Committee adopts absentee rule and urges council to create pro‑tem pool and vacancy timeline

The Sweet Home Charter Revision Committee moved to add several provisions addressing council attendance, temporary replacements and vacancy filling.

The committee approved language that would prevent a sitting city councilor who accrues 10 or more unexcused absences from regular council meetings in any calendar year during their term from qualifying as a candidate for reelection to the next term. The motion passed by voice vote; committee members asked staff to clarify in draft language how "unexcused" absences would be defined and whether the rule would count only regular council meetings versus work sessions or executive sessions. Members discussed alternatives including calculating absences as a percentage of posted meetings.

Separately, the committee unanimously recommended that the full City Council consider a mechanism for establishing a pre‑vetted pool of pro‑tem city council members to fill approved, long‑term temporary absences (for example, extended medical leave or National Guard activation). The committee’s motion asked City Council to develop the specific selection, vetting and appointment rules; staff warned that maintaining a standing pool would add administrative work to vet candidates when a vacancy occurs.

The committee also adopted a motion adding a limited quorum rule for extreme vacancy scenarios and a 60‑day timeline for filling vacancies arising in the second half of a term. Under the quorum proposal approved by the committee, when three or more council seats are vacant at the same time, the majority of remaining members may constitute a quorum for the limited purpose of filling vacancies. Committee members emphasized that the reduced‑quorum measure was to be limited to vacancy‑filling only and not for conducting other council business.

Those actions will be drafted into proposed charter language and returned to the committee for final review; committee members directed staff to include precise definitions for "regular meeting," "unexcused absence," and the timing and notice requirements for pro‑tem appointments.