CHAPTER 5
COUNCIL
SECTION:
1-5-1: Number Of Councilmembers; Duties; Salaries
1-5-3: Conflict Of Interest, Disqualification, Exemptions; Voting Requirements
1-5-4: Exemption From Open Public Meetings Act
1-5-1 NUMBER OF COUNCILMEMBERS; DUTIES; SALARIES:
A. The City of Renton is a noncharter code city under the laws and statutes of the State, and its City Council shall consist of seven (7) members who shall be elected at large.
B. The duties of Councilmembers shall be those prescribed in RCW 35A.12.010 et seq., and as otherwise provided by law.
C. The salaries of the Councilmembers are hereby fixed at nine hundred fifty dollars ($950.00) per month plus two percent (2%) of salary for deferred compensation, plus for those Councilmembers not participating in PERS, an extra one point four percent (1.4%) of salary for deferred compensation. However, the compensation of such elected officials who fix their own compensation shall not be increased during their terms of office, and as limited by the Constitution and statutes of the State of Washington. The salaries of Councilmembers may also be adjusted according to the procedures and rules established by chapter RMC 2-20, Independent Salary Commission. (Ord. 4514, 5-8-95; amd. Ord. 4757, 12-14-98; Ord. 5090, 7-19-04; Ord. 5773, 10-19-15)
1-5-2 EXECUTIVE SESSIONS:
A. The President or majority of members of the City Council may hold executive sessions during a regular or special meeting:
1. To consider matters affecting national security;
2. To consider the selection of a site or the acquisition of real estate by lease or purchase when public knowledge regarding such consideration could cause a likelihood of increased price;
3. To consider the minimum price at which real estate will be offered for sale or lease when public knowledge regarding such consideration would cause a likelihood of decreased price. However, final action selling or leasing public property shall be taken in a meeting open to the public;
4. To review negotiations on the performance of publicly bid contracts when public knowledge regarding such consideration would cause a likelihood of increased costs;
5. To consider, in the case of an export trading company, financial and commercial information supplied by private persons to the export trading company;
6. To receive and evaluate complaints or charges brought against a public officer or employee. However, upon the request of such officer or employee, a public hearing or a meeting open to the public shall be conducted upon such complaint or charge;
7. To evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee. However, subject to RCW 42.30.140(4), discussion by a governing body of salaries, wages and other conditions of employment to be generally applied within the agency shall occur in a meeting open to the public, and when a governing body elects to take final action hiring, setting the salary of an individual employee or class of employees, or discharging or disciplining an employee, that action shall be taken in a meeting open to the public;
8. To evaluate the qualifications of a candidate for appointment to elective office. However, any interview of such candidate and final action appointing a candidate to elective office shall be in a meeting open to the public;
9. To discuss with legal counsel representing the agency matters relating to agency enforcement actions, or to discuss with legal counsel representing the agency litigation or potential litigation to which the agency, the governing body, or a member acting in an official capacity is, or is likely to become, a party, when public knowledge regarding the discussion is likely to result in an adverse legal or financial consequence to the agency.
Executive sessions, to the extent permitted by law, shall be limited to members of the City Council unless the presence of nonmembers is requested by a majority of City Council members.
B. Except as otherwise provided for herein, all regular or special Council meetings shall be open to the public as set forth in RCW 42.30.010 et seq. No official action shall be taken at any executive session, as herein specified; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be deemed to prevent the taking of an informal vote on any matter under discussions.
C. In the event of any executive session as hereinabove specified, no member of the City Council, employee of the City, or any other person present during executive session of the City Council, shall disclose to any person the content or substance of any discussion or action which took place during said executive session, unless a majority of the City Council shall authorize such disclosure.
D. Before convening in executive session, the presiding officer of a governing body shall publicly announce the purpose for excluding the public from the meeting place, and the time when the executive session will be concluded. The executive session may be extended to a stated later time by announcement of the presiding officer. (Ord. 4136, 3-7-88)
1-5-3 CONFLICT OF INTEREST, DISQUALIFICATION, EXEMPTIONS; VOTING REQUIREMENTS:
A. No member of the City Council shall be beneficially interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract which may be made by, through or under the supervision or direction of the City Council, in whole or in substantial part, and as otherwise provided for in Chapter 6 of Title 1 (Administrative) of Ordinance No. 4260 entitled “Code of General Ordinances of the City of Renton” (generally referred to as the City’s “Code of Ethics” ordinance), or as otherwise regulated by any other law, rule or regulation pertaining to Municipal officers.
B. In the event of any private interest by such Councilman, he shall be required to make the disclosures as set forth in Section 1-6-7 of said Code of Ethics Ordinance. Upon disclosure of such private or personal interest the Councilman so disqualified shall promptly leave his seat during the debate or discussion and vote on such matter and leave the Council chambers until the total subject matter in which he has such personal or private interest has been disposed of. A Councilman stating such disqualification shall not be counted as a part of a quorum and shall be considered absent for the purpose of determining the outcome of any vote on such matter. (Ord. 2897, 12-16-74)
1-5-4 EXEMPTION FROM OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT:
The provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act shall not apply to any meeting attended by less than a majority of the members of the City Council in which no final action is taken or commitment made. All preliminary decisions or recommendations made by any such committee consisting of less than a majority of the City Council members shall be submitted in due course to the City Council at a regular or special meeting for final action. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the chairman of any such subcommittee consisting of less than a majority of all the Councilmen elected, shall have discretion to allow members of the public to attend and/or participate in any such committee meeting.
The aforestated exemption from the Open Public Meetings Act shall likewise apply to any advisory committee created by or pursuant to ordinance as long as said committee does not have authority to establish definite policies or rules, but its function is merely advisory. (Ord. 2822, 1-21-74)