Title
Adoption of Resolution Amending Resolution Nos. 15382, 15697, 15746, 15772, 16104, and 16180 to Amend the Rules of Order Governing City Council Meetings to Add a New Section 3 regarding Public Correspondence. (City Clerk 10012010)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Lara Weisiger, City Clerk
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council adopts Rules of Order to govern the proceedings of City Council meetings. An amendment is being proposed to set guidelines on submitting correspondence.
BACKGROUND
On May 15, 2018, City Council adopted Rules of Order governing City Council meetings. The Rules of Order were amended on September 15, 2020, February 16, 2021, May 4, 2021, March 15, 2022, October 3, 2023, and June 18, 2024. An amendment is being proposed to create clear guidelines for members of the public to submit correspondence for an agenda item.
DISCUSSION
The amendment to the Rules of Order would add a new Section 3 and renumber all subsequent sections to set guidelines for members of the public to submit correspondence for an agenda item. In order to communicate their viewpoints, members of the public often submit correspondence, which is included in the meeting record as required by the Sunshine Ordinance. When such correspondence is submitted just prior to the City Council meeting, attaching it to the staff report is challenging. Correspondence may be submitted via email, mail, hand delivery or at the meeting. Members of the public submitting correspondence via email might not copy the City Clerk's Office or might mistakenly email specific staff instead of clerk@alamedaca.gov, which could prevent the correspondence from being included in the record. Other problems encountered with emails include attachments in formats that cannot be opened, and hyperlinks or photos in the email or attachment that are rendered inoperable by the City's cybersecurity protections. Lastly, to protect the City's network, the proposed new rule re...
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