Attachment A - Draft Ordinance - Amending Chapter 2 of Phoenix City Code.pdf

ORDINANCE G-6860 
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND REORGANIZING 
CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE II, SECTION 2-60 OF THE 
PHOENIX CITY CODE RELATING TO THE RULES 
OF COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS. 
_____________________ 
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHOENIX, as 
follows: 
SECTION 1. That Chapter 2, Article II, Section 2-60 of the Phoenix City 
Code related to the Rules of Council Proceedings is amended and reorganized 
to read as follows: 
* * * * 
Rule 2: 
Meetings. 
* * * * 
(C)
The City Manager will include an item on the formal agenda at the written request of
the mayor or at least three Council members.  BEFORE THE MEETING OR BEFORE
ANY VOTE OCCURS RELATED TO THE ITEM, THE ITEM MAY BE WITHDRAWN
FROM THE AGENDA BY WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE CITY MANAGER FROM THE
MAYOR, ONLY IF THE ITEM WAS REQUESTED BY THE MAYOR, OR ONE OF THE
COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO REQUESTED THE ITEM. OTHERWISE, AN ITEM CAN
ONLY BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE AGENDA BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE CITY
COUNCIL.
* * * *
ATTACHMENT A
THIS IS A DRAFT COPY ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFICIAL COPY OF THE FINAL, 
ADOPTED ORDINANCE
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Ordinance G-6860 
Rule 7: 
Rules of governance. 
(a) 
A majority of the members of the Council shall constitute a quorum. The Charter 
requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Council to pass any 
ordinance, franchise, resolution or formal recorded action.   
 
(b)  
The Mayor shall be the presiding officer and have a voice and vote in all Council 
proceedings. During the absence or disability of the Mayor, the Vice Mayor shall act as 
Mayor. In the absence of both the Mayor and Vice Mayor at a council meeting, the Council 
Member who most recently served as Vice Mayor shall serve as the acting Mayor to 
preside over the meeting. During the extended absence or disability of both Mayor and 
Vice Mayor, the Council shall elect a presiding officer for all meetings. 
(c) 
The Council shall select a new Vice Mayor once each calendar  year at the first 
formal meeting in January or at the next regularly scheduled meeting after a Vice Mayor 
vacancy occurs. 
 
(d) 
The Mayor shall assign the seating arrangement for the Formal and Policy 
Meetings. 
 
(E) 
BEFORE ANY VOTE OCCURS RELATED TO AN ITEM ON A FORMAL 
COUNCIL AGENDA, THE ITEM MAY BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE AGENDA BY THE 
CITY MANAGER, OR BY WRITTEN REQUEST AS PROVIDED IN RULE 2(C). 
OTHERWISE, AN ITEM CAN ONLY BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE AGENDA BY A 
MAJORITY VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL. 
 
(F) 
(e) There will be no more than one amendment to a motion permitted. A substitute 
motion is considered an amendment. 
(1) 
A “friendly” amendment that is accepted by the maker and the second 
shall not count as an official amendment. The purpose of a friendly amendment 
is to make minor modifications or clarifications to a motion. 
 
(2) 
When a motion to amend a motion, which includes a substitute 
motion, has been made and seconded, the next vote shall be on that 
motion. 
 
(3) 
If the motion to amend fails, the original motion remains on the floor and 
shall be voted on. 
 
(G) 
DURING A MEETING, ANY COUNCIL MEMBER CAN REQUEST FOR ALL 
COUNCIL MEMBERS TO RECEIVE A TYPED OR WRITTEN COPY OF A MOTION 
MADE BY A COUNCIL MEMBER PRIOR TO THE COUNCIL VOTING ON THE ITEM. AT 
THE DIRECTION OF THE MEETING CHAIR, STAFF WILL RETRIEVE A COPY OF THE 
MOTION FROM THE MOTION MAKER AND PROVIDE IT TO THE REST OF THE 
COUNCIL FOR THEIR REVIEW. DURING THE TIME STAFF IS OBTAINING THE 
MOTION AND DISTRIBUTING IT TO THE COUNCIL, THE MEETING CHAIR CAN 
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Ordinance G-6860 
PAUSE THE MEETING, OR TABLE THE ITEM FOR IT TO BE HEARD AT A LATER 
TIME IN THE SAME AGENDA. 
 
(H) 
(f) Any member, at any time, may request a roll call vote for clarification of 
a voice vote. 
 
(I) 
(g) Council members shall not be excused from voting. A failure to vote or 
a voluntary abstention shall count as an “aye” vote unless excused by an 
announced conflict of interest. 
 
(J) 
(h) Roll will be called in alphabetical order by Council Member last names, 
followed by the Vice Mayor and Mayor. 
 
(K) 
(i) In the case of a tie in the vote on any measure, the measure shall be 
considered defeated. 
 
(L) 
(j) The journal of the proceedings of the Council (meeting minutes) shall 
record individual votes on all ordinances, resolutions, franchises, formal actions, 
and liquor license applications recommended for disapproval. For voice votes of 
ayes and nayes that are not unanimous, the Mayor shall indicate the individual 
votes. The Mayor may require that Council Members’ votes be clarified. 
 
(M) 
(k) During a meeting, the Council may vote to reconsider any item except 
an ordinance that failed to pass. The Charter provides that if an ordinance fails to 
pass, the vote on the motion shall not be taken within 24 hours thereafter. The 
motion to reconsider any measure may be made only by a member on the 
prevailing side and must receive a second, which may be made by any member.
 
 
(N) 
(l) After the meeting, requests for reconsideration may also be filed by a 
member of the prevailing side with the city clerk within seven business days 
following the date of original action, except requests for reconsideration of zoning 
matters shall be filed within seven calendar days after the action. 
 
(1) 
The request for reconsideration should be addressed to the city clerk 
and contain the meeting date, item subject, and number of the item 
requested for reconsideration. 
 
(2) 
If properly and timely filed, the city clerk should place the request 
for reconsideration on the next available formal meeting agenda. Except 
for zoning cases, the item being reconsidered should be placed on the 
agenda to immediately follow the item to request reconsideration. 
Reconsidered items for zoning cases should be placed on the next 
available formal agenda that allows compliance with the applicable 
posting period. 
 
(3) 
A motion to reconsider must receive a second, which may be made 
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Ordinance G-6860 
by any council member. 
 
 
 
* * * * 
 
RULE 15: 
Use of staff (eight-hour rule). 
 
(A) 
No INDIVIDUAL Council member shall request any staff project requiring over 
eight hours of staff work without first seeking approval of the full city council.  THIS 
INCLUDES REQUESTS SUCH AS RESEARCH, ORDINANCE DEVELOPMENT, 
LISTENING SESSIONS, HEARINGS OR COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS. THE 
REQUEST SHALL BE MADE IN WRITING TO THE CITY MANAGER IDENTIFYING 
THE PROJECT BEING REQUESTED. 
 
(B) 
ITEMS PLACED ON A SUBCOMMITTEE AGENDA BY A SUBCOMMITTEE 
CHAIR OR A REGULAR AGENDA BY THE MAYOR DO NOT REQUIRE AN 8-HOUR 
RULE REQUEST FOR BASIC STAFF WORK NECESSARY FOR AN INITIAL 
DISCUSSION OF THE ITEM. HOWEVER, DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW ORDINANCE 
WILL GENERALLY REQUIRE AN 8-HOUR REQUEST APPROVED BY THE FULL 
CITY COUNCIL.  A MAJORITY VOTE OF A SUBCOMMITTEE CAN REQUEST STAFF 
TO CONDUCT UP TO THREE LISTENING SESSIONS OR PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR 
THE SUBCOMMITTEE. 
 
(C) 
THIS RULE DOES NOT APPLY TO DISTRICT COUNCIL OR MAYOR OFFICE 
STAFF CONDUCTING THEIR OWN RESEARCH OR COMMUNITY OR PUBLIC 
OUTREACH MEETINGS. 
 
* * * * 
 
PASSED by the Council of the City of Phoenix this 2nd day of June 2021. 
 
 
 
MAYOR 
 
ATTEST: 
 
____________________________ 
Denise Archibald, City Clerk 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Ordinance G-6860 
APPROVED AS TO FORM: 
Cris Meyer, City Attorney 
 
 
By: _________________________________ 
 
      _________________________________ 
 
 
REVIEWED BY:  
 
 
______________________________ 
Ed Zuercher, City Manager 
 
 
CM/dh:LF21-1351: 06/02/2021: 2255930_1.docx 
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