Rules committee advances changes to consent-agenda language, clarifies roll-call option after unclear voice votes

The City Council Rules Committee met to consider a package of changes to its rules of procedure, including new language to automatically place some planning-related ordinances on the consent agenda and a proposed amendment to allow any member to call for a roll-call vote if a voice vote result is unclear.

John, chair, opened by directing members to the rules packet and the draft language under consideration. "So the first thing we need to look at is rules of procedure as amended with recommendations to amend," he said, introducing the packet and the pages staff had marked for review.

A staff member explained the packet markup: blue text indicates edits the council has already adopted, while red text marks language the committee might consider at this meeting. "Text you see in red is text that we may be considering this meeting," the staff member said.

On the substantive consent-agenda change, the draft would make materials the planning commission has recommended for approval — including rezonings, sector-plan amendments and minor plan amendments — eligible to appear on the council's consent agenda by default. Committee members debated how to treat cases where planning staff recommended denial; John noted a prior example in which staff recommended denial while the commission recommended approval and said the draft must allow any council member to pull an item from consent for separate consideration. "So for example ... when one of you had a constituent who brought a question up or signed up to speak," John said, "someone signing up to speak doesn't automatically do something else," but a member could remove an item from consent.

Committee members also discussed logistics for notifying council members about speakers. A staff member noted the sign-up deadline for public speakers is 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting; "the deadline is signed up at 4PM on the day of the meeting," the staff member said, and the committee discussed options for earlier notification if members want more lead time.

The meeting covered insertion of compliance certificates (for example, certain alcohol-liquor certificates) into the consent package. After discussion and clarification, the committee voted to move the proposed certificate language forward.

Members spent significant time on Rule 15, which governs voting procedures. The proposed amendment would make explicit that if the chair or any member is uncertain of the result of a voice vote, they may request that the vote be retaken by roll call. During the exchange, members referenced scenarios such as close splits and difficulties hearing individual responses; one member urged clear wording so any member can request a roll-call if the result is unclear.

Several members also raised audio and microphone problems in the meeting room, noting "dead spots" that make it hard to hear some speakers and complicate reliance on voice votes. The committee discussed whether equipment fixes and clearer procedures were necessary to ensure accurate vote counts.

Staff and members agreed that the collectively word-smithed language should be packaged for the next available council agenda, subject to the council's submission deadlines. A staff member summarized scheduling constraints, saying material for the next meeting must be ready by noon on the Monday before the meeting, and members discussed batching items for future packets when possible.

The committee agreed to forward the agreed changes (including the consent-agenda language and the certificate insertion) to the full council and set the committee's next meeting for the second Thursday every other month, with July 9 discussed as the next date. The meeting concluded after voice approvals where recorded and formal adjournment by John.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes from the March 19 meeting: approved by voice vote (motion and second recorded; vote recorded in the meeting as "Aye").
- Forwarding to council: items 8a, 8b and 8c (the consent-agenda language, certificate insertion and related drafting changes) were approved by the committee to be sent to the full council for consideration (vote details not specified in the transcript).