HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 5312
COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 5312
A RESOLUTION AMENDING EUGENE CITY COUNCIL
OPERATING AGREEMENTS AND REPEALING
RESOLUTION NO. 5205.
PASSED: 8:0
REJECTED:
OPPOSED:
ABSENT:
CONSIDERED: December 14, 2020
E UGENE C ITY C OUNCIL O PERATING A GREEMENTS
R ESOLUTION N UMBER 5312
A DOPTED D ECEMBER 14, 2020
INTRODUCTION
The Municipal Charter of the City of Eugene (Charter) and Eugene City Code, 1971 (E.C.), as
well as the Oregon Revised Statues (ORS) law govern many meeting requirements and
actions of the Council. The Eugene Charter, Chapter 2 of the Eugene City Code, and various
sections of ORS 192 and 244 are primary sources of these meeting and other operating
requirements.
1.
1.01
Regular meetings of the Eugene City Council (the Council) shall be on the second and fourth
Mondays of each month. These meetings shall begin at 7:30 p.m. and shall end at 10 p.m., or
when the agenda item considered by the Council at 10 p.m. is concluded. If those days are
on a legal or religious holiday, the Council may schedule the meeting for the day
immediately following.
1.02
The Council may meet in work sessions beginning at 5:30 p.m. prior to its regular Monday
meetings. Other work sessions may be held on the second, third, fourth, and fifth Wednesdays
of the month. These work sessions shall start at noon and last for a maximum of 90 minutes.
Additional 5:30 p.m. work sessions will be scheduled on the third Monday of the month, as
needed. Except for extraordinary circumstances, the total time for presentations by staff and/or
others on a single agenda item shall be no more than 15 minutes.
1.03
Eugene City Council meetings shall be held within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City.
Training sessions may be held outside the City limits, if no deliberations toward a decision
are made. Inter-jurisdictional meetings may be held outside City limits, but should be as
close to Eugene as practical. No City Council meeting shall be held at any place where
discrimination on the basis of an individual’s race, religion, color, sex, national origin,
ethnicity, marital status, familial status, age, sexual orientation, source of income or
disability, is practiced. For this purpose, meetings do not include visitations or attendance
at any national, regional, or state association to which the councilor belongs.
1.04
Advance notice of at least 24 hours shall be provided for all meetings. Notice shall include
written notice to all news media which requested notice. In the case of emergency or when
a state of emergency has been declared, notice appropriate to the circumstances shall be
provided and reasons justifying the lack of 24-hour notice shall be included in the minutes
of such meeting. As per both the Eugene Charter, Section 9, and Eugene Code, Section 2.007
(2), the Mayor or three of the members of the Council, may call a special meeting of the
Council in manner provided in E.C. 2.007 (3).
Exhibit A -- Page 1
1.05
A public comment period generally shall be the firstitem of every regular meeting of the
Eugene City Council,. By council majority vote, time-sensitive issues may be moved up in the
agenda order.
Persons wishing to speak must sign up to do so not later than five minutes after thePublic
Forum has been opened by the Mayor or presiding officer. The Mayor or presiding officer
shall inform the audience of the requirement to sign up to speak not later than fiveminutes
after the meeting has been called to order or prior to the conclusion of the Public Forum.
Members of the public may speak about any topic during the Public Forum, except as
provided below. If a member of the public wishes to speakon an item that is scheduled for
a public hearing at that same meeting, the speaker shall wait until that public hearing. The
Public Forum cannot be used to testify about an item that is not a public matter or which
has already been heard by a Hearings Official, or to provide or gather additional testimony
or information on a quasi-judicial matter after the official record has been closed.
Speakers at the Public Forum will be limited to three minutes. Generally, the speakers will
be called upon in the order in which the “Request to Speak” forms are received by staff at
the meeting. No persons will be allowed to submit a “Request to Speak” form more than 30
minutes prior to the start of the meeting.
At the end of the Public Forum each member of the Council has the opportunity to respond
to comments made during the Public Forum. The time allocated to each member of the
Council for such responses shall be up to three minutes.
1.06
Public hearings shall generallybe held on the third Monday of the month, except for those
months during which a Council break occurs and shall be held for all ordinances except
under the terms delineated in E.C. 2.007(4). Hearings may be scheduled on other items at
the discretion of the Mayor and the City Manager.
Persons wishing to speak shall submit a “Request to Speak” form prior to the
commencement of the public hearing at which the person wishes to speak. The Mayor or
presiding officer shall inform the audience of this requirement to sign up prior to the
commencement of a public hearing. In general, speakers will be limited to three minutes.
Eugene Code 2.015(7) notwithstanding, councilors may ask clarifying or follow-up
questions of individuals providing testimony after that individual has completed his/her
testimony. Questions posed by City Councilors should be to provide clarification or
additional information on testimony provided. Questions should not be used as an attempt
to lengthen or expand the testimony of the individual. Councilors shall be expected to use
restraint and be considerate of the meeting time of the Council when exercising this option.
The Mayor or presiding officer may intervene if a councilor is violating the spirit of this
guideline. At the end of the Public Hearing, each member of the Council has the opportunity
to comment on or discuss testimony given during the Public Hearing.
Exhibit A -- Page 2
1.07
All meetings of the Council shall be held in open session, except those meetings that may be
closed for purposes specified in the Oregon Attorney General’s Public Records and
Meetings Manual (ORS 192.610 to 192.690). These include the employment ordismissal of
public employees, performance evaluation of the council’s employees, labor negotiations,
real property transactions negotiations, and consulting with legal counsel on pending or
threatened litigation.
Notice of executive sessions shall be given as required by state law and that notice must
state the specific provisions of law authorizing the session.
The Mayor and City Councilors are expected to maintain the confidentiality of the
information discussed in legally noticed and conducted executive sessions as defined in
Chapter 192 of the Oregon Revised Statutes.
1.08Minutes
Written minutes shall be taken for all CityCouncil meetings in accordance with the Oregon
Attorney General’s Public Records and Meetings Manual. The minutes must give a true
reflection of the matters discussed but need not be a full transcript, verbatim or recording.
As a matter of courtesy and efficiency, a councilor should notify the Mayor and other
councilors that he/she intends to propose an amendment to the minutes and should
propose replacement text in advance of the meeting at which those minutes are scheduled
to be approved. If the proposed amendment is a simple factual, grammatical, or spelling
correction, the amendment may be proposed without consulting the minutes recorder. If,
however, the proposed amendment is substantive in nature or seeks to clarify the
speaker's intent, or to expand his/her remarks for the record, the councilor should notify
the minutes recorder and request verification of the proposed amendment.
1.09Voting
Section 12 of the Eugene Municipal Charter states that the Mayor only votes on matters
before the Council in the case of a tie. Council members may not abstain from voting unless
a conflict of interest has been declared.
1.10Presid
The Mayor shall preside over CityCouncil meetings when present. The president of the
Council shall preside if the Mayor is absent or unable to preside. The Council vice president
shall have the powers of the Council president when the Council president is performing
the duties of the Mayor. If the Mayor, Council president, and vice president are unavailable,
the Council members present shall elect a temporary presiding officer.
1.11
Council officers shall be elected for one-year terms in the manner prescribed in the E.C.
2.009, at the first regular meeting in each calendar year.
Exhibit A -- Page 3
2.
2.01
Contact the City Manager and explain the nature, scope and desired outcome of the item for
the agenda or make the request during “Items from Mayor and City Council” at a City
Council work session. The City Manager and Mayor may then decide to place the item on a
future agenda.
2.02
Alternatively, an item may be placed on the Council agenda by councilor request. A
councilor may ask Council support staff for a work session or consideration of a resolution,
and staff shall then poll all councilors, in writing, to ask if the item should be placed on the
Council agenda. If, within two weeks of distribution of the poll, with an individualized
reminder at five working days, a majority of the Council responds in the affirmative, the
item shall be placed on the Council agenda within one week. A majority in this instance is
four councilors.
2.03
At each regular meeting of the Council, the City Manager shall present the Tentative Agenda.
This shall be placed on the Consent Calendar. If there are concerns about items on the Tentative
Agenda,it may be removed at the request of any councilors from the Consent Calendar and
discussed separately.
2.04
The Tentative Agenda shall be included in the weekly information packet provided to the Council.
2.05
The City Manager and Mayor shall decide the date that items come before Council for work
sessions and for regular meetings.
2.06
The City Manager shall continue to place routine and standard items of Council business on
the City Council agenda.
3.
3.01
The Eugene City Council shall begin its formal council meetings with a voluntary recitation
of the Pledge of Allegiance at those council meetings closest to the following holidays:
Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Flag Day, and the Fourth of July.
At the council meeting closest to the Fourth of July, the ceremony will also include readings
from the Declaration of Independence and/or United States Constitution.
3.02
At the first regular meeting of each month, the first agenda item shall be used to
acknowledge special recognition or awards given to the City of Eugene or for the Mayor to
read proclamations which serve to encourage and educate the community. Proclamations
shall be made and placed on the agenda at the discretion of the Mayor. This item shall be
Exhibit A -- Page 4
called “Ceremonial Matters.” Requests for recognition under Ceremonial Matters should be
submitted in writing to the Mayor.
3.03
At regular CityCouncil meetings, in order to expedite the Council’s business, routine and
standard items shall be placed on theConsent Calendar. Any item on the Consent Calendar
may be removed for separate consideration by any member of the Council. Revisions or
corrections to meetings minutes shall be considered first, prior to other items removed
from the Consent Calendar. The remaining items on the Consent Calendar may then be
considered for action by a single vote. The items pulled from the Consent Calendar shall be
considered after the approval of the remainder of the Consent Calendar and before the next
scheduled item on the agenda. In general, ordinances, because of charter requirements,
should not to be placed on the Consent Calendar.
3.0 4
As a guideline, public hearings shall be placed on the specific meeting agenda before items
only requiring action. Further, public hearings expected to draw a small number of
speakers shall be placed before public hearings for which a larger number of speakers is
expected.
3.05
At work sessions meetings held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, the first
itemon the agendashall be “Committee Reports and Items of Interest from Mayor, City
Council and City Manager.” This portion of the agenda provides an opportunity for the
Mayor and councilors to raise issues, present ad hoc motions, introduce resolutions and
report on committee activities and actions. The time allotted for “Items” is subject to
change to accommodate emerging issues.
3.06
In general, action on ordinances and councilor-introduced resolutions or motions shall be
placed on regular City Council meeting agendas and shall be scheduled after Public Forum.
This does not preclude taking action on items during work sessions or other portions of the
meeting.
4.
As a guideline, action on issues for which a public hearing has occurred shall not be taken
at the same meeting at which the public hearing is held. In the case of an ordinance, the
charter requires that an ordinance shall not be adopted by the Council unless it has been
considered by the Council during at least two meetings. With the unanimous consent of the
Council, the Council may consider and enact an ordinance at a single meeting if the Council
does not amend the ordinance in a manner that modifies its substantive effect (Charter,
Section 28 (3)).
5.
Any councilor may request that an item be postponed to another meeting if he/she is
unable to attend the meeting at which the item has been scheduled. As a courtesy,
councilors should submit in writing a request to postpone to the Mayor as early as possible.
Exhibit A -- Page 5
If the Mayor is unavailable, the request should be made to the City Manager or the
Manager’s designated staff member. A request to postpone may be made for either a work
session item or a vote on an agenda item. The request to postpone shall be honored unless
a majority of councilors present determines that the matter needs to be acted upon at that
meeting.
6.
6.01
While the City Code governs appointments to certain committees, the code grants broad
general powers to the Mayor and CityCouncil to create subcommittees or special ad hoc
committees of the Council. The Mayor shall nominate and the Council shall appoint the
members of any committee established by the Council unless a different procedure is
specified at the time the committee is established. The charge to the committee shall be
clearly stated at the time the committee is established, and the committee shalldisband when
its work is complete. Committees may be composed of councilors, interested citizens or both.
6.02
There is one standing committee of the Council: Intergovernmental Relations Committee.
6.03
There are sevenstanding advisory bodies to the City Council. These are created in the
Eugene Code and Charter and exist to provide advice on policy matters. Theyare: 1)
Budget Committee; 2) Planning Commission; 3) Police Commission; 4)Human Rights
Commission; 5) Sustainability Commission; 6) Civilian Review Board; and 7) Toxics Board.
7.
7.01
Conduct at CityCouncil meetings and committee meetings is governed by Robert’s Rules of
Order, Revised. The Council has the obligation to be clear and simple in its procedures and in
its consideration of the questions coming before it. Council members shall avoid invoking the
finer points of parliamentary rules which may serve only to obscure the issues.
7.02
The presiding officer shall be responsible for ensuring order and decorum are maintained.
Behavior or actions that are unreasonably loud or disruptive shall be cause for removal from
Council meetings. This includes engaging in violent or distracting action, making loud or
disruptive noise or using similar language, and refusing to obey an order of the presiding officer.
Council members speak only for themselves and shall be open, direct and candid. They
work to keep discussion moving and call for a “process check” if the discussion becomes
bogged down. Time limits may be set on topics.When councilors speak to each other
during public meetings, last names shall be used during regular meetings, butfirst names
may be used during work sessions. The Mayor is, however, always referred to as “Mayor.”
During public meetings, councilors generally should not attempt to edit or rewrite
prepared ordinances. Amendments to an ordinance may, however, be appropriate.
Generally, councilors should give direction to staff to bring back amended ordinances for
Council consideration.
Exhibit A -- Page 6
If a member of the Council intends to make a motion at a meeting which is not reflected in
the agenda item summary, every effort should be madeto contact other members of the
Council to inform them of the intent and the text of the motion at least 24 hours in advance
of the meeting whenever possible or practicable. City Council support staff should be
provided with the same information and may be asked to assist in the notification process.
The Mayor and Council will be limited to commenting only on the main motion prior to
discussing any proposed amendments. If an amendment to the motion is made during the
initial round on the main motion, subsequent remarks on the amendments will be
postponed until all wishing to speak on the main motion have done so.
Comment times for the Mayor and councilors at CityCouncil meetings or work sessions
shall be generally limited to no more than three minutes. At the discretion of the Mayor or
presiding officer, second and subsequent rounds may be limited further to ensure that
everyone has an opportunity to be heard in the time allotted for the item.
7.03
The rules of conduct for members of the public shall generally be the same as for the Council.
City Code prohibits any person from bringing flags, signs, posters, and placards to a City
Council meeting unless authorized by the presiding officer. The Eugene Code specifically
permits arm bands, emblems, badges, and other articles worn on personal clothing, so long
as such items do not extend from the body in such a way as to cause injury to another.
8.
8.01Two-
Initiatives requiring more than two hours of staff time must be approved by the Council.
Requests that involve less than two hours staff time or resources should be directed to the
City Manager.
8.02
A councilor who desires major policy, ordinance research, or other staff assistance should
first raise the issue at a City Council work session. The Council should decide whether to
proceed with the issue or ordinance before staff time is spent.
8.03
Except for routine inquiries, the City Manager shall respond to councilors’ requests for
information or assistance. The Manager shall assign these requests to appropriate City staff
and track progress on the assignments. This process eliminates the possibilities of staff
members duplicating each other's efforts or a request being overlooked.
9.
9.01
In written communication with other officials or groups and in letters for publication, such as
“to the editor,” the Mayor and councilors should be careful to decide whether to speak only for
themselves or for the Council. In speaking for the Council, when there is a position which the
writer wishes to reinforce or explain, it is useful to circulate a copy to the Council for comment
Exhibit A -- Page 7
before the letter is mailed. Letters to other elected officials or agencies on City issues shall be
discussed with the appropriate staff so that the City lobby effort can be coordinated.
When writing as an individual, a councilor or the Mayor is free to take any position he/she
feels is appropriate. When it is a point of view different from a Council position, this fact
should be included in the letter. Use of City stationery and choice of pronouns shall be left
to the discretion of the councilor or the Mayor.
The governing principle is to advise the Council or staff when expressing a City position,
and to make differences clear when speaking as an individual.
9.02
The effectiveness of City lobbying in Salem or in Washington, D.C. depends on the clarity of
the City’s voice. When councilors or the Mayor represent the City in a lobbying situation, it
is appropriate that the councilors or the Mayor avoid expressions of personal dissent from
an adopted Council policy. This policy is stated in Resolution No. 4139, Council Policy on
Testimony and Funding Applications.
A councilor or the Mayor in disagreement with an adopted policy should not be deprived of
the right to express such views to the appropriate officials at another time and another
place. However, the councilor or the Mayor should feel bound to advise those to whom such
disagreement is expressed that it is an individual view and that the Council has taken a
different position.
9.03
Councilors and the Mayor are encouraged to attend conferences and training sessions
which would enhance their skills and knowledge. Any councilor or the Mayor may attend
any meeting at which the Council is represented, but only the formally appointed official
CityCouncil representative or designated alternate, has the right to vote on matters being
considered by the organization or group holding the meeting or conference. Individual
councilors or the Mayor may state he or she is representing the City Council if he or she has
been formally directed by the City Council to do so.
For local intergovernmental bodies oradvisory groups to which an official Eugene City
Council representative has been appointed, the representative is to serve as an “instructed
delegate;” that is, to represent pertinent adopted City and CityCouncil policy. If possible,
the Mayor or councilors should inform the other members of the City Council of the matters
being considered by intergovernmental bodies, and to the greatest extent possible, seek
direction from the City Council on issues directly pertaining to the City of Eugene and
adopted City policy. The representative may express his or her own opinion, provided it is
identified as such, but when voting or considering matters with policy implications or
budgetary considerations, the representative must follow adopted City or CityCouncil
policy and direction.
Participating in state and national groups such as the League of Oregon Cities and the
National League of Cities presents the opportunity to enhance skills and knowledge and is
an important avenue for the Mayor and councilors to advocate for the members of the
community and the city itself. If the Mayor or councilors attend meetings of these
Exhibit A -- Page 8
organizations, an official voting delegate should be selected by the City Council. This voting
delegate, to the greatest extent possible, informs the Mayor and City Council of issues or
matters on which the voting delegate may be asked to vote. If there is existing City or
Council policy, the voting delegate will vote in accordance with that policy. When
providing a report to the council (see Section 10.06), votes of the delegate should be
included in that report.
If the Mayor or individual councilor serves on a committee of a state or national advisory
committee and has been selected in an “at large” role, that is, not a specific seat or position
for a City of Eugene elected official, that person should state the adopted City or Council
policies. However, that person is not bound by the adopted policy and can represent his or
her own position, provided that the person makes such a disclaimer.
10.
10.01
Under the provisions of the City Charter, the City may pay a councilor or the Mayor
expenses that are directly related to City business. It is each councilor’s and the Mayor’s
responsibility to determine if expenses are actually City-related. If there are questions
about the propriety of such expenditures, the Manager shall first review the issue with the
councilor. If theCity Manager and the councilor cannot resolve the issue, the Manager shall
discuss the matter with the Mayor. Receipts should be secured for any expenses and should
accompany CityCouncil expense report forms to record mileage and other expenses. The
forms shall be available from the City Manager's Office.
Activities that support or oppose a political campaign shall not be reimbursable.
10.02Out-of-
Out-of-town expenses include those incurred while attending City-related conventions,
conferences, training seminars, or meetings. Expenses that are paid by the City include fees
for seminars or conferences; transportation to, from, and at the destination; and lodging,
meals, and incidental expenses that are necessary to conduct City business.
10.03
Local expenses include those incurred while representing the Council on a committee,
attending meetings, attending local seminars or conferences, attending local special events,
or meeting with groups or individuals to discuss City matters. Expenses that are paid by the
City are detailed in Resolution No. 4375 and include meals, conference registration,
transportation and necessary incidental expenses, and up to two community group
memberships, not to exceed $100 total. The reimbursement for bicycle mileage using
alternative forms of transportation, including walking and biking and excluding buses, as
permitted in Resolution No. 4375, shall be $.25.8per mile as of July 1, 2020, and shall be
adjusted each year at the same rate of increase as that of automobile reimbursement.
Special materials such as books or directories may also be eligible for reimbursement.
If receipts are not available, a written description of expenses signed by the Councilor must
be submitted along with the Council Expense Report Form. Forms shall be available from
the City Manager’s Office.
Exhibit A -- Page 9
10.04Spouse/Partner/Guest Expenses
The City shall reimburse councilors or the Mayor for spouse/partner/guest expenses at
local events when the councilors or the Mayor and a spouse/partner/guest are jointly
invited and the councilors are serving in their official capacity, such as a recognition dinner.
The City does not otherwise reimburse councilors or the Mayor for expenses incurred by
their spouse/partner/guest. If councilors or the Mayor wish to have their
spouse/partner/guest accompany them while attending out-of-town events, the City may
make reservations and have travel and lodging expenses billed directly to the City.
Councilors or the Mayor must then reimburse the City for their spouse/partner/guest
travel and lodging expenses. Reimbursement should be made as soon as possible so that
the trip reconciliation process can be completed.
10.05
Expenses under $50 can be reimbursed out of the petty cash fund in the City Manager’s Office.
10.06
Prior notification of out-of-town travel shall be given to staff responsible for travel
arrangements in the City Manager’s Office whenever possible. Registration and travel
arrangements should be made well in advance so that the City can take advantage of
reduced fares and early registration fees. Staff shall assist councilors in making
transportation and lodging arrangements and arrange to have expenses billed directly to
the City; contractors shall be chosen by staff, and not by councilors.
While at a conference, councilors or the Mayor shall be expected to attend conference
sessions and, within 30 days, issue a written report to share the information and
perspectives with the entire City Council. If more than one councilor attends, a consolidated
report may be written.
As a general guideline, each councilor is allowed two out-of-state conference trips per fiscal
year. If a councilor wishes to make additional trips, the request should be brought to
attention of the full Council and should be endorsed by a majority of the Council. This
guideline is intended to cover trips made at the discretion of the individual councilor; it is
not intended to be applied to trips related to service on national or regional committee,
such as a committee of the National League of Cities.
10.07
If the Mayor or members of the Council wish to attend a conference or make a Council
business-related trip to a destination overseas, this request shall be made in writing well in
advance and shall be placed on the Consent Calendar for approval by the Council.
11.ETHICS
11.01
In accordance with ORS 244.050, the Mayor and all councilors holding office on April 15
shall be required to file an Annual Verified Statement of Economic Interest with the Oregon
Government Standards and Practices Commission on or before that date. The report must
be filed on the form prescribed by ORS 244.060. Each year the form shall be sent directly to
the elected official by the Commission and should be returned directly to the Commission
Exhibit A -- Page 10
in Salem. Failure to submit the form by the April 15 deadline may result in the imposition
of a civil penalty and/or removal from office.
11.02
The Charter requires that a code of ethics be enacted. This local code, found in the Eugene
Code, places additional conflicts of interest requirements upon elected officials and creates
a local process for filing complaints.
12.
The Council shall be assigned seats in January, following the election of the Council
president and vice president. The Mayor is always seated at the center position with the
Council president seated at the Mayor's right and the Council vice president seated at the
Mayor’s left.
The remaining councilors shall be assigned seats in alphabetical order by last name. When
the Council returns after each Council break, each person moves one seat toward the
outside and to the opposite side of the table or dais; those in the outermost seats move to
the innermost seats on the opposite side. This system allows councilors the opportunity to
regularly change seats throughout a four-year term. Below is a detailed listing of the
seating sequence.
JANUARY Mayor
PresidentVice President
Councilor A1Councilor B2
Councilor C3Councilor D4
Councilor E5 Councilor F6
APRIL Mayor
PresidentVice President
Councilor F6 Councilor E5
Councilor B2 Councilor A1
Councilor D4Councilor C3
SEPTEMBER Mayor
PresidentVice President
Councilor C3Councilor D4
Councilor E5 Councilor F6
Councilor A1 Councilor B2
Exhibit A -- Page 11
CCCIR ELATIONS
OA GREEMENTS
ACCJ28,2008
1.Purpose of Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations
The Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations (IGR Committee) exists to make
recommendations to the City Council on State and Federal legislative issues and on City
applications for funding from outside agencies. At this time, it is the only standing
committee of the City Council.
2.Membership
The IGR Committee consists of three City Council members.
The three IGR Committee Council members are appointed annually by the Mayor in the
normal course of appointments to various boards and commissions on which City of
Eugene elected officials serve. The Mayor will appoint members that represent the City
Council’s political and ideological diversity.
The Mayor serves as an ex-officio member of the IGR committee.
3.Committee Chair
The IGR Committee shall elect a chair of the committee at the first regularly scheduled
meeting after the Mayor has appointed the members to the IGR Committee.
4. Conducting the Business of Meeting
IGR Committee meetings are governed by Roberts Rules of Order, Revised. Like the City
Council, the IGR Committee has the obligation to be clear and simple in its procedures and
in its consideration of the questions coming before it.
5.Meetings
The IGR Committee meets as needed and generally meets more frequently when the
Oregon Legislature is in session. Meetings of the IGR Committee are subject to the
requirements of Oregon Public Meetings Law, ORS 192.620. The meetings shall be held
within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City.
No IGR Committee meeting shall be held at any place where discrimination on the basis of
an individual’s race, religion, color, sex, national origin, ethnicity, marital status, familial
status, age, sexual orientation, source of income or disability, is practiced.
Advance notice of at least 24 hours shall be provided for all meetings. Notice shall include
written notice to all news media that requested notice.
6.Quorum
Two members of the IGR Committee constitute a quorum for the transaction of Committee
business. Other members of the City Council may attend meetings of the IGR Committee,
but shall have no authority or status to vote on matters considered by the IGR Committee
during that meeting.
Exhibit A -- Page 12
Unanimous votes of the IGR Committee require 3 votes, not 2 votes, should an IGR
Committee member be absent.
An IGR Committee member may designate the Mayor to serve as an alternate in the
member’s absence.
7.Minutes
Written minutes shall be taken for all IGR Committee meetings in accordance with the
Oregon Attorney General’s Public Records and Meetings Manual. Minutes must give a true
reflection of the matters discussed but need not be a full transcript, verbatim or recording.
8.Process for Sessions of the Oregon Legislature
The Regular Session of the Oregon State Legislature convenes in January of odd numbered
years, with a Special Session convening in January of even numbered years. The Regular
Session generally lasts for six months with the Special Session lasting for two months. In
February 2008, the Oregon legislature convened a Supplemental Session in lieu of the
Special Session, lasting for only one month. Supplemental Sessions may be held in
subsequent even numbered years.
Preparation for the Regular Session is begun by IGR staff who meet with the members of
the IGR Committee and other City departmental staff to outline legislative policies and
concepts for the upcoming session based upon City Council goals, priorities, community
needs and organizational issues. These concepts, after being vetted by staff and the IGR
Committee, are then submitted to the full City Council for review and approval. Once the
concepts are approved, they become the basis for the Legislative Policies document that
serves as the cornerstone for position and lobbying efforts on particular pieces of
legislation during the session.
The Legislative Policies document includes principles and precepts that will help determine
the city position on bills. The City of Eugene first adopted a formal set of legislative policies
prior to the 1985 session recognizing from past sessions that many staff recommendations
were repeated from session to session and that a great percentage of a session’s legislative
proposals could be anticipated.
9.Process for Introducing Legislation
The City may wish to introduce legislative concepts on its behalf to the legislature. The IGR
Committee meets and reviews all proposals for legislation prior to submittal to the
Legislature.
Any City staff or elected official interested in introducing legislation prepares a written
overview of the purpose of the legislative concept and draft language for review by the
IGR Committee. Once the IGR Committee has voted on proposed legislative concepts,
the action of the IGR approval.
After the proposed legislative concepts have been reviewed and approved by the full City
Council, legislative concepts that have been approved are presented to the Legislature for
drafting. The bill, as introduced, is then presented to the IGR Committee under the regular
Exhibit A -- Page 13
bill review process.
10. Process for Review and Prioritization of Legislation
The Legislative session is relatively short and as a result, bills can move quickly through the
legislative process. Regardless, the City will maintain a neutral position on any bills not yet
reviewed by City staff and acted upon by the IGR Committee.
Review by City staff:
Once the bills are introduced, they are assigned by an IGR staff person to the
appropriate LC for review.
Legislative Coordinators (LCs) in the appropriate City department analyze all
introduced bills that are of interest to or may affect the City. LC staff is determined
by each Department.
LC staff turnaround for review and analysis of a bill is expected to be within 10
working days of the assignment of a bill unless the movement of a bill warrants a
faster turn-around. In those cases, IGR staff will contact the LC and arrange for a
faster review.
If a bill addresses one or more of the policies presented in the Legislative Policies for
that session, the particular policy is noted in the LC staff’s analysis of the bill.
LC staff will relay both the pros and cons of a bill in their comments as well as any
amendments that would make the bill more favorable.
LC will assign each bill a priority and a recommendation.
Legislative advocacy is done on the basis of a priority and recommendation system. LC
staff recommends a “support,” “oppose,” “neutral,” “monitor,” or “drop” recommendation
for all reviewed bills. LC staff also recommends a priority of 1, 2, or 3 on all reviewed bills.
The three priority assignments for legislative bills are as follows:
–The issues addressed by the bill areidentified in the City’s
Legislative Policies document. The bill would have a significant impact on City operations,
services, or finances in such ways as to fundamentally impact department administration,
organization, personnel, allocation of City resources, or local decision-making, either
negatively or positively. The issues addressed by the bill are of significant interest to the
City even if they do not directly impact the operations, services, or finances of the City.
Lobby Resource Allocation: Both IGR staff in Salem work on the bill, with a high support
level from the legislative coordinator(s) assigned to the bill. The Mayor and/or Council
members may testify before committees, possibly with both IGR staff and/or a legislative
coordinator. IGR staff contacts all or close to all members of all committees the bill is
assigned to. Depending on topic and recommendation, IGR staff will also contact as many
legislators as possible prior to public hearings or work sessions. In the event of a floor vote,
IGR staff contacts as many legislators as is possible in the 2-5 day period between
committee passage and the floor vote. Handouts would be placed in the Capitol mailboxes
of all legislators prior to a floor vote.
–The issues addressed by the bill are identified in the City’s
Legislative Policies document. The bill would have some impact, although manageable, on
City operations, services, or finances and would impact administration, organization,
Exhibit A -- Page 14
personnel, allocation of City resources, or local decision-making, either negatively or
positively. The issues addressed by the bill are of high interest to the City even if they do
not directly impact the operations, services, or finances of the City.
Lobby Resource Allocation: IGR Staff in Salem work closely with legislative coordinators. If
the bill is a City specific issue, IGR will testify, with a legislative coordinator if necessary.
This, may necessitate the involvement of an executive or expert department staff or the
Mayor and/or Council members. If it is an issue less specific to the City, written testimony
will be offered. IGR staff will contact members of the bill’s committee prior to a bill being
passed out of committee. In the event of a floor vote, IGR staff will submit letters to all
legislators and try to contact as many of them as possible, starting with our delegation first,
and then to legislators we suspect might be “swing votes.”
-The issues addressed by the bill are alluded to in the City’s
Legislative Policies document or included in other policy document or direction. The bill
would have a slight impact on City administration, operations, or services, with potential
implications for City finances, either negatively or positively. The bill requires tracking
because amendments could elevate bill to Priority One or Priority Two. The issues
addressed by the bill are of slight interest to the City even if they do not directly impact the
operations, services, or finances of the City.
Lobby Resource Allocation: Depending on recommendation, IGR staff contacts committee
members from local delegation, as well as the committee chair or submits written
testimony or letter to proper committee, with no further involvement. In the event of a
floor vote, IGR staff will submit letters to all legislators.
Review by the IGR Committee:
The bill is placed on the IGR Committee agenda for review as soon as possible after
all applicable staff has commented on the bill.
The IGR Committee meets and reviews all bills on the IGR Committee agenda and
may pull any or all bills off the agenda for discussion.
Any LC staff that has reviewed and commented on a bill that is pulled for discussion
will be prepared to discuss the bill at the IGR Committee meeting.
If a bill is not pulled for discussion, the staff recommendation stands. If a bill is
pulled for discussion, the IGR Committee may keep or change the staff
recommendation. The IGR may also direct that IGR staff work to amend a bill.
The IGR Committee votes on all bill priorities and recommendations; the votes need
not be unanimous – with unanimous being 3 votes.
The actions of the IGR Committee are presented on the full City Council’s agenda for review
and approval. The minutes of the IGR Committee are ratified by the City Council. Any bill
that has been reviewed by the IGR Committee may be pulled for discussion at the request
of any councilor or by the Mayor.
11. Status of Positions on Bills until Final Ratification by the City Council
Time demands in the Legislature may not allow for each bill on which the IGR Committee
takes a position to be fully vetted by the full City Council before some type of action on the
bill needs to occur.
Exhibit A -- Page 15
If a position the IGR Committee has taken on a bill is not unanimous, the position on that
bill will be neutral until the full City Council weighs in and directs a position. The bill will
then be placed on the next available City Council agenda.
Although any bill that has been reviewed by the IGR Committee may be pulled for
discussion at the request of any councilor or the Mayor at the City Council meeting, as a
matter of practice and courtesy to the members of the Council who do not sit on the IGR
Committee, any bill on which the IGRCommittee is not in unanimous agreement will be
specifically noted.
The City Council can modify the position taken by the IGR Committee on a bill; the final
direction to staff on any bill comes from the City Council.
12.Process for Federal LobbyingEfforts
The IGR Committee and IGR staff address Federal lobbying priorities in concert with a
number of the City’s local governmental partners.
The Federal priorities begin with a review of opportunities for funding in the next Federal
budget and goalsthat are specific to Eugene or the area. The IGR Committee meets and
reviews the list of potential priority projects. Potential projects should be those projects
which have already gone through the proper authorization channels and are “shovel ready”
projects. Once the IGR Committee reviews the list of potential projects, the Committee
develops a list of project goals that are considered to be achievable.
After the proposed goals have been vetted by staff, United Front partners, and other
community partners, and the IGR Committee, the priorities list is then presented to the full
City Council for review and approval.
The final list becomes part of the “United Front” agenda which is presented to the area’s
congressional representatives, executive department staff, and other potential funding
sources in Washington, D.C. The attendees on the lobbying trips typically include the
Mayor, chair of the IGR Committee, and appropriate City staff.
13. Grants and Funding Applications
The IGR Committee acts on staff recommendations for grant and other funding applications
from outside agencies such as governmental or private entities. This process is intended to
help avoid situations in which City departments may inadvertently be competing with each
other for funding, and to allow the IGR Committee and City Council to review staff plans for
expenditures of grant funds.
City staff interested in seeking funding prepares a written overview of the funding
application for review by the IGR Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
If timing is critical and there is no IGR Committee meeting scheduled, the Committee may
give its approval via e-mail. IGR staff will keep full and complete records of the documents
related to the request for funding, the electronic notification of the request to review and
the disposition of the request.
Exhibit A -- Page 16
In all cases the IGR Committee and City Council have authority to direct that an application
not go forward or if it has already been submitted, that it be withdrawn.
14. Resolution 4908
On April 18, 2007, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 4908, “A Resolution Establishing
Policy Governing City Testimony and Funding Requests, and Repealing Resolution No.
4139”. This speaks to the issue of testimony before legislative bodies, funding requests and
the role of the Council in setting legislative policy. This Resolution is incorporated into this
document as Attachment A.
15. City Council Operating Agreements
The operating agreements of the IGR Committee are to be incorporated into the Operating
Agreements of the Eugene City Council. As the IGR Committee is a subset of the City
Council, any and all process and operating agreements supersede this document. All
process and operating agreements of the City Council, by extension and when relevant
apply to the IGR Committee.
Attachment A: City of Eugene Resolution 4908.
Exhibit A -- Page 17
Attachment A