Chapter 2.08
CITY COUNCIL Revised 7/18
Sections:
2.08.010 Established – Residency of council members.
2.08.040 Sessions. Revised 7/18
2.08.050 Special meetings. Revised 7/18
2.08.052 Workshops. Revised 7/18
2.08.054 Notice of meetings. Revised 7/18
2.08.060 Compensation. Revised 7/18
2.08.010 Established – Residency of council members.
There shall be a council of six members. Persons who, at the time of their election or choice to fill a vacancy, are qualified to vote in city elections are qualified for the office of council member. If any council member ceases to be a resident of the city, he or she shall thereupon cease to hold the office. (Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 76-7 §3: prior code §2.04.010)
2.08.020 Term.
The term of office of members of the city council shall be three years, and shall expire as follows:
A. The terms of council members filling seats A and B shall expire in 1977 and thereafter every three years.
B. The terms of council members filling seats C and D shall expire in 1979 and thereafter every three years.
C. The terms of council members filling seats E and F shall expire in 1978 and thereafter every three years.
D. A person who has served as a member of the city council for two consecutive terms may not be reelected to that office until one full year has intervened. (Ord. 2002-02 §3; Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 76-7 §4: prior code §2.04.020)
2.08.030 Powers.
The council shall have and may exercise all legislative powers provided by law. (Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 84-17 §3, 1984; prior code §2.04.030)
2.08.040 Sessions. Revised 7/18
Regular meetings of the council shall be held monthly on the fourth Thursday of each month, except November and December when the council shall meet on a day chosen by the council that meets the needs of the city. The council shall provide as much advance public notice of the November and December meeting dates as is practicable under the circumstances and shall comply with the public notice requirements for city council meetings and public hearings on ordinances provided in Sections 2.08.054 and 2.12.090(A)(3). (Ord. 16-2017 §2: Ord. 2004-07 §3: Ord. 91-02 §3, 1991: Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 87-17 §3(part): Ord. 84-14 §3, 1984; Ord. 83-8 §3(4); Ord. 2.04.050B, 1974: Ord. 2.04.050A, 1974: prior code §2.04.050)
2.08.050 Special meetings. Revised 7/18
The mayor or any three councilmembers may call special meetings of the council. The city clerk shall publish notice of a special meeting in accordance with Section 2.08.054, and if a hearing will be held on an ordinance (other than an emergency ordinance) at the special meeting, also in accordance with Section 2.12.090(A)(3). Additionally, the city clerk shall give the notice of such meeting to each councilmember or cause it to be left at a conspicuous place at his or her place of residence at least twenty-four hours before the time of holding such special meeting. (Ord. 15-2017 §4: Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 83-8 §3(3); prior code §2.04.060)
2.08.052 Workshops. Revised 7/18
The council may schedule and hold workshops at which city business is discussed. The city clerk shall publish notice of a workshop and councilmembers shall be provided notice of a workshop in accordance with Section 2.08.050. Except for discussion held in executive session pursuant to Section 2.12.030, all workshops shall be open to the public. (Ord. 15-2017 §5: Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 87-17 §3(part))
2.08.053 Excused absences.
A council member will be granted an excused absence from a city council meeting if the absence is due to the conduct of city business authorized by the mayor or the council. An excused absence may be presented to the city clerk and approved by motion by the city council if the council member is ill, in an accident, is out of town on business for his or her employment, subsistence hunting, or for an unforeseen emergency. (Ord. 2002-06 §3)
2.08.054 Notice of meetings. Revised 7/18
Reasonable notice shall be given to the public of all regular and special council meetings and workshops. Public notice of a meeting or workshop is reasonable if a statement containing the date, time, and place of the meeting is published in at least three public places and at city hall not less than five days before the date of the meeting. (Ord. 15-2017 §6: Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 87-17 §3(part))
2.08.055 Mayor pro tempore.
A. The mayor shall appoint a mayor pro tempore when a temporary absence or disability or illness will exceed seven days but not exceed ninety days.
B. The mayor shall, at the first regular meeting following an election as soon as new members take office, select from the members of the council a mayor pro tempore to preside at council meetings in the absence of the mayor.
C. The mayor pro tempore shall serve for a term of one year or until the mayor selects a successor.
D. If neither the mayor nor the mayor pro tempore is in attendance at the council meeting, the council members shall, by majority vote, appoint a member to chair the meeting. (Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 88-2 §3(part): Ord. 87-6 §3(part))
2.08.060 Compensation. Revised 7/18
A. The council members in attendance shall be compensated at the rate of three hundred dollars for each regular meeting and two hundred fifty dollars for each special council meeting, and at the rate of two hundred dollars for each workshop, except where there is no quorum to open the meeting.
B. A council member who has been directed by the city council to attend a meeting outside the Utqiaġvik area to attend to city business shall be compensated at the rate of one hundred fifty dollars for each day of which all or part is spent in attendance at such meeting. No compensation shall be paid for any day during which the member is en route to or from such meeting, or at the place where the meeting is held, unless the member actually attends the meeting on such day. For purposes of this subsection, a meeting is outside the Utqiaġvik area if travel between Utqiaġvik and the meeting location reasonably requires air transportation.
C. A council member who has been directed by the city council to attend a meeting in Utqiaġvik to attend to city business, and this meeting is other than a city council meeting or city council workshop, shall be compensated at the rate of two hundred dollars for each meeting, except where there is no quorum to open the meeting. (Ord. 02-2017 §2(part); Ord. 02-2012 §4: Ord. 94-05 §4: Ord. 91-22 §4; Ord. 91-08 §3: Ord. 89-7 §3: Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 87-17 §3(part): Ord. 82-3 §3: Ord. 80-5 §2: prior code §2.04.070)
2.08.070 Vacancies.
An elected municipal office shall become vacant upon the occurrence of any one of the following:
A. The expiration of the term of office and the certification and seating of a duly qualified successor;
B. The death of an incumbent;
C. A resignation, when approved by the council;
D. Ceasing to possess at any time the qualifications or eligibility required by this code for election or appointment to office;
E. Final conviction for a felony involving moral turpitude or an offense involving violation of an oath of office or a violation of any provision of Chapter 9.16 or 9.20;
F. A judicial determination that the incumbent is of unsound mind;
G. A decision of a competent tribunal declaring the election or appointment of an incumbent void;
H. Failure of any council member to attend any three consecutive regular meetings of the council without being excused from such meetings;
I. The involuntary absence of any city officer for the term of ninety days. (Ord. 2002-06 §2: Ord. 89-10 §5: Ord. 89-9 §4: Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 83-8 §3(5); prior code §2.04.080)
2.08.080 Filling vacancies.
If a vacancy occurs in a city council seat, the council shall declare the seat vacant and fill the seat by appointment. The appointment shall last until the next general election at which a successor will be elected to fill the remaining term for that council seat. An appointment under this section requires a majority vote of the remaining members. (Ord. 88-7 §3(part): Ord. 83-8 §3(6); prior code §2.04.100)