HomeMy WebLinkAbout800-07
POLICY & PROCEDURE
Subject:
LEGISLATIVE ORDINANCES AND
RESOLUTIONS
Index: LEGISLATIVE
Number: 800‐07
Effective Date:
12/10/2018
Supersedes:
11/16/2015
Page:
1 of 3
Staff Contact:
CAO
Approved By:
Resolution #4363 on
12/10/2018
1.0 PURPOSE:
To establish guidelines and procedures for the preparation, presentation, and
processing of City ordinances and resolutions.
2.0 ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED:
City Councilmembers and the Administration
3.0 REFERENCES:
RCW 65.16.160
RCW 35A.12.130
RCW 35A.12.150
RCW 35A.12.160
4.0 POLICY:
4.1 All ordinances shall be prepared or reviewed by the City Attorney Department,
except bond ordinances which shall be prepared or reviewed by the City’s bond
counsel.
4.1.1 No ordinance or resolution shall be prepared for presentation to the City
Council unless ordered by majority vote of the Council, requested by the
Mayor, or prepared by the City Attorney on his or her own initiative.
4.1.2 All ordinances and resolutions shall, before presentation to Council, be
approved as to form and legality by the City Attorney Department.
4.2 All ordinances and resolutions shall be examined and approved for
administrative review by the department administrator, or his or her authorized
representative, having jurisdiction over the matter.
LEGISLATIVE ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS
p. 2
4.3 At the time of adoption of an ordinance or resolution, it shall be read by title
only unless the full reading is requested by a majority vote of the Council.
4.4 Before any ordinance shall take effect, its title shall be published in the City’s
official newspaper or otherwise advertised in accordance with the requirements
established by State law unless adopted as an emergency measure, which shall
take effect upon adoption.
4.5 The Mayor shall sign all ordinances, resolutions, contracts and other documents
approved by Council, and all such documents shall be duly attested to by the City
Clerk. In the event of the absence or unavailability of the Mayor, the signature of
the Council President may be used.
4.5.1 The Mayor shall have the power to veto ordinances passed by the City
Council and submitted to him or her for signature as provided in RCW
35A.12.130.
5.0 DEFINITIONS:
N/A
6.0 PROCEDURES:
6.1 Except as provided in this subsection, all ordinances and resolutions presented
for adoption by Council shall be reviewed by the appropriate Council committee
responsible for the subject matter.
6.1.1 When feasible, copies of proposed ordinances and resolutions shall
accompany an agenda bill when the subject matter is placed on the
consent agenda for referral to Council committee.
6.1.2 Resolutions shall be read and adopted at the time the Council committee
report is presented for reading and adoption, or as determined by
Committee.
6.1.3 Ordinances shall be placed on first reading at the time the Committee
report is presented for reading and adoption, or as determined by
Committee. Following first reading, the ordinance will be placed on the
Council agenda for second and final reading the following week, or when
all legal requirements are met. At the direction of the Chair, Committees
may recommend ordinances be prepared and then presented to the full
Council for reading and adoption when completed with the need to be
reviewed by the Committee.
LEGISLATIVE ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS
p. 3
6.1.4 Emergency ordinances may be reviewed and approved by Council
without Committee review.
6.2 No ordinance shall take effect until five (5) days after the date of publication
except when such ordinance may be subject to referendum, at which time the
ordinance shall not take effect until thirty (30) days after publication unless
adopted as an emergency measure, which shall take effect upon adoption.
6.2.1 Before any ordinance shall take effect, the title shall be published at least
once in a newspaper generally circulated within the City of Renton, which
shall be the City’s official newspaper.
6.2.2 Whenever the City is required to publish legal notices containing the full
text of any proposed or adopted ordinance in the City’s official
newspaper, the City may, upon the choice of the City Attorney, publish a
summary of the ordinance. Such summary shall be approved by the City
Council.