What are the duties of the council president?
The Council president’s duties are to preside over council meetings, work with the city auditor to finalize meeting agendas, assign submitted items to committee or council, assign seats in council chambers, and sign items approved by council when necessary.
How will council meeting agendas change?
Council agendas will focus more on setting policies and legislative functions such as convening public meetings, gathering public input, debating, and evaluating policy choices and adopting laws or policies to reflect those choices. With the mayor overseeing the execution of laws and city management, the council’s role in administration will be reduced.
Based on the revised charter, the following are examples of items anticipated to remain on council’s agenda starting in January 2025 (this list is not intended to be complete):
Set council meetings for the year, select council president and vice president.
Quasi-judicial hearings where the council is the deciding body, for example land use appeals (unless delegated to another individual or body by code).
Accept reports from the council, mayor, city administrator, deputy city administrators, their designees, or committees.
Approve the City’s budget and appropriations.
Make laws by city code adoption, amendment and repeal.
Sale or other transfer of city-owned property.
Issue bonds.
Levy taxes.
Confirm board and commission appointments.
Confirm city administrator, city attorney and police chief appointments.
Approve property tax exemptions.
Approve settlements greater than $50,000.
Acquisition of property by eminent domain.
Annexation/changes to city boundary.
Accept grants that require budget amendment or appropriation.
Refer measures to voters.
Grant and revoke utility franchises.
Vacate streets.
Establish and abolish boards and commissions.
Set pay ranges for job classifications.
Set water rates and park fees.
Change number, designation of lots, blocks or tracts.
Assign additional duties to the auditor or ombudsman with the auditor's consent/consultation.
Authorize letter of agreement with a union.
Based on the revised charter, the following are examples of items anticipated to no longer be on the council agenda after in January 2025:
Authorize contracts consistent with City budget.
IGAs consistent with City budget (unless IGA creates new intergovernmental entity).
Settlements less than $50,000.
Accept procurement bids.
Street renaming.
Proclamations.
Authorize grant application and accept grant (unless it requires budget amendment or appropriation).
Authorize a solicitation consistent with City budget.
Acquisition of property consistent with City budget.