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CITY COUNCIl REPORT Item 20 i I Meeting Date: January 13, 2026 General Plan Element: Community Involvement General Plan Goal: Distribute city information in ways relevant to the community ACTION■ City of Scottsdale Rules of Council Procedure. Adopt Resolution No. 13584 amending the City of Scottsdale Rules of Council Procedure. BACKGROUND On May 24, 2011, the City Council held a Process Study Session to draft Rules of Council Procedure, which would set forth a written process for conducting the official business of the City Council. On September 20, 2011, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 3967 to provide for the manner in which the Council shall adopt and amend the Rules of Council Procedure. At this same September 2011 meeting, the City Council first adopted the Rules of Council Procedure by way of Resolution No. 8827. Those Rules were subsequently revised in 2013, 2015, and 2017. The Council did not make any additional changes during a 2019 review. At the July 7, 2022, Work Study Session, the Council discussed and provided direction to staff related to updating and amending the Rules of Council Procedure. The changes were approved by resolution at the September 13, 2022, Council Meeting. Further changes were made to the Council Rules in 2024 and twice in 2025. The Council Rules of Procedure are periodically reviewed to: - Reflect updates to the Scottsdale City Charter and Arizona law. - Clarify roles and responsibilities before, during, and after meetings. - Improve transparency, civility, decorum and public participation. - Streamline Council operations and agenda management The proposed updates discussed in this City Council Report are based on feedback from Councilmembers and City staff and are intended to make our meetings more efficient, civil, and legally sound. Action Taken.Resolution No. 13584 approved by a vote of 4 to 3 City Council Report | City of Scottsdale Rules of Council Procedure ANALYSIS & ASSESSMENT There are two changes being recommended by staff. The first change would add a new Rule (5.11) to Section 5 - Meetings. This new proposed rule would direct the City Clerk to administratively cancel a Council meeting, with the concurrence of the City Manager, if the Clerk is notified at least 2 business days in advance that four or more members of the Council cannot attend the meeting. This practice is done already by our boards and commissions and helps avoid issues related to the public showing up to meetings that cannot be held due to lack of a quorum and saves on resources related to building management, security, audio/visual needs, and other staffing. The second change would add a new item to Rule 6.1 under Section 6 - Agendas. This proposed change would allow each Councilmember to make a Councilmember report at the end of the meeting about items of interest. This would be for information only with no discussion by the City Council. This practice is done by other Arizona cities and towns. RESOURCE IMPACTS Future Budget Implications Not applicable. Cost Recovery Options None. OPTIONS & STAFF RECOMMENDATION Recommended Approach. Adopt Resolution No. 13584 amending the City of Scottsdale Rules of Council Procedure. Proposed Next Steps If approved by the City Council, an updated version of the Rules of Council Procedure will be finalized to reflect all approved amendments distributed to City leadership and will be posted to the City's website. RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENT(S) Office of the City Attorney Office of the City Clerk Page 2 of 3 City Council Report | City of Scottsdale Rules of Council Procedure STAFF CONTACT Luis Santaella, Interim City Attorney, lsantaella@scottsdaleaz.gov Ben Lane, City Clerk, blane@scottsdaleaz.gov APPROVED BY 5^Santaella, Interim City Att Luis Santaefla, Interim City Attorney (480) 312-7771, lsantaella@scottsdaleaz.gov Ben Lane, City Clerk (480) 312-2411, blane@scottsdaleaz.gov XI/z^a/z0zS Date la / /acQ5 Date ATTACHMENT 1. Resolution No. 13584 Page 3 of 3 RESOLUTION NO. 13584 A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SCOTTSDALE. MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA, AMENDING ITS RULES OF COUNCIL PROCEDURE WHEREAS, the Council finds it is in the best interest of the City to amend its Rules of Council Procedure; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Scottsdale, Maricopa County, Arizona, as follows; Section 1. The City Council hereby amends its Rules of Council Procedure as set forth in the attached Exhibit A, with additions shown in bold underline and deletions shown in strikethrough. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Council of the City of Scottsdale, Maricopa County, Arizona this 13th day of January 2026. ATTEST; Ben Lane, City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: CITY OF SCOTTSDALE, an Arizona municipal corporation Lisa Borowsky, Mayor uis E. Santaella, Interim City Attorney Page 1 of 1 ATTACHMENT 1 City of Scottsdale 202S6 RULES OF COUNCIL PROCEDURE SC xr= @) Adopted September 20, 2011 by Resolution No. 8827 Amended July 1, 2013 by Resolution No. 9433 Amended April 14, 2015 by Resolution No. 10089 Amended April 25, 2017 by Resolution No. 10764 Amended September 13,2022 by Resolution No. 12608 Amended April 16, 2024 by Motion Amended January 14, 2025 by Resolution No. 13336 Amended December 2, 2025 by Resolution No. 13568 Amended January 13. 2026 by Resolution No. 13584 Council Rules of Procedure 18685349 EXHIBIT A INTRODUCTION Detailed information about Scottsdale City Council Meetings is available in the City Clerk’s Office and online at ScottsdaleAZ.gov. Materials include agendas, minutes, and other related documents; agenda calendar; and compliance requirements for the Open Meeting Law. For further information on any of these subjects, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 480-312-2411. TABLE OF CONTENTS No. Council Rules of Procedure 3 7 12 15 1 Applicability 2 Presiding Officer Parliamentarian 4 Enforcement, Suspension of Rules 5 Meetings 6 Agenda Public Comment 8 Citizen Petitions 9 Applicant Requests 10 Debate and Decorum During Council Meetings 11 Voting and Motions Conflict of Interest 13 Use of City Staff 14 Vice Mayor Selection Council Committees 16 Boards and Commissions 17 Invitation to Events and Speaking Order 18 Unavailability of Mayor and Councilmember Definitions 1 1 2 2 2 4 6 7 7 8 10 13 13 13 13 14 16 17 18 Council Rules of Procedure Table of Contents SCOTTSDALE CITY CODE CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE II 20256 RULES OF COUNCIL PROCEDURE Adopted September 20,2011 by Resolution No. 8827 Amended July 1, 2013 by Resolution No. 9433 Amended April 14,2015 by Resolution No. 10089 Amended April 25, 2017 by Resolution No. 10764 Amended September 13, 2022 by Resolution No. 12608 Amended April 16, 2024 by Motion Amended January 14, 2025 by Resolution No. 13336 Amended Deeember 2,2025 by Resolution No. 13568 Amended January 13, 2026 by Resolution No. 13584 These Rules of Council Procedure were established in accordance with the provisions of Article 2, Section 14, of the Scottsdale City Charter, and incorporated into Chapter 2, Article II, City Council, of the Scottsdale Revised Code, as follows: 1. APPLICABILITY 1.1 The Presiding Officer shall decide all questions of order and conduct the proceedings of all Meetings of the Council in accordance with these rules, unless otherwise provided by the Scottsdale City Charter, Scottsdale City Code, or the laws of the State of Arizona. The Presiding Officer shall use Roberts’ Rules of Order as a parliamentary guideline in deciding questions of order on matters not covered by these Rules, the Scottsdale City Charter, Scottsdale City Code, or the laws of the State of Arizona. 1.2 Unless otherwise provided by law, these rules shall be adopted and amended by resolution passed by a majority vote of the Council. 2. PRESIDING OFFICER 2.1 The Mayor shall be the Presiding Officer of all Meetings of the Council and shall have a voice and vote in all Council proceedings. 2.2 In the absence of the Mayor, the Vice Mayor shall serve as the Presiding Officer. 2.3 In the absence of both the Mayor and the Vice Mayor, the duties of the Mayor, as set forth in these rules, shall be performed by the immediate past Vice Mayor and then the member of the Council with the most seniority, which shall be determined by successive time of service on the Council. In the event that two or more members of the Council have the same length of service, seniority shall be determined by the alphabetical order of their respective surnames. Council Rules of Procedure Page 1 of 18 3. PARLIAMENTARIAN 3.1 The City Attorney, or his or her designee, shall serye as the Parliamentarian for all Meetings of the Council. 4. ENFORCEMENT, SUSPENSION OF RULES 4.1 Except as otherwise provided by law, these rules may be suspended at any time by a majority vote of the Couneil, unless the rule to be suspended requires a larger majority vote of the Couneil. 4.2 These rules shall be enforced by the Presiding Officer, subject to an appeal to the Council by any of its members. 4.3 Any Cduncilmember or the Presiding Officer may consult with the Parliamentarian. The Presiding Officer shall determine all Points of Order and Points of Privilege, subject to the right of any member to appeal to the Counci l. Following a second, a majority vote shall govern and conclusively determine any appeal to the Council on a Point of Order or a Point of Privilege. 4.4 Any Councilmember may appeal a ruling of the Presiding Officer to the Council. Ifthe appeal is seconded, the member making the appeaj may briefly state his or her reason for the same, and the Presiding Officer may explain his or her ruling. There shall be no debate on the appeal, and no other member shall participate in the discussion. The Presiding Officer shall then put the question, “Shall the decision of the Presiding Officer be sustained?” If a majority of the members present vote “aye,” the ruling of the Presiding Officer is sustained; otherwise, it is overruled. 5. MEETINGS 5.1 Except under circumstances authorized by statute, all Meetings of the Council, and its committees, shall be open to the public and conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Arizona Open Meetings Law, A.R.S. § 38-431 et seq. 5.2 Prior to the beginning of each calendar year, the City Clerk shall issue the Annual Council Meeting Calendar of all regularly-scheduled Couricil Meetings and Work Study Sessions for the upcoming year. Any Meetings that are not indicated on the Annual Council Meeting Calendar shall be designated as Special Meetings. In addition, any Meeting called for the purpose of determining whether the Council shall meet in Executive Session shall be designated as a Special Meeting. 5.3 The Couneil holds regularly-scheduled Meetings twice a month at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, as feasible, in accordance with the Annual Council Meeting Calendar issued by the City Clerk. As provided in Rule 5.4, Meetings may be canceled, or rescheduled. Council Rules of Procedure Page 2 of 18 but no less than two Council Meetings shall be held in each month. If a Meeting is rescheduled for a different date or time, a notice shall be posted as required by law. 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 As noted in Rule 5.7 and except as provided in the City Charter for Special Meetings, Meeting times, dates, and locations may be changed, or Meetings may be called or canceled, by a majority of the Council. All Meetings will conclude no later than 10:00 p.m., unless a majority of the Council votes to consider some or all of the remaining items. Work Study Sessions shall be used to provide the Council with information and to allow the Council an opportunity to discuss City issues in detail and in a less formal manner. Other than to provide direction to staff, which may be done informally or by motion and a vote of the Council, no action shall be taken by the Council at a Work Study Session. Fifteen minutes, for a maximum of five speakers, may be set aside at the beginning of the Study Session for public comment, but such comment shall be limited to the items on the Work Study Session agenda. Executive Sessions, Work Study Sessions, or any other non-regularly scheduled Meetings of the Council, including Meeting times and locations, will be set at the direction of four members of the Council, and a notice shall be posted as required by law. Pursuant to Article 2, Section 12 of the City Charter, Special Meetings may be called by the Mayor or four (4) members of the council, with reasonable notice given to all members of the council. Emergency Meetings shall take place as provided by Arizona Revised Statute § 38-431.02(D) (Arizona Open Meeting Law). All public Meetings may be recorded or photographed by means of audio, video, or photographic equipment, provided, however, that there is no interference with the orderly conduct of the Meeting and the equipment is placed in non-hazardous locations as designated by City staff With the exception of the Mayor, Councilmembers may select their seats in order based first on seniority, and then based on the number of votes received in the most recent City election. Councilmembers who are elected outright at the most recent Primary Election shall be given priority over Councilmembers who are elected at the General Election. The Mayor shall occupy the center seat. 5.11 If the City Clerk has notice at least two (2) business days in advance of a Council Meeting that a quorum of the Council cannot attend a Council Meeting, the City Clerk, with the concurrence of the City Manager, shall inform the full City Council that the Meeting is being cancelled and will post a meeting cancellation notice. Councilmembers who cannot attend shall notify the Clerk by email. Council Rules of Procedure Page 3 of 18 6. AGENDA 6.1 Regularly-scheduled Council Meeting agenda items are listed in the following order; 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Invocation by Individual CounciImembers or their designee. 5. Mayor’s Report (information only with no discussion). 6. City Manager’s Report 7. Presentations/Information Updates 8. Approval of Minutes 9. Added Items 10. Consent Agenda items 11. Regular Agenda items 12. Public Comment (Open call to the public for items not listed on the Agenda) 13. Citizen Petitions 14. Mayor and Council items 15. Work Study Session items 16. Councilmcmbers’ Reports (information only with no discussion). 167. Adjournment 6.2 The Presiding Officer shall upon the majority vote of the Council, change the order of the agenda. 6.3 Presentations and informational updates are limited to no more than ten minutes for the presentation and questions from Council. No public comment or Council action may be taken on informational or presentation items. 6.4 With the exception of Applicant Requests, which are covered in Section 9, the order for hearing, deliberating, and voting on non-Consent agenda items shall be as follows: 1. Staff presentation 2. Council questions 3. Public comment (up to three minutes for individual speakers or up to ten minutes at the discretion of the Presiding Officer for a representative of other persons present at the Meeting who have contributed their time to the representative) 4. Staffs response, if needed 5. Council motion(s) and deliberation 6. Council vote on the motion(s) 6.5 The Council may take one vote to act on all of the items on the Consent Agenda or may remove one or more items for further discussion and action. Items not removed from the Consent Agenda may be considered in one motion. Items removed from the Consent Agenda for clarification or discussion by the Council will be acted on as the initial items on the Regular Agenda. An item may be removed from the Consent Agenda at the Council Rules of Procedure Page 4 of 18 request of one or more members of Council. It does not require a vote to remove items from the Consent Agenda in this manner. 6.6 The Council shall take action on each item on the Regular Agenda. The Council typically receives a presentation on Regular Agenda items and considers Regular Agenda items separately. 6.7 The City Clerk shall prescribe the standards, format, and schedule for submitting items for inclusion on the Council agenda. All reports, communications, ordinances, resolutions, contracts, documents, and related materials for inclusion on the agenda shall be delivered to the City Clerk according to the schedule set by the Clerk. The City Clerk shall deliver copies of agendas and related materials to each Councilmember, the Mayor, the City Attorney, and the City Manager in compliance with the City’s Charter, ordinances, and resolutions. 6.8 To be considered by the Council, ordinances, resolutions, contracts, documents, and other matters or subjects requiring aetion by the Council must be sponsored by a member of the Council, the City Attorney, City Auditor, City Clerk, City Manager, City Treasurer, or Presiding Magistrate, or otherwise they shall not be considered. 6.9 All ordinances, resolutions and contracts shall be signed by the City Attorney, or designee, prior to being submitted to the Clerk’s Office for inclusion on the agenda. The signature of the City Attorney, or designee, shall indicate that in their opinion the document is proper as to form and legality. 6.10 The Charter Officers shall have an opportunity to provide written comments on any Couneil Agenda item having an impact to the City that is related to their specific area of expertise. 6.11 Any Councilmember may add an item to a scheduled Council Meeting agenda to be listed under “Mayor and Council” items by submitting the item to the City Clerk at least three business days prior to the Council Meeting to allow for agenda modification. Items added in this manner require a majority vote and are limited to the following options: 1) direct the City Manager or other responsible Charter Officer to agendize the item for a future Meeting; 2) direct the City Manager or other responsible Charter Offieer to investigate the matter and prepare a written response to Council; or 3) take no further action. Each Councilmember shall have one opportunity to discuss itheir vote and then the Council will vote on the matter. Nine minutes, for a maximum of three speakers, shall be allowed for public Comment. 6.12 This section has been deleted and reserved. Council Rules of Procedure Page 5 of 18 6.13 Except as provided below, agenda language, Council Reports, and any supporting material described as being attached to the Council Report shall be made available to the public at least ten days prior to a scheduled Council Meeting. Material that is not timely provided requires a separate vote to consider whether the item will remain on the agenda or be continued to a future date. Exceptions to this rule are; 1. Emergencies that, in the judgment of the Mayor and City Manager, require the immediate attention of the Council. 2. Items continued from previous Council Meetings. 3. Monthly financial reports. 4. Legislative updates. 5. Litigation related matters. 6. Canvass of election returns. 7. Initiation of board or commission appeal processes. 6.14 Council Meeting agendas may include a notice that the Council may vote to recess into Executi ve Session for the purpose of obtaining legal advice from the City Attorney on any agenda item. 7. PUBLIC COMMENT 7.1 During an open call to the public, Scottsdale residents, Scottsdale business owners or Scottsdale property owners may address the Council on non-agendized items that are within the jurisdiction of the Council. Additionally, advocacy for or against a candidate or ballot measure during a City Council Meeting is not allowed pursuant to. State law and is therefore not allowed and deemed not to be within the Council’s jurisdiction. Speakers will be limited to up to three minutes each unless a different amount of time is listed on the agenda, or is determined by the Presiding Officer or by a majority vote of the Council. 7.2 If more than one open call to the public is listed on the agenda, speakers may speak once ateither the first or second public comment period, but not both. The total public comment period shall be limited to a total of thirty-six (36) minutes, for a maximum of twelve (12) speakers. 7.3 Speakers will be given up to three minutes to address the Council during the times set aside for public comment On Consent, Mayor and Council Items, or Regular items. As provided in Rule 6.4, the Presiding Officer may grant additional time to speakers representing two or more persons. All such comment shall be limited to the items on the Consent, Mayor and Council Items, or Regular agendas. 7.4 Speakers on Consent items shall be given one opportunity to speak on any or all of the Consent items listed on the agenda. Additional time may be granted for multiple agenda items at the Presiding Officer’s discretion. Council Rules of Procedure Page 6 of 18 7.5 Members of the public may sign up to provide public comment on an item as long as the public comment period for that item is open. 7.6 7.7 8. 8.1 At the conclusion of the call to the public, the Presiding Officer shall recognize any individual Councilmember who wishes to respond to criticism made during public comment in the following three ways: 1) by responding to the criticism; 2) asking staff to review the matter; or 3) asking that the matter be added to a future agenda. Council shall not, however, discuss or take legal action with respect to any matter not specifically listed on the agenda. To prevent violation of copyright, obscenity laws or utilization of public resources to influence an election, city staff and city audio visual equipment may not be utilized to play audio or visual recordings for members of the public. CITIZEN PETITIONS Citizen petitions may be submitted by a resident of the City. Petitions must be turned in to the City Clerk's Office at least two (2) business days before the requested Council Meeting date. Petitions must be printed on 8.5" x 11" paper. One supplemental petition filing is permitted. However, the initial petition and supplemental petition filing must be done at least two (2) business days before the requested Council Meeting. City staff will check petitions to determine the number of signatures that are provided by Scottsdale residents and provide that information to the City Council. There is no limit on the number of petitions a citizen may submit; however, each resident shall be limited to a total time of up to three minutes to present and speak to his or her petition(s). 8.2 Action on citizen petitions require a majority vote and are limited to the following options: 1) direct the City Manager or other responsible charter officer to agendize the item for a future Meeting; 2) direct the City Manager or other responsible Charter Officer to investigate the matter and prepare a written response to Council with a copy to the petitioner; or 3) take no further action.' 9. APPLICANT REQUESTS 9.1 The order of applicant presentations and time limits shall be as follows: 1. Staff presentation 2. Council questions of staff 3. Applicant presentation (up to 10 minutes, unless additional or less time is granted by a majority vote of the Council) 4. Public comment (up to three minutes for individual speakers or up to ten minutes for a representati ve of ten or more persons present at the Meeting who have contributed their time to the representative) 5. Council questions of staff and/or applicant ' To be received during the Citizen Petition Section of the Agenda. Council Rules of Procedure Page 7 of 18 6. Applicant response to public comment (5 minutes) 7. Staff s response, if needed (5 minutes) 8. Council motion(s) and deliberation 9. Council vote on the motion(s) 9.2 Applicant request for continuance: Applicants will be granted one request for continuance by right if the applicant submits their request to the City Clerk at least two business days prior to the Council Meeting to allow for agenda modification. Requests failing to comply with the two-day notice requirement as well as any additional requests for a continuance may be made by the applicant, but are subject to public comment and may or may not be granted at the reasonable discretion of the Council by a simple majority vote. 9.3 City Staff request for continuance: If the City Staff request a continuance that is not noted on the agenda and is under Council consideration, no public comment will be taken until after the vote to continue has been taken and the continuance has been denied. When possible. City Staff is strongly encouraged to submit their request to the City Clerk at least two business days prior to the Council Meeting to allow for agenda modification. 9.4 An applicant may withdraw his or her application up to the time a vote is taken by announcing the withdrawal at the Meeting or by notifying the City Attorney, City Manager, or City Clerk. 10. DEBATE AND DECORUM DURING COUNCIL MEETINGS 10.1 The Presiding Officer shall preserve decorum and decide all questions of order, subject to appeal to the Council. If the Presiding Officer fails to act, any member may by Point of Order request the Presiding Officer to enforce the Rules. Any member who disagrees with the Presiding Officer’s ruling on the Point of Order may by motion ask the Council to overrule the Presiding Officer. Such a motion shall require a seeond. and an affirmative vote of the majority of the Council shall require the Presiding Officer to act in conformance with the motion. 10.2 As set forth below and as adopted by the Council in Resolution No. 9445 The Principles of Civil Dialogue, shall serve as a guide for the conduct of City Council Meetings. As a member of the Scottsdale community, I will genuinely listen; speak respectfully; and be accountable for my words and actions. "Genuinely listen" means I will listen for the purpose of understanding the speaker's point of view, without prejudging whether that point of view is right or wrong. "Speak respectfully" means I will voice my point of view calmly and respectfully without losing the passion of my position and commitment, discussing the issues without personal criticisms. "Being accountable" means I aceept responsibility for my Council Rules of Procedure Page 8 of 18 words and actions. 10.3 Councilmembers shall preserve order and decorum and shall not delay or interrupt Council proceedings or refuse to follow the direetion of the Presiding Officer or the Council Rules of Proeedure. Couneilmembers may, however, interrupt proceedings for the purpose of making a Point of Order. 10.4 City staff shall observe the same rules of procedure and decorum as the members of the Council. 10.5 Citizens attending Council Meetings shall also observe the same rules of order and decorum applicable to members of the Couneil and staff Unauthorized remarks or demonstrations from the audience, such as applause, stamping of feet, whistles, boos, yells, and/or other demonstrations shall not be permitted. 10.6 All Councilmembers and the Presiding Officer shall use queuing equipment to indicate their desire to speak. In the absenee of queuing equipment, the Presiding Officer shall call on the Viee Mayor and then each Councilmember by seniority for remarks. Upon recognition by the Presiding Officer, the otficial shall confine his or her remarks and questions to the issue under debate and shall refrain from all personal attacks and indecorous language. 10.7 The Presiding Officer shall not unreasonably withhold reeognition from a Couneilmember requesting to speak. However, the Presiding Officer may call for a vote as to whether to continue a repetitive discussion or motion. 10.8 When two or more Councilmembers (inclusive of the Presiding Officer) request to speak, the Presiding Officer shall recognize the first speaker as indicated by the queuing equipment. 10.9 A Councilmember, once recognized, shall not be interrupted while speaking, unless called to order by the Presiding Officer or unless a Point of Order or Point of Privilege is raised by another Councilmember. 10.10 If a Councilmember finds it necessary to be permanently excused from an ongoing Council Meeting, he or she shall first ask the Chair to be recognized, and then announce his or her intention to leave the Meeting. The City Clerk shall then record the time of the absence in the minutes. 10.11 Councilmembers shall not be recognized by the Presiding Officer to speak multiple times on an issue under debate until every Councilmember has been given an opportunity to speak onee. 10.12 If a Councilmember is called to order while he or she is speaking, he or she shall cease speaking immediately until the question of order is determined. If ruled to be out of Council Rules of Procedure Page 9 of 18 order, he or she shall remain silent or shall alter his or her remarks so as to comply with the Rules of the Council. 10.13 By a two-thirds majority vote, the Council may agree to limit debate on any matter before it. 11. VOTING AND MOTIONS 11.1 Unless a different number is provided for by statute or ordinance, a majority of the members of the Council shall constitute a Quorum, and, in any Meeting where a Quorum is present, it shall take a majority vote of all the members of the Council to enact any measure, resolution, ordinance, or other business on the agenda. 11.2 The Mayor shall vote as a member of the Council. 11.3 No member of the Council shall be excused from voting, except upon matters involving the consideration of his or her own official conduct, or in which he or she declares the appearance of or an actual conflict of interest. A Councilmember who declares that he or she may have the appearance of or an actual conflict of interest shall leave the dais and refrain from influencing the votes of the remaining Councilmembers. With the exception of appointments to City boards and commissions, a failure to vote or a voluntary abstention shall count as an “aye” vote unless excused by an announced appearance of or actual conflict of interest. 11.4 In the case of a tie vote, the item under consideration shall be considered defeated, unless a new motion is introduced and seconded. 11.5 A Councilmember may change his or her vote up to the time that the results of the vote have been announced. 11.6 At the request of any member of the Council, a roll call vote shall be taken. Unless allowed by the Presiding Officer, it shall be out of order for members to explain their vote during the roll call. 11.7 There shall be no more than three active motions on the floor at any one time for any single agenda item. Motions to continue receive priority discussion and a priority voting decision over other motions. All other motions shall be heard and decided beginning with the most recently made and working backward in order of their making (in other words, last in, first out). 11.8 After obtaining the floor, a Councilmember may make a motion regarding the agenda item under consideration. The Councilmember may state reasons for the motion before it is made, but may debate the motion only after it has been seconded. Council Rules of Procedure Page 10 of 18 11.9 All motions except a motion to call the question require a second, but the second does not have to favor the motion and may speak and/or vote against it. If there is no second, the Presiding Officer shall not recognize the motion and it fails for lack of a second. 11.10 The maker of a motion may modify his or her motion or withdraw it entirely. If a motion is modified, the Councilmember who seconded the motion must either affirm the modification or withdraw the second. 11.11 If a motion fails, the item is deemed to be defeated, unless a new and different motion is introduced and seconded. 11.12 A motion to suspend the Council rules requires a majority vote of the Council and may not be made while another motion is pending unless it directly applies to the pending motion. 11.13 A motion to continue may be used to postpone an item on the agenda to either a specific date or to a date uncertain. A motion to continue takes priority over all other motions. A motion to continue is debatable and may be amended, but only to alter the time. An item continued to a specific date must be brought back on that date, even if the action is to continue the item again to another date or indefinitely. 11.14 An Amendment to a motion, including an Alternate Motion, requires a second before debate on the Amendment may begin. The Presiding Officer shall allow full discussion of the Amendment, while restricting debate to the Amendment, not the original motion. A vote on an Amendment shall take place before the vote on the original motion. If the Amendment passes, the Council shall vote on the original motion, as amended. If the Amendment is defeated, another Amendment may be proposed. If no further Amendments are proposed, discussion shall continue on the original motion, and a vote taken on the original motion as presented. An Amendment requires a majority vote, even if the motion to be amended requires a two-thirds vote to be adopted. An Amendment modifying the intention of a motion shall be in order, but an Amendment relating to a different matter shall not be in order. 11.15 Any Amendment to a Main Motion, if acceptable to the maker and seconder of the motion, may be considered a friendly Amendment and incorporated into the Main Motion without a vote of the Council. 11.16 A motion to amend an Amendment shall be in order, but one to amend an Amendment to an Amendment shall not. 11.17 If a motion contains two or more divisible propositions, the Presiding Officer may, and upon request of a member shall, divide the motion into separate, actionable items. 11.18 A Motion to continue must be voted on before voting on either the Main Motion or an Amendment to the Main Motion. Council Rules of Procedure_________________________________________Page 11 of 18 11.19 After a decision on any motion, any Councilmember who voted with the majority may move to reconsider the item during the same Meeting at which the decision being reconsidered was made. Once a motion to reconsider has been approved by majority vote, a revote on the original motion is taken. After a motion to reconsider has been acted upon once, no other motion for reconsideration may be made without unanimous consent of the Council. Any item previously adopted can be the subject of a motion to rescind or to amend. Such motion can only be made at a subsequent Meeting and must have been agendized. Any Councilmember can make the motion. With respect to a motion to amend something previously adopted, unless the substance of the proposed Amendment is set forth in the notice of the Meeting, a two-thirds vote of the members of the Council is required to approve the motion. The Council is able to act on any matter it has previously acted upon if such matter is placed on the Council’s agenda. The rules applying to motions to reconsider, rescind or amend something previously adopted apply only if the Council intends its actions to relate back to the date of the original action on the matter. 11.20 After obtaining the floor, any member of the Council may make a motion to call the question. An unrecognized “call for the question” shall be deemed out of order and shall not be considered by the Presiding Officer. A motion to call the question does not require a second and shall be voted on without debate. If a vote on a motion to call the question is passed by majority vote, all debate shall cease and a vote shall be taken on the immediate motion. Councilmembers may ask parliamentary questions or request a reading of the motion prior to voting. 11.21 A Councilmember may propose a short intermission, or recess, in a Meeting, even while business is pending, by moving to recess for a specified length of time. A motion to recess may not interrupt another speaker; must be seconded; is not debatable; can be amended, but only to change the length of the recess; cannot be reconsidered; and requires a majority vote. 11.22 Any member of the Council may make a motion to end a Meeting by moving to adjourn. A motion to adjourn may not interrupt another speaker, must be seconded, is not debatable, is not amendable, and cannot be reconsidered. With a majority vote of the Council, a motion to adjourn can be made, and the Meeting can be adjourned, even if there are items pending, provided that the date and time for the next Meeting has been established. Under these circumstances, unfinished business is automatically carried over to the next Meeting. The Presiding Officer shall state that all unfinished business is continued to the next regularly scheduled Meeting and shall state the date of that Meeting. Council Rules of Procedure Page 12 of 18 11.23 Should a substantive Amendment to an ordinance that the Council is considering adopting be proposed during the hearing, the Council shall have the option of continuing the matter for consideration at a future Meeting to allow for sufficient research and analysis of the Amendment or the Council may vote to recess into Executive Session for the purpose of obtaining legal advice from the City Attorney on the impact of the proposed ordinance amendment. 12. CONFLICT OF INTEREST 12.1 Councilmembers occupy positions of public trust. All actions and business transactions of such officials dealing in any manner with public funds shall be in compliance with all laws or ordinances establishing a code of ethical conduct for public officials or pertaining to confiicts of interest of public officers or employees. 12.2 Any CounciImember prohibited from participating or voting on any matter before the City by the State conflict of interest laws or City ordinance, or who intends not to act on a matter due to an appearance of impropriety as provided for in City Code, shall make known such conflict on the record of any Meeting where the item is discussed. The Councilmember having declared such a conflict shall leave the view of the remaining Councilmembers, and shall not enter into discussion, debate, or vote on such matter, or in any manner attempt to influence said vote. 13. USE OF CITY STAFF 13.1 No Councilmember shall make any inquiry of City Staff, or otherwise request any City Staff project, requiring over eight hours of staff work without first placing such item on an agenda for the purpose of discussion and direction by Council. This requirement does not apply to City Staff members whose primary duties are to directly serve the Mayor or members of the Council, such as Mayor and Council staff. 14. VICE MAYOR SELECTION 14.1 Vice Mayor rotation shall be for an eight-month term among those elected at the most recent City election, and shall be determined using a combination of tenure, Councilmembers who are elected outright at the Primary Election, and number of votes received, with tenure being the primary consideration and outright election at the Primary Election being the secondary consideration. 15. COUNCIL COMMITTEES 15.1 The Council may create such committees, including subcommittees and ad hoc committees, of the Council as may be deemed necessary to the effective and efficient operation of the Council. Members of these committees shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the approval of the Council, shall serve at the pleasure of the Council, and shall serve two-year terms, concurrent with Council election cycles. Council Rules of Procedure Page 13 of 18 15.2 The Rules of Council Procedure shall govern all Council committee proceedings. 15.3 With approval of the Council, the Mayor may establish, modify, and terminate committees of the Council and charge them with their powers, duties, and responsibilities, and may appoint and remove the members and chairperson for each committee. 15.4 Only the Mayor and CounciImembers may serve on a Council committee, and their membership shall not exceed three. 15.5 The Mayor shall serve as the Chair for any Council committee on which he or she sits. 15.6 The Mayor or Council may refer matters to Council committees for the purpose of collecting information, providing analysis, and making recommendations to the Council. 15.7 Council committees may conduct public hearings on matters refeired to them. 15.8 The Council chairperson of each Council committee shall determine the agenda for Meetings consistent with the committee’s charge. 16. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS 16.1 Applications. Scottsdale citizens may apply for only one City board or commission using a standard application found on the City’s website. Residency requirements are verified by the City Clerk’s Office. When there is a vacancy, all applications on file for that board or commission are forwarded to the Council. 16.2 Nominations. 1. Nominations are typically held at a Special City Council Meeting preceding a regularly scheduled City Council Regular Meeting. 2. For the nomination process, the Mayor turns over the Presiding Officer duties to the Vice Mayor. At the conclusion of the nomination process, the Mayor resumes the Presiding Officer duties. In the event, the Vice Mayor is not available, the immediate past Vice Mayor shall handle said duties. In the absence of an immediate past Vice Mayor, the Councilmember with most seniority shall handle the nomination process. 3. The Vice Mayor or presiding Councilmember will review each board or commission that has an open position(s). The Vice Mayor or presiding Councilmember will note each respective board or commission and the number of vacancies. The Council will review applications submitted for the board and commission openings under consideration, from this applicant pool, the Council selects nominees for further consideration. Council Rules of Procedure Page 14 of 18 4. The Vice Mayor or presiding Councilmember will call upon Councilmembers individually in an order of his or her choosing to note their nomination(s). Each individual that is nominated advances to an interview before the Council. City Clerk staff will contact nominees with follow-up infomiation pertaining to their interview. 5. Due to the number of applicants, only the nominees are contacted. Should no applications be on file for a board or commission that has an opening, the appointment of the open position will be automatically added to the next available board and commission appointment cycle schedule. 16.3 Interviews and appointments. 1. Board and commission interviews and appointments are typically held at a Special City Council Meeting preceding a regularly scheduled City Council regular Meeting. The start time of the Special City Council Meeting is typically at 4:00 p.m., however, dependent upon the number of vacancies and nominated individuals, an earlier start time may be needed. The City Clerk or designee(s) may poll the Council to determine an adequate start time. 2. For the appointment process, the Mayor turns over the Presiding Officer duties to the Vice Mayor. In the event, the Vice Mayor is not available, the immediate past Vice Mayor shall handle said duties. In the absence of an immediate past Vice Mayor, the Councilmember with most seniority shall handle the nomination process. 3. At the conclusion of the appointment process, the Mayor resumes the Presiding Officer duties. 4. The Vice Mayor or presiding Councilmember will review each board or commission that has an open position(s). The Vice Mayor or presiding Councilmember will note each respective board or commission and the number of nominees and call upon each nominee to address the Council at the podium in the City Hall Kiva Forum or via technological means if the nominee is participating electronically. Each nominee will be asked to respond briefly (in 2 minutes or less) to the questions listed below, in addition to any follow-up questions or requests for clarification. • Name, address, and how long you have lived in Scottsdale. How your education, employment, or volunteer experience relates to the board/commission for which you have applied. • What is the top issue facing the board or commission for which you have applied for? 5. Immediately following each set of interviews, the Council will make formal appointments. The Vice Mayor or presiding Councilmember will call upon Councilmembers individually in an order of his or her choosing to note their vote(s). If there are only the minimum number of candidates interviewing for the board or commission, the Council can forego individual voting and appoint through affirmation. Council Rules of Procedure Page 15 of 18 16.4 Voting. 1. If there is more than one vacancy to be filled, each Councilmember present may vote for as many nominations as vacancies to be filled. 2. Each Councilmember shall indicate his or her choice for an appointment to a City board or commission by indicating the nominee they wish to vote for, which shall be recorded as an affirmative vote for that nominee. If a Councilmember does not indicate a choice for an appointment, no vote will be recorded. An affirmative vote by at least four members of Council is required for appointment. The nominee(s) with a majority vote of Councilmembers is appointed. 3. When there is a vacancy that does not result in a majority vote after the first round of voting, the nominees with the fewest votes will be eliminated and at least two applicants per vacancy with the highest number of votes (or more if there are tie votes in this grouping) will move forward for an additional Council vote until a majority vote is achieved. If a majority vote cannot be achieved in this manner due to the absence of one or more Councilmembers, the appointment will be continued to a future Meeting. In all other instances of a tie, the Council shall determine the appointee(s) by lot drawn by the City Clerk or the City Clerk’s designee. The appointee(s) shall be the person(s) whose name(s) is/are drawn. 4. When City Council is voting for one board position and it results in a 3-2-2 vote, the Council will take the two nominees who received two votes and vote on those two nominees. Whichever nominee receives 4 votes will then be considered with the nominee who received 3 votes and the nominee who receives a majority of the votes cast will be appointed to the board or commission. 16.5 Post-appointment. All first-term appointees shall be required to attend an ethics training and orientation session prior to attending and participating in their first official board or commission meeting. For those individuals that are not selected, applications remain active for future vacancies. Applications remain on file for a one-year period from the date of receipt. 17. INVITATION TO EVENTS AND EVENT SPEAKING ORDER 17.1 When the Mayor is invited to events on behalf of the City and is unable to attend and the inviting party wishes someone else from the Council to attend, the invitation shall be first extended to the Vice Mayor and if not available, to other Councilmembers in order of seniority. 17.2 At City public events where multiple members of the City Council are present, the Mayor shall speak on behalf of the City and in the Mayor’s absence, the Vice Mayor. In the event both the Mayor and Vice Mayor are not available, the Councilmember to speak shall be the Councilmember with most seniority. Council Rules of Procedure Page 16 of 18 18. UNAVAILABILITY OF MAYOR OR COUNCILMEMBER 18.1 If the Mayor or a Councilmcmber is going to be absent from the state for more than forty- eight (48) hours or otherwise unavailable, the Mayor or Councilmember shall notify the City Clerk of the Mayor’s or Councilmember’s unavailability and/or absence. DEFINITIONS Alternate Motion - An Alternate Motion is a motion to amend; however, the language, or essence, of the Alternate Motion is so significantly different from the Main Motion (or an Amendment to the Main Motion) that it is offered as an “alternate” for the motion under debate. Amending Motion - An Amending Motion (Amendment) is a motion to change, to add words to, or to omit words from, a pending original motion. The Amendment is usually made to clarify or improve the wording of the original motion and must be germane to that motion. Amendment - See Amending Motion above. City Staff- Charter Officers and City employees in the Charter Officer’s various Divisions and Departments serving as assigned staff Council Report - A report prepared for agenda items, which is written by staff and provides background, details, analysis, staffs recommendation, and related legislative documents and/or attachments to assist Councilmembers in their decision making. Emergency Meeting - A Meeting, including an Executive Session, that is held on such notice as is appropriate to the circumstances, but less than 24 hours in advance of the Meeting, or as otherwise required by law. Executive Session - A gathering of a Quorum of members of a public body from which the public is excluded for one or more of the reasons prescribed in statute (A.R.S. § 38-431.03). Legal Action - A collective decision, commitment or promise made by a public body pursuant to the constitution, the public body's charter, bylaws or specified scope of appointment and the laws of this state (A.R.S. § 38-431). Main Motion - The initial motion made to bring an item before the Council for debate. Meeting-The gathering, in person or through technological devices, of a Quorum of members of a public body at which they discuss, propose, or take Legal Action, including any deliberations by a Quorum with respect to such action. A Meeting may be recessed and resumed with less than twenty-four hours' notice if public notice of the initial session of the Meeting is given as required by law, and if before recessing, notice is publicly given as to the time and place of the resumption of the Meeting or the method by which notice shall be Council Rules of Procedure Page 17 ofl8 publicly given. Point of Order - A Point of Order is raised by a Member of the Council when there is disturbance, lack of decorum, or to raise a question of whether there has been a breach of the Council rules. A Point of Order can interrupt another speaker, does not require a second, is not debatable, is not amendable, and cannot be reconsidered. Once raised, a Point of Order requires a ruling by the Presiding Officer, and, if held to be in order, enforcement of order by the Presiding Officer. If the ruling is thought to be wrong, the Presiding Officer may be challenged by an appeal from any member of the Council. If the Presiding Officer fails to act, any member may move to require the Presiding Officer to enforce decorum. An affirmative vote of the majority of the Council shall require the Presiding Officer to act. Point of Privilege - A Point of Privilege relates to the needs of the Meeting attendees or those of the maker, such as heating or cooling, audibility of the speaker, and the like, and is ruled on by the Presiding Officer, subject to appeal to the Council. Quorum - A majority of the members of the Council. Special Meeting - As provided in the City Charter, Special Meetings of the Council shall be scheduled by the City Clerk upon the request of the Mayor or four members of the Council, and a notice shall be posted as required by law. Super Majority (two-thirds vote) - A Super Majority, or two-thirds vote, requires an affirmative vote of five members of the Council to pass. Work Study Session (Study Session) - A Meeting to provide information to the Council and to allow the Council an opportunity to discuss City issues in detail and in a less formal manner. Other than to provide direction to staff, which may be done informally or by motion and a vote of the Council, no action is taken by the Council at a Work Study Session. Council Rules of Procedure Page 18 of 18 1 Proposed Amendments to Rules of Council Procedure City Council Meeting | January 13, 2026 Luis Santaella, Interim City Attorney Ben Lane, City Clerk Item 20 2 • Council Rules first adopted in September 2011 • Amended seven times since initial adoption • Traditionally, possible changes have been reviewed with each new Council • Will discuss each major change and request direction on possible changes • Proposed changes noted in green font and strikethrough Background 3 5.11 If the City Clerk has notice at least two (2) business days in advance of a Council Meeting that a quorum of the Council cannot attend a Council Meeting, the City Clerk, with the concurrence of the City Manager, shall inform the full City Council that the Meeting is being cancelled and will post a meeting cancellation notice. Councilmembers who cannot attend shall notify the Clerk by email. Council Rule 5.11– Meetings (NEW) 4 • Practice already done by City’s Boards and Commissions • Provides advance notice to public • Resource savings • Reduces polling requests Reasons for Requested Change 5 6.1 Regularly-scheduled Council Meeting agenda items are listed in the following order: 15. Work Study Session Items 16. Councilmembers’ Reports (information only with no discussion). 167. Adjournment Council Rule 6 – Agenda 6 • Provides an opportunity for each councilmember to note items of interest • Practice done by other cities and towns • Would be optional for each councilmember • Would occur at end of the meeting Reasons for Requested Change 7 Adopt Resolution No. 13584 amending the 2026 Rules of Council Procedure. Request 8 Questions Lane, Benjamin Item 20 From: Sent: To: Subject: carol Romley <carolann2574@cox.net> Sunday, January 11, 2026 10:43 AM City Council Agenda #20 1/13/26 meeting A External Email: Please use caution if opening links or attachments! Proposed amendments to the Rules of Council Procedure.! am totally against this. Please vote no. Thank you. Carol Romley Scottsdale Ranch 1 Lane, Benjamin From: Sent: To: Subject: Susan Wood <samw1222@aol.com> Sunday, January 11, 2026 11:22 AM City Council; Santaella, Luis; Lane, Benjamin; Thornton, Terrance I oppose Item #20 on the City Council agenda for the Meeting Tuesday, Jan 13th. A External Email: Please use caution if opening links or attachments! To City attorney and City clerk, After 2025, a year of relentless infighting and political sabotage aimed squarely at the Mayor's agenda, did we really think the Barry Graham council majority would pause during the holidays for some soul-searching? That they'd return in 2026, ready to turn over a new leaf? At the next City Council meeting, on Tuesday, January 13th, the Barry Graham faction will attempt yet another procedural power grab, by amending the Rules of Council procedure to continue their assault on the Mayor's authority. The City Charter explicitly empowers the Mayor to convene special meetings without council permission. But Graham's cabal has found their workaround; a rule change requiring quorum for any special meeting to proceed. The math is simple, and the intent transparent. No quorum, no meeting. No meeting, no mayoral authority. By simply refusing to show up, four council members can now veto the Charter itself. -a procedural end-run around the foundational This would be a nullification by absence- document governing our city. Last week's Mayor's Special meeting was a huge success in achieving the Mayor's goal: to listen to residents and enable the voices of Old Town merchants and property owners to be heard. The proposed rule change represents more than Political gamesmanship - it's a deliberate attempt to paralyze the Mayor's plan to hold future meetings to involve the community in City Government. Susan Wood Scottsdale resident Item #20 on the agenda: Proposed Amendments to the Rules of Council Procedure Request: Adopt Resolution No. 13584 amending the 2026 Rules of Council Procedure. 1 Lane, Benjamin From: Sent: To: Subject: Dean Weitenhagen <dean@fleetwoodcres.conn> Sunday, January 11, 2026 12:05 PM City Council Council Agenda #20 A External Email: Please use caution if opening links or attachments! VOTE THIS DOWN! Get back to normal council governance. Stop with the block voting to stifle our mayor. Have some decency. The citizens of Scottsdale elected you and we’re tired of your infighting. You are OUR council- NOTYOUR council. Harley Weitenhagen Author of “MustTurned Two - How I Learned To Live After Nearly Dying” www.deanweitenhagen.com 10576 E Terra DR Scottsdale, AZ 85258 1 Lane, Benjamin From: Sent: To: Subject: Judy Gogolin <judygogolin@msn.com> Sunday, January 11, 2026 4:18 PM City Council Item #20 A External Email: Please use caution if opening links or attachments! I oppose the Amendment to Council rules. Item #20 Judith Gogolin Sent from my iPhone 1