The city manager or city clerk shall prepare the agenda of all such matters according to council policies and administrative regulations.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
The mayor, or in the mayor's absence the mayor pro tempore, shall be the presiding officer and shall assume his or her place and duties as such immediately following his or her election. The mayor shall preserve order and decorum at all meetings of the city council, state questions coming before the city council, and decide all questions of order; subject, however, to an appeal to the city council as a whole, in which event a majority vote shall govern and conclusively determine such question of order. He or she shall vote on all questions.
The mayor shall sign all ordinances and resolutions adopted and contracts approved by the city council at meetings. In the event of the mayor's absence, the mayor pro tempore shall sign such documents as have been adopted and approved by the city council. In the absence of the mayor and mayor pro tempore, the temporary chairperson shall sign such documents as have been adopted and approved during the meeting at which he or she presided.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
The mayor, or in his or her absence, the mayor pro tempore, shall take the chair at the hour appointed for the meeting, and shall call the city council to order. In the absence of the mayor and the mayor pro tempore, the city clerk or the deputy city clerk shall call the city council to order, whereupon a temporary chairperson shall be elected by the councilmembers present. Upon the arrival of the mayor or the mayor pro tempore, the temporary chairperson shall relinquish the chair at the conclusion of the business then before the city council.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
Before proceeding with the business of the city council, the city clerk shall enter in the minutes the names of all councilmembers present.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
A majority of the city council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. When there is no quorum, the mayor, mayor pro tempore, or a councilmember shall adjourn such meeting, or if no councilmember is present, the city clerk shall adjourn the meeting.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
Unless otherwise required by law, a majority of the quorum consisting of at least two affirmative votes are required to take action. Abstentions shall not be counted as affirmative votes.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
The minutes of city council meetings shall be kept by the city clerk and shall not be required to record any remarks of councilmembers, or of any other person except at the special request of a councilmember. A record shall be made of the names of persons addressing the city council and whether they spoke in support of or in opposition to a matter under consideration by the city council.
The city manager or clerk shall cause a copy of the minutes to be presented for approval and filed by the city council at a subsequent meeting.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
(a) 
Presiding Officer May Debate and Vote. The presiding officer may move, second and debate from the chair, subject only to such limitations of debate as are by these rules imposed on all councilmembers, and shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges of a councilmember by reason of acting as the presiding officer.
(b) 
Getting the Floor—Improper References to Be Avoided. Every councilmember desiring to speak shall address the chair and, upon recognition by the presiding officer, shall confine him or herself to the question under debate, avoiding all personalities and indecorous language.
(c) 
Interruptions. A councilmember, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless to call him or her to order, or as herein provided. If a councilmember while speaking is called to order, he or she shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined, and, if in order, he or she shall be permitted to proceed.
(d) 
Rules of Order. The latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall be used as a nonbinding guide to the conduct of meetings. Because Robert's Rules of Order does not directly apply to city council meetings, Robert's will not be strictly followed. When the city council is acting in an adjudicatory capacity, the hearing procedure shall afford due process. Reconsideration or rescission of adjudicatory matters may be allowed at the city council's discretion. The presiding officer shall decide all questions of order unless an appeal to the city council as a whole is made, in which case the majority vote shall govern and conclusively determine the matter.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
Any person desiring to address the city council shall first secure the permission of the presiding officer to do so; provided, however, that under the following headings of business, unless the presiding officer rules otherwise, any qualified and interested person shall have the right to address the city council upon obtaining recognition by the presiding officer:
(a) 
Commission/Committee and Staff Reports. Interested parties or their authorized representatives may address the city council with regard to written communications, reports, ordinances, resolutions or bids appearing on the agenda, whether scheduled in advance or placed on the agenda under Section 2.04.010.
(b) 
Public Hearings. Interested persons or their authorized representatives may address the city council in regard to matters then under consideration.
(c) 
Oral Communications. Any person or their authorized legal representatives may address the city council by oral communications on any matter over which the city council has authority. All communications shall be governed by the Ralph M. Brown Act.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
(a) 
Each person addressing the city council shall give his or her name for the record. Unless further time is granted by the presiding officer, each person shall limit his or her address to three minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the city council as a body and not to any councilmember. No person, other than a councilmember and the person having the floor shall be permitted to enter into any discussion without the permission of the presiding officer.
(b) 
Spokesperson for Group of Persons. Whenever any group of persons wishes to address the city council on the same subject matter, it shall be proper for the presiding officer to request that a spokesperson be chosen by the group to address the city council, and in case additional matters are to be presented at the time by any other member of said group, to limit the number of persons so addressing the city council, so as to avoid unnecessary repetition.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
By Councilmembers. While the city council is in session, each councilmember must preserve order and decorum, and no councilmember shall, by conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the city council nor disturb any councilmember while speaking, or refuse to obey the orders of the city council or the presiding officer, except as otherwise herein provided.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
Any councilmember shall have the right to have an item considered at a subsequent meeting by raising the item at a council meeting and receiving at least one concurring vote to have the item placed on a future agenda.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
The official meeting place for the city council to conduct regular meetings shall be in the Council Chambers Building, 10200 Slater Avenue, Fountain Valley, California.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
Regular meetings of the city council shall be held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at a time fixed by resolution.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
Pursuant to the provisions of California Government Code Sections 36516 and 36516.5, councilmembers shall receive as compensation $1,200 per month and such benefits as allowed by law and provided by the city. Beginning with the first day of the month following the date when the term of office commences for a member of the city council elected at the November 2024 general municipal election, the compensation of city councilmembers shall be $ 1,200 per month and such benefits as allowed by law and provided by the city.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015; Ord. 1616, 10/15/2024)
(a) 
As soon as practical, following the certification of the city council election results after the November general municipal election, the city council shall make its selections of mayor and mayor pro tempore. In the nonelection years, the selection of mayor and mayor pro tempore shall be made at the city council meeting date closest to the anniversary date of the selections in the election years.
(b) 
The offices of mayor and mayor pro tempore shall have one-year terms and shall be filled in accordance with the following rotation procedure:
(1) 
The councilmember who has the longest consecutive council service since his or her last election or last service as mayor, whichever is longer, should become the mayor.
(2) 
In the event that two councilmembers have the same length of service as described in subsection (b)(1) of this section, the one having received the greatest number of votes in the last councilmember's election should become mayor. If any person declines his or her term as it comes by in rotation, that person should remain in the same place in the rotation cycle as if he or she had served.
(3) 
Notwithstanding the rotation provided for in this section, the selection of the mayor and mayor pro tempore shall ultimately be at the discretion of the city council, which shall make its selection with at least four councilmembers present. Selection shall be made by a nomination from a councilmember, seconded by another councilmember, after which a vote is taken by the entire city council. This procedure shall be repeated until at least three votes have been given to one nominee. The city council, by vote with at least four members present, may remove a person from the office of mayor or mayor pro tempore at any time for any reason.
(c) 
In the event of a vacancy in the office of mayor, the mayor pro tempore shall assume all of the duties of the mayor until a mayor is selected by the city council to serve the balance of the term of the vacated incumbent. The city council shall be free to appoint any councilmember for the balance of that term, but upon the conclusion of that term the rotational selection process should again be employed in the same order as if the vacated incumbent had served a full term.
(d) 
The selection of mayor pro tempore shall be in accordance with the same criteria as provided above, with the exception that the mayor pro tempore should be the person with the next greatest qualifications.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015; Ord. 1535 § 1, 2018)
All general municipal elections shall be held on the same day as the statewide general election. General municipal elections shall be consolidated and the Orange County Registrar of Voters shall be requested to conduct the election.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
(a) 
No person shall serve more than three consecutive full terms of office as a member of the city council. For the purposes of this section, "full term" shall mean a four-year term. No portion of a full term that is less than a full term will be counted in calculating the term limit.
(b) 
Any person who has served three consecutive full terms as a member of the city council shall not be eligible to serve again until the expiration of at least two years measured from the next regular election date to the regular council election date following. The intent of this subsection is to provide at least a two-year break in service on the council.
(c) 
The term limits established by this section shall apply prospectively only to those terms of office which commence on or after November 2, 2004.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
Councilmembers shall attend ethics training as required by Government Code Section 53234 et seq. The city clerk shall assist the councilmembers in attaining compliance with this law in a timely manner.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)
Councilmembers shall comply with the expense reimbursement law set forth in Government Code Section 53232 et seq., as follows:
(a) 
Expense reimbursements shall be in accordance with the city council policy implementing this law.
(b) 
Councilmembers shall provide a brief report on any event attended at the city's expense at the next regular meeting of the city council.
(Ord. 1506 § 2, 2015)