HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 16 Temporary Cahnges to Council Operating Policies
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 10/19/2020
Meeting Type: Regular Meeting
Staff Contact/Dept.: Nancy Newton/CMO
Mary Bridget Smith/CAO
Staff Phone No: 541-736-3700
Estimated Time: 5 Minutes
S P R I N G F I E L D
C I T Y C O U N C I L
Council Goals: Provide Financially
Responsible and
Innovative Government
Services
ITEM TITLE: TEMPORARY CHANGES TO COUNCIL OPERATING POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES
ACTION
REQUESTED:
Approve/Not Approve the following Resolution:
A RESOLUTION TEMPORARILY CHANGING THE SPRINGFIELD CITY
COUNCIL OPERATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES APPOINTING A
COUNCILOR TO SERVE AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEM
ISSUE
STATEMENT:
The Council is in the process of appointing an interim Mayor and to assist Councilor
Pishioneri while he is assuming the duties of Mayor, it can amend its Operating
Policies and Procedures to appoint a President Pro Tem
ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1: Resolution
DISCUSSION/
FINANCIAL
IMPACT:
This item is before the Council in case they need additional time to deliberate on
appointing an interim Mayor.
The Springfield Charter provides that the Council President will assume the duties of
Mayor if the Mayor is absent or unable to function as Mayor. Since Christine
Lundberg’s resignation, Councilor Pishioneri has been assuming the duties of Mayor
due to his role of Council President. The purpose of this item is to provide the
Council the option to appoint another Councilor to assist Councilor Pishioneri on a
temporary basis. The attached Resolution provides for the temporary appointment of
a President Pro Tem. Please note that changes to the Council’s Operating Policies
and Procedures requires a 2/3 vote of the Councilors that are present. The
Resolution automatically sunsets the President Pro Tem’s role when the Council
appoints an interim Mayor and provides that the President Pro Tem can still vote.
The Council President’s duties include running the Council meeting in the Mayor’s
absence and attending the weekly agenda review meeting with the City Manager.
The Council appoints the Council President at the first meeting in January of each
odd numbered year.
The President Pro Tem’s role would be similar to that of the current Council
President’s. That person would run the meeting in the Council President’s absence
and participate in the weekly agenda review meeting. The Council’s current
Operating Policies and Procedures state that the most senior Councilor runs the
meeting as President Pro Tem if both the Mayor and Council President are absent. If
there is no one most senior member, the Council can appoint a President Pro Tem by
a vote for that meeting.
PAGE 1 of 1
CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, OREGON
RESOLUTION NO. ___________
A RESOLUTION TEMPORARILY CHANGING THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL OPERATING
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES APPOINTING A COUNCILOR TO SERVE AS COUNCIL
PRESIDENT PRO TEM
WHEREAS, the Springfield City Council Operating Policies and Procedures are established and adopted
under the authority granted in the Springfield Charter, Chapter IV, Section 12;
WHEREAS, Christine Lundberg resigned on August 15, 2020 creating a vacancy in the office of Mayor;
WHEREAS, consistent with the Springfield Charter, the Council President is assuming the duties of
Mayor until the Council appoints an interim Mayor to fill the vacancy;
WHEREAS, temporarily appointing a Council President Pro Tem will help the Council run more
efficiently by having a specific Councilor designated to assist the Council President while the Council is
working through the process of appointing an interim Mayor; and
WHEREAS, Springfield City Council Operating Policies Section X allows the Council to amend their
policies and procedures by a two-thirds vote of those members of the Council present and voting,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD:
Section 1: The Springfield City Council Operating Policies and Procedures are temporarily
amended to appoint a Council President Pro Tem to act as the Council President while the Council
President is assuming the duties of Mayor.
Section 2: This Resolution will take effect upon adoption by the Council.
Section 3: This Resolution will automatically sunset when the Council appoints an interim
Mayor to fill the Mayor’s vacancy created by Christine Lundberg’s resignation on August 15, 2020 or
when the new elected term starts at the first regular Council meeting in January 2021, whichever
occurs first.
ADOPTED by the Common Council of the City of Springfield this ___ day of ___________, 2020,
by a vote of _____ for and ____ against.
ATTEST:
__________________________
City Recorder
Attachment 1, Page 1 of 1