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2025-09-23 Resolution 12347City of Richfield September 23, 2025 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota RESOLUTION NO. 12347 Motion by: Coleman-Woods Seconded by: Burk RESOLUTION ADOPTING RULES OF PROCEDURE AND DECORUM FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEREAS, it is appropriate for the City Council to establish rules of procedure and decorum for Council meetings and Board and Commission meetings; and WHEREAS, the Richfield City Code, Section 205.13, subd. 2(c) provides that the City Council may adopt such special rules by ordinance or resolution from time to time as necessary; and WHEREAS, the City Council last updated its rules of procedure and decorum in 2017 and has determined that it is appropriate to amend these rules of procedure and decorum so that they are consistent with applicable laws and practices of the City Council. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and City Council of the City of Richfield, as follows: 1.The attached rules of procedure and decorum are hereby amended and established. 2.These rules shall remain in effect until modified by resolution of the City Council. This resolution supersedes Resolution No. 11335. 3.These rules shall be interpreted, wherever possible, so as to be consistent with the rules set forth in the City Code. In the case of any irreconcilable conflict between these rules and the rules in the City Code, the rules in the City Code shall prevail. Adopted by the City Council of the City of Richfield, Minnesota this 23rd day of September, 2025. VOTING AYE VOTING NAY Supple, Mary Supple, Mary Burk, Walter Burk, Walter Christensen, Sharon Christensen, Sharon Coleman-Woods, Rori Coleman-Woods, Rori Hayford Oleary, Sean Hayford Oleary, Sean Mary B. Supple, Mayor ATTEST: Michelle Friedrich, City Clerk RICHFIELD CITY COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE AND DECORUM SECTION 1. PURPOSE Subd. 1. General. To enhance the concept of effective and democratic government, it is essential that a legislative body establish formal rules of procedure and decorum so that a true deliberative process will be observed and not disturbed. SECTION 2. GENERAL Subd. 1. Law. The City Charter, Ordinances, and State Statutes governing the City Council will be followed and supplemented by these Rules of Procedure and Decorum of the City Council. These Rules of Procedure and Decorum are adopted pursuant to the authority in Section 3.03 of City Charter. Subd. 2. General Rules. In all matters of parliamentary procedures, the Council will be governed by the latest printed edition of the STURGIS STANDARD CODE OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE as published from time to time except as modified by these rules and the rules set forth in Section 205 of the City Code. SECTION 3. COUNCIL MEETINGS Subd. 1. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Council will be held, without necessity for notice, every second and fourth Tuesday commencing at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 6700 Portland Avenue, Richfield, Minnesota. Subd. 2. Other Locations. The Council may, from time to time, elect to meet at other locations and upon such election will give public notice of the change of location in accordance with State law and the City Charter. Subd. 3. Location During Local Emergency. If, by reason of emergency, it will be unsafe to meet in the regular meeting location, the meetings may be held for the duration of the emergency at another location, or virtually, as designated by the Mayor after consultation with the City Manager. Subd. 4. Special Meetings. The Mayor or any two members of the Council may call a special meeting of the Council upon at least 12 hours notice to each member of the Council. The notice may be by personal delivery, telephone, or other electronic means. Special meeting notices are not required to be published but will be posted at City Hall and on the City’s website. SECTION 4. PRESIDING OFFICER Subd. 1. Who Presides. The mayor presides at all meetings of the Council. In the absence of the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem presides. The presiding officer has the power to preserve strict order and decorum at meetings, enforce the rules of procedure, and determine without debate, subject to the final decision of the Council on appeal, all questions of procedure and order. Subd. 2. Appeal of the Ruling of the Presiding Officer. Any member of the Council may appeal from a ruling of the presiding officer. If the appeal is seconded, the member may speak once Subd. 3. solely on the question involved and the presiding officer may explain the ruling, but no other Council Member may participate in the discussion. The appeal will be sustained if it is approved by a majority vote. Rights of the Presiding Officer. The presiding officer may speak on any question and make motions and second motions. SECTION 5. AGENDA Subd. 1. Subd. 2. Subd. 3. Matters for Consideration. Matters for Council action may be submitted by members of the Council and residents to the City Manager. Preparation. The City Manager's Office will prepare the agenda of business for each regular Council meeting. The agenda will be completed by 4:30 p.m. on the Friday preceding a meeting. Full agenda packets will be provided to each Council Member as far in advance of the meeting as possible. Order of Business at Regular Meetings. At the hour appointed for the regular meeting of the City Council, the meeting will be called to order by the presiding officer. If a quorum is present, the City Council will then proceed with its business in the following manner: (a) Call to Order (b) Pledge of Allegiance (c) Approval of Agenda (d) Approval of Minutes (e) Open Forum (f) Presentations and Proclamations (g) Consent Calendar. Include Disbursements/Claims under this item. (h) Consideration of Items, if any Removed from Consent Calendar (i) Public Hearings (j) Proposed Ordinances (k) Resolutions (l) Other Business (m) City Manager’s Report (n) Council Discussion. Include Hats Off to Hometown Hits and Liaison Reports under this item. (o) Closed Session (p) Adjournment Subd. 4. Varying Order of Business. The presiding officer may vary the order of business. Subd. 5. Minutes. (a) Approval of Minutes. The clerk will provide a copy of the minutes of each meeting to each Council Member with the agenda of the next regular meeting. If such copies have been distributed to Council Members in advance of the next regular meeting of the Council, the minutes may be approved without verbatim reading. Amendments or corrections proposed by any member of the Council will be made by the clerk, but no amendment to which objection is raised by any member will be made without the approval of a majority of the Council. (b) General Contents of Minutes. The clerk will record all material matters considered by the Council in the minutes. Minutes will be summary minutes. Ordinances, Subd. 6. Subd. 7. Subd. 8. Subd. 9. resolutions, communications and claims considered by the Council need not be recorded in full in the minutes if they appear in other permanent records of the clerk and can be accurately identified from the description given in the minutes. The Council may, in its discretion, direct that any one of the above be fully set out in the minutes. Consent Agenda. The City Manager may place certain items of business on a consent calendar. A member of the Council wishing to remove any item from the consent calendar may do so at the time that the consent calendar is reached on the general Council agenda. Any item removed from the consent calendar will become one of the regular agenda items of the meeting. All items not so removed from the consent calendar may be passed by a single, non- debatable motion. Matters proposed by the City Manager for the consent agenda are those that the City Manager deems to be of a routine, non- controversial nature. Items Not on the Agenda. The Council may add items to the agenda with a majority vote of the Council. The Council may not amend the agenda to include any item that requires public notice or a hearing. Presentation of Agenda Item. A Council Member will introduce each agenda item followed by the presiding officer’s opening of the item for Council discussion. Oral summaries of staff reports on agenda items will not be given by staff, but the City Manager and appropriate staff will stand for questions and clarification on items. Public Participation. Members of the public may address the City Council as follows: (a) During Public Hearings. Members of the public may address the Council during Public Hearings. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes. Individuals will not be permitted to give their time to others. The City Council may, my majority vote, extend the time limit. (b) During Open Forum. Members of the public may address the Council during Open Forum. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes. Individuals will not be permitted to give their time to others. The City Council may, by majority vote, extend the time limit. The Open Forum total time will not exceed 30 minutes from the initial start of Open Forum. Speakers will be restricted to 3 minutes each. The City Council may, by majority vote, extend the time limit. All persons wishing to speak during the Open Forum may register with the City Manager’s office no later than 4:00 p.m. on the day of the regularly scheduled Council meeting or by completing an Open Forum registration card and returning it to a staff member. Registration will include name of person speaking, city of residence of the person speaking, and the topic. Staff will provide a list of the Open Forum speakers to the presiding office at the start of each Open Forum. The Council will listen during Open Forum and will not give an immediate response to the individuals’ comments. Council may direct staff to provide a future report on the topic or add to an upcoming meeting agenda. The Open Forum will be recorded and livestreamed via cable access and YouTube. SECTION 6. Subd. 1. Subd. 2. Subd. 3. (c) During regular agenda items, other then public hearings, if no Council Member raises an objection. If a Council Member raises an objection, a majority vote of the Council Members present may approve accepting public comment on the agenda item. (d) Via email subject to the following: Public comment received via email will be distributed to the Council if received before 2:00 pm on the day of the Council meeting. Public comment received after 2:00 pm on the day of the meeting will be distributed to the Council at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Emailed public comments will not be read out loud during the Open Forum or Public Hearing, but will become part of the public record, and will be archived with the appropriate meeting minutes. VOTING Procedure. The votes of the members on any ordinance, resolution or motion pending before the Council will be by voice vote, unless the Mayor or any Council Member requests that a roll call vote be taken. The presiding officer will call for a roll call vote whenever a voice vote of the Council is not clear as to the disposition of the action before the Council. Discussion Before the Vote. Council Members are encouraged to publicly express their reasons for the vote that they will cast on any issue before the Council that requires a vote. Excused From Voting. A Council Member may be excused from voting on a matter properly before the Council only with the unanimous consent of the other members present, unless the member is required by law to abstain from voting. The Council Member must announce the member’s intention to abstain prior to the vote being taken and may not participate in the discussion of item requiring Council vote. The clerk will record the abstention as “Abstain—name.” SECTION 7. RULES OF DECORUM Subd. 1. Subd. 2. Subd. 3. Subd. 4. Subd. 5. Council. While the Council is in session, the members must preserve order and decorum. Council Members may not, by conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the Council, disturb any member while speaking, or refuse to obey the orders of the presiding officer. Recognition. Members of the Council must first be recognized by the presiding officer prior to addressing any other Council Member, staff or member of the public. First names will not be used to address Council Members, staff or members of the public at regular Council meetings. First names are encouraged at Work Sessions (see below). Discussion. The Mayor, or any Council Member may bring a motion to limit discussion on any question. Staff. Members of the City staff must observe the same rules of order and decorum as are applicable to the City Council. Pertinent to Matter Under Debate. Members of the Council, staff and public must confine remarks to the matter under debate. Subd. 6. Subd. 7. Subd. 8. Subd. 9. SECTION 8. Subd. 1. Subd. 2. Addressing the Council. Each member of the public addressing the Council must step up to the microphone provided for the use of the public and after being recognized by the presiding officer state name and city of residence in an audible tone of voice for the records, state the subject to be discussed, and who the speaker is representing if representing an organization or other persons. All remarks must be addressed to the Council as a whole and not to any member thereof. No person other than members of the Council and the person having the floor will be permitted to enter into any discussion, either directly or through a member of the Council, without permission of the presiding officer. No question may be asked of a Council Member or a member of the staff without the permission of the presiding officer. The presiding officer may impose a 3-minute time limit on remarks by speakers, whenever in the presiding officer’s judgment, a time limit is necessary to expedite the progress of the meeting or ensure the opportunity for other speakers to be heard. The City Council may, by majority vote, extend the time limit imposed by the presiding officer. Spokesman for Group of Persons. In order to expedite matters and to avoid repetitious presentations, whenever any group of persons wishes to address the Council on the same subject matter, the presiding officer may request that a spokesperson be chosen by the group to address the Council and, in case additional matters are to be presented by any other member of said group, to limit the number of such persons addressing the Council. After Motion. After a motion has been made or a public hearing has been closed, no member of the public may address the Council from the audience on the matter under consideration unless a majority vote of the City Council allows it. Conduct. If the conduct at any meeting becomes violent, threatening or abusive, or disturbs the orderly progression of the meeting, the presiding officer will attempt to call the meeting to order to stop the disruptive conduct. If the conduct continues, the presiding officer may recess the meeting to consult with law enforcement and the city attorney about options to address the conduct. ENFORCEMENTS OF DECORUM Warning. The presiding officer will issue a verbal warning to persons who, disturb a meeting. If, after receiving a warning from the presiding officer, the person persists in such conduct, the presiding officer may direct the person to leave the meeting. Such person will be readmitted at a future Council meeting as long as there are not further disturbances or disruptions by the person at a future public meeting. Sergeant-at-Arms. The Public Safety Director, or such member or members of the Police Department, will be the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Council meetings. The Sergeant-at- Arms carries out all orders and instructions given by the presiding officer or by a majority of the Council present for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the Council meeting. Upon instruction of the presiding officer, or a majority of the Council, it is the duty of the Sergeant-at-Arms, or any members of the Police Department present, to place any person who violates the order and decorum of the meeting under arrest or restrained, and cause the individual to be prosecuted or civilly restrained, as appropriate. Subd. 3. Subd. 4. Motions to Enforce. Any Council Member may move to require the presiding officer to enforce these rules and the affirmative vote of a majority of the Council shall require the presiding officer to do so. Adjournment. By a majority vote of Council Members present, the Council may vote to recess or adjourn the meeting to preserve order and decorum or for public safety. SECTION 9. WORK SESSION MEETINGS Subd. 1. General. Work Session meetings of the City Council will be held as special meetings of the Council. No official Council action will be taken at Work Session meetings. Subd. 2. Rules of Procedure and Decorum. The Rules of Procedure and Decorum of the City Council shall be observed in Work Sessions so far as they are applicable. Subd. 3. Audio Recording of Work Sessions. All Council Work Sessions shall be recorded and maintained in the same manner used for recording and maintaining audio recordings for regular meetings of the Council. SECTION 10. CAMERA AND RECORDING DEVICES Subd. 1. Use of Cameras and Recording Devices Limited. Cameras, including television and motion picture cameras, electronic sound recording devices and any other mechanical, electrical or electronic recording devices may be used in the Council Chamber, but only in such a manner as will cause a minimum of interference with or disturbance of the proceeding of the Council. SECTION 11. SEPARABILITY Subd. 1. General. If any section, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of these Rules of Procedure and Decorum is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such portion will be deemed a separate, distinct and independent provision and such holding will not affect the validity of the remaining portions thereof. SECTION 12. ITEMS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL Subd. 1. General. All written materials, documents and other materials presented to the City Council at a Regular, Special or Work Session meeting including but not limited to maps, models, pictures and drawings will become the property of the City. SECTION 13. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS Subd.1. Subd. 2. Introduction and Adoption. All legislation of the City must be by ordinance. Ordinances, resolutions and other matters requiring Council action will be introduced by a member of the Council. The City Manager or Department Director may present ordinances, resolutions, and other matters for consideration. Readings. Every ordinance receives two readings before the Council prior to final adoption. An ordinance need not be read in full unless a member of the Council requests such a reading. Subd. 3. Subd. 4. Subd. 5. Subd. 6. Emergency Ordinances. An emergency ordinance is an ordinance necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and morals, safety, or welfare in which the emergency is defined and declared in the preamble. Amendments. Amendments may be made to a proposed ordinance after either its first or second reading. City Charter Provisions. The procedure for the adoption of ordinances and resolutions must conform to the requirements of the Charter. Public Hearing Requirements. Public hearings will be held only for those matters required by State law or City Charter. SECTION 14. ATTENDANCE AT COUNCIL MEETINGS Subd. 1. Attendance at Council Meetings. Attendance of Council Members at meetings is one of the most important duties imposed by law on members. Member presence to participate in the hearings, deliberations and decisions of the Council is essential to the proper discharge of the member's official duties. The Council recognizes that occasional absences are necessary and excusable due to business demands, state of health, personal problems, vacations and other matters. Council Members should give as much advance notice as possible to the City Manager when they need to be absent. SECTION 15. RULES OF ORDER Subd. 1. Suspension of Rules. The operation and effect of a rule set forth in this document may be suspended upon the unanimous vote of the Council. (Rev. 07/23/01) (Rev. 12/10/01) (Rev. 05/08/07) (Rev. 05/27/08) (Rev. 02/28/17) (Rev. 09/23/25)