topic, the
Presiding Officer may request that the group(s) select a limited number of
speakers to cover their view and then ask all those who agree w ith that position
to stand at the conclusion of each presentation.
8.4 Public testimony authorized in Section 8.2 and 8.3 may not include comments or
information on any quasi-judicial matter pending before the City Council, or on
any topic for which Council has closed the public record .
8.5 No person shall be allowed to address the Council while it is in session without
the recognition of the Presiding Officer.
8.6 It shall be unlawful for any person in the audience at a Council meeting to do any
of the following: Engage in disorderly, disruptive, disturbing, delaying or
boisterous conduct, such as, but not limited to, handclapping, stomping of feet,
whistling, making noise, use of profane language or obscene gestures , yelling or
similar demonstrations , which conduct substantially .interrupts, delays , or disturbs
the peace and good order of the proceedings of the Council.16
8 . 7 Persons testifying shall identify themselves for the record as to name, City of
residence and any organization represented.
8.8 An instruction notice for speakers will be available at the meeting. Speakers will
be advised by the Presiding Officer that their testimony is being recorded.
8.9 Time cannot be donated by one speaker to another.
8.10 No person may use audience comment to promote or oppose any candidate for
public office. In election years, a campaign officially begins when a candidate
files their candidacy with the elections office and continues through the election.
Section 9. Motions.
9.1 Unless otherwise provided for by statute, ordinance, or resolution, all votes shall
be taken by voice and hand raise , except that at the request of any
Councilmember, a roll call vote shall be taken by the City Clerk.
16 Acosta v. City of Costa Mesa, 718 F.3d 800 (9th Cir. 2013), Id ., at 816
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
9.2 A motion must precede deliberation of an action item. A Councilmember should
make a motion, which is seconded by another Councilmember, on the topic
under discussion. If the motion is not seconded, it dies . Some motions do not
require a second: nominations, withdrawal of a motion, request for a roll call vote,
and point of order.
9.3 In case of a tie vote on a motion, the motion shall be considered lost. If the
motion is an item for which the Mayor may break the tie vote, the Mayor may
vote on the motion.
9.4 Motions shall be clear and concise and not include arguments for the motion.
9.5 Motions shall be reduced to writing when required by the Presiding Officer or any
member of the Council. All resolutions and ordinances shall be in writing.
9 .6 After a motion has been made and seconded, Councilmembers may discuss
their opinions on the issue prior to the vote. If they wish to do so, they may state
why they will vote for or against the motion.
9 . 7 When the Council concurs or agrees with an item that does not require a motion,
the Mayor will summarize the Council's consensus at the conclusion of the
discussion.
9.8 A motion may be withdrawn by the maker of the motion upon consent of the
Council.
9.9 A motion to table is nondebatable. It requires a majority to pass. If the motion to
table prevails, the matter may only be "taken from the table" at the same meeting
or the next regular meeting .
9.10 A motion to postpone to a specific time is debatable, amendable, and may be
reconsidered at the same meeting. It requires a majority to pass. The motion
being postponed must be considered later in the same meeting or a specific
future meeting.
9.11 A motion to postpone indefinitely is debatable, is not amendable, and may be
reconsidered at the same meeting. It requires a majority to pass. The merits of
the main motion may be debated .
9.12 A motion to call for the question shall close debate on the main motion and is
nondebatable. This motion must receive a second and fails without a two-thirds
(2/3) vote. Debate is reopened if the motion fails.
9.13 A motion to amend is defined as amending a motion that is on the floor and has
been seconded, by inserting or adding, striking out, striking out and inserting, or
substituting.
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
9.14 When the discussion is concluded, the motion maker, Mayor, or City Clerk, shall
repeat the motion prior to voting.
9.15 The City Council votes on the motion as restated. If the vote is unanimous, the
Mayor shall state that the motion has been passed unanimously according to the
number of Councilmembers present, such as "7-0" or "6-0." If the vote is not
unanimous, the Mayor shall state the number of Councilmembers voting in the
affirmative and the number voting in the negative and whether the motion passes
or fails.
9.16 Personal involvement in an issue coming before Council shall be a trigger to
consult with the City Attorney regarding possible conflict of interesUneed for
recusal from that council business item. If such conflict of interest or an
appearance of fairness question under state law 17 is established, the
Councilmember shall recuse themselves from the issue and shall leave the
Council chambers during discussion and voting on the issue. That
Councilmember shall be considered absent when voting occurs .
9 .17 If a member of the Council is silent on a vote, it shall be recorded as an
affirmative vote. If a member of the Council abstains, it shall be recorded as an
abstention and not included in the vote tally.
9.18 No vote may be cast by proxy.
9.19 Once the vote has been taken, the discussion is closed. It is not necessary for
Councilmembers to justify or explain their vote . If they wish to make their
positions known, this should happen during the discussion preceding the vote.
9 .20 After the question has been decided, any Councilmember who voted in the
majority may move for a reconsideration of the motion. The motion for
reconsideration must be made at the same or next regular meeting .
9 .21 The City Attorney, in consultation with the City Clerk, shall decide all questions of
interpretations of these policies and procedures and other questions of a
parliamentary nature which may arise at a Council meeting . All cases not
provided for in these policies and procedures shall be governed by the current
edition of Robert's Rules of Order. In the event of a conflict, these Council rules
of procedures shall prevail.
Section 10. Items Requiring Four Votes. The passage of any ordinance, grant or
revocation of franchise or license, any resolution for the payment of money or approval
of warrants shall require the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the whole
17 RCW 42.36 and RCW 42.23.020
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
membership of the Council (4 votes). 18
Section 11. Items Requiring a Unanimous Vote. An ordinance must be adopted
unanimously where both of the following conditions exist: 1) the ordinance is subject to
referendum under RCW 35A.11.090, as limited by Leonard v . City of Bothell, 87 Wn .2d
847 , 852-53, 557 P.2d 1306, 1310 (1976) ("If the grant of power is to the city as a
corporate entity, direct legislation is permissible insofar as the statute is concerned. On
the other hand, if the grant of power is to the legislative authority of the city, the initiative
and referendum are prohibited ."), and similar case law, and; 2) the ordinance is
proposed to take immediate effect under RCW 35A.11 .090(2).
Section 12. Counc il Representation.
12.1 Once the City Council has taken a position on an issue, all official City
correspondence regarding the issue will reflect the Council's adopted position .
12 .2 City letterhead, email and other city resources shall not be used for
correspondence of Councilmembers representing a dissenting point of view from
an official Council position .
12.3 As a matter of courtesy, letters to the editor, or other communication of a
controversial nature, which do not express the majority opinion of the Council,
shall be presented to the full Council prior to publication .
Section 13. Reimburseme nt of Expe nses.
13.1 Council adopted the City of Edmonds Employee Expenses, Volunteer
Recognition and Reimbursements Policy 19 for application to Council as
enumerated therein .
In addition to the option of prior approval of training course-by-course as outlined
in Section VI of the Policy, a Council President may also pre-authorize trainings
relevant to the councilmember role up to a pre-authorized budget amount per
councilmember annually.
Section 14. Suspension and Amendment of Rules.
14.1 Any provision of these rules not governed by state law, City code, fundamental
parliamentary principle, or other statute or rule may be temporarily suspended by
a majority vote of the Council.
14.2 It is the intent of the City Council that the rules of procedure be periodically
18 RCW 35A.12.120
19 Resolution 1516, November 1, 2022
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Exhibit A -COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE
reviewed as needed or during odd-numbered years. These rules may be
amended, or new rules adopted, by a majority vote of the Council, provided that
the proposed amendments or new rules shall have been distributed to Council at
least two weeks prior to such action.
ADOPTED BY:
RESOLUTION NO . 1562
AMENDED BY:
RESOLUTION NO. 1565
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