Title
City Council Meetings - Attendance - For the purpose of allowing a member of the City Council to attend a regularly scheduled Council meeting by electronic means; placing limitations on remote attendance; and generally related to attending Council meetings remotely.
Body
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
City of Annapolis
Ordinance 11-20
Introduced by: Alderwoman Finlayson
Co-sponsored by:
Referred to
Rules and City Government Committee
90 day Rule: 7/27/20
AN ORDINANCE concerning
City Council Meetings - Attendance
FOR the purpose of allowing a member of the City Council to attend a regularly scheduled meeting by electronic means; placing limitations on remote attendance; and generally related to attending Council meetings remotely.
BY repealing and re-enacting with amendments the following portions of the Code of the City of Annapolis, 2020 Edition
2.16.020
SECTION I: BE IT ESTABLISHED AND ORDAINED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the Code of the City of Annapolis shall be amended to read as follows:
Title 2 - ADMINISTRATION
Chapter 2.16 - CITY COUNCIL
Section 2.16.020 - Place of meeting - ATTENDANCE.
A. The place of meeting of the City Council shall be the room known as the council chamber of the municipal building and no meeting shall be held elsewhere except by a majority vote of all members.
B. MEMBERS SHALL ATTEND ALL REGULAR AND SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL IN PERSON.
C. IF A MEMBER IS UNABLE TO PHYSICALLY ATTEND A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING DUE TO SERIOUS EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND DESIRES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING BY ELECTRONIC MEANS FROM A REMOTE LOCATION, INCLUDING VOTING, THE MEMBER MAY DO SO WITH THE APPROVAL OF A MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT PROVIDING:
1. THE MEMBER MAKES A WRITTEN REQUEST FOR REMOTE ATTENDANCE TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THROUGH THE MAYOR, NO LATER THAN FIVE BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING;
2. THE CITY HAS THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY TO PROVIDE SUCH REMOTE ACCESS TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING;
3. THE MEMBER HAS AT HAND ALL THE MATERIALS FOR THE MEETING;
2. THE MEMBER CAN BE CLEARLY HEARD, SEEN AND UNDERSTOOD BY ALL THOSE PRESENT AT THE MEETING; AND
4. THE MEMBER CAN CLEARLY HEAR, SEE AND UNDERSTAND ALL THOSE PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
D. IF REMOTE PARTICIPATION IS DENIED, THE MEMBER WILL BE LISTED AS ABSENT.
E. EACH MEMBER MAY ATTEND A MAXIMUM OF THREE REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS REMOTELY BY ELECTRONIC MEANS DURING ANY CALENDAR YEAR. ATTENDANCE FOR ANY PORTION OF A MEETING SHALL COUNT AGAINST THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED.
SECTION II: AND BE IT FURTHER ESTABLISHED AND ORDAINED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that this ordinance shall take effect from the date of its passage.
Explanation:
UPPERCASE indicates matter added to existing law.
Strikethrough indicates matter stricken from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments.