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Consider Amending the Council Referral Process and Form. (Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft)
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COUNCIL REFERRAL FORM
The Council can take any of the following actions:
1) Take no action.
2) Refer the matter to staff to schedule as a future City Council agenda item. Concurrence that staff time will be devoted to the item does not signify approval.
3) Take dispositive action only on time sensitive legislative matters if sufficiently noticed such that the public and Council have been provided sufficient information by the published agenda, and no formal published notice of a public hearing is required.
Name of Councilmember(s) requesting referral: Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft
Date of submission to City Clerk (must be submitted before 5:00 p.m. on the Monday two weeks before the Council meeting requested): October 19, 2026
Council Meeting date: November 4, 2026
Brief description of the subject to be printed on the agenda, sufficient to inform the City Council and public of the nature of the referral:
Consider amending the Council Referral process and form. Amendments are being proposed to increase engagement with staff and set limits prior to Council elections to prevent Referrals from being politicized. Therefore, the process should be amended to prohibit Referrals from being submitted or heard 90 days prior to elections when Council offices are on the ballot. In addition, to avoid duplicating staff work already underway, the process should be revised to require conferring with the City Attorney, City Clerk, and/or City Manager one week prior to submitting a Referral. These amendments shall be implemented by Council approving the revised Referral form, which is attached.
The City Council approved a Strategic Plan on November 21, 2023, which established the following 5 priorities:
A. Enhance Community Safety & Services
B. Build Resilience to Climate Change & Water Level Rise
C. Invest in Transportation, Infrastructure, Economic Opportunities & Historic Resources
D. H...
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