A. The
council chambers of the city shall be located at the Lawndale City
Hall, 14717 Burin Avenue, Lawndale, California.
B. All
meetings of the council shall be held in the council chambers, unless
the council has adjourned the meeting to another location or otherwise
given notice as required by law.
(Prior code § 2-21; Ord. 677-91 § 2)
A. Dates
and times of regular meetings of the council shall be established
by resolution.
B. The
city council may, from time to time, on an as needed basis, and at
its sole discretion, hold duly noticed workshops, study sessions or
other similar meetings, at dates, times and places, in accordance
with the Brown Act and the wishes of the city council.
C. Regular
meetings can be adjourned to another date and time and special meetings
may be called in accordance with law.
D. All
council meetings, including all study sessions, shall be open to the
public; except for closed sessions when authorized by the Brown Act,
Government Code Section 54950 et seq. All council meetings shall be
subject to all applicable provisions of the Brown Act.
(Prior code § 2-22; Ord. 533-87 §§ 1—3; Ord. 677-91 § 3; Ord. 719-93 § 1; Ord.
756-94 § 1; Ord. 767-94 § 1; Ord. 826-97 § 1; Ord. 987-07 § 2)
Each member of the council shall receive compensation in the
sum of nine hundred fifty dollars per month, as prescribed in Government
Code Section 36516. Compensation to the city council shall be payable
at the same time and in the same manner as salaries which are paid
to other officers and employees of the city.
(Prior code § 2-28; Ord. 865-99 § 1; Ord.
913-02 § 2; Ord. 1001-07 § 1; Ord. 1204-23, 11/6/2023)
Councilmember salaries may be adjusted by adoption of an ordinance
pursuant to
Government Code Section 36516(c) by an amount of up to
five percent for each calendar year from the time of the most recent
adoption setting council salaries.
(Prior code § 2-29; Ord. 812-96 § 6; Ord.
913-02 § 3)
The salaries prescribed in this chapter for councilmembers are
and shall be exclusive of any amounts payable to a member of the council
as reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred by such
councilmember in the performance of official duties for the city.
(Prior code § 2-30)
No person elected or appointed to membership on the council
shall, subsequent to such election or appointment, be eligible for
employment or for appointment to any position with the city for which
compensation is paid, until one year has elapsed after such person
has ceased to be a member of the council.
(Prior code § 2-31)
Upon declaring of the results of a general municipal election
to elect a mayor and members of the city council, the city council
shall be reorganized by choosing one of its members as mayor pro tem
in accordance with the state laws governing the selection of the mayor
pro tem in general law cities. It shall be the policy of the city
council that the office of mayor pro tem be rotated insofar as possible
among the members of the city council and that the mayor pro tem shall
serve a term of one year or until a successor is appointed.
(Prior code § 2-32; Ord. 879-00 § 1; Ord.
926-03 § 1; Ord. 1009-08 § 1)
The council may adopt rules and regulations governing the use
of public facilities in the city, and may establish priorities of
usage and fees for the use of publicly-owned properties.
(Prior code § 2-33)
The council and its members shall deal with the administrative
services of the city only through the city manager, except for the
purpose of inquiry; and neither the council nor any members thereof
shall give orders to any subordinates of the city manager.
(Prior code § 2-34; Amended
during 6/30/96 supplement)
If a vacancy occurs in the office of mayor or city councilmember,
the city council shall, within sixty days from the commencement of
the vacancy, either fill the vacancy by appointment or call a special
election to fill the vacancy as follows:
A. If the
council calls a special election, the special election shall be held
on the next regularly established election date not less than one
hundred fourteen days from the call of the special election. A person
elected to fill a vacancy holds office for the unexpired term of the
former incumbent.
B. If the
council fills the vacancy by appointment, the person appointed to
fill the vacancy shall hold office pursuant to one of the following:
1. If
the vacancy occurs in the first half of a term of office and at least
one hundred thirty days prior to the next general municipal election,
the person appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold office until the
next general municipal election that is scheduled one hundred thirty
or more days after the date the council is notified of the vacancy,
and thereafter until the person who is elected at that election to
fill the vacancy has been qualified. The person elected to fill the
vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired balance of the term of
office; or
2. If
the vacancy occurs in the first half of a term of office, but less
than one hundred thirty days prior to the next general municipal election,
or if the vacancy occurs in the second half of a term of office, the
person appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired
term of the former incumbent.
(Prior code § 2-35; amended
during 6/30/96 supplement; Ord. 1082-13 § 1; Ord. 1123-16 § 1)
A. While
the council is in session, both the members of the council and audience
must preserve order and decorum, and members of the council and audience
shall not impair or disturb the orderly conduct of a meeting of the
city council.
B. Any
person who impairs or disturbs the orderly conduct of a city council
meeting by intentionally committing acts in violation of the provisions
of this section, whether members of the council or audience, shall
be advised of such violation and requested to curtail such acts by
the presiding officer. If, after such advice and request, such persons
refuse or fail to curtail such acts, the presiding officer may cause
any peace officer present to eject them from the Council Chamber.
C. The
presiding officer, or their designee, may remove an individual for
disrupting the meeting by the following process for removal:
1. Warn
the individual that their behavior is disrupting the meeting and their
failure to cease their behavior may result in removal; and
2. Remove
the individual if they do not "promptly" cease their disruptive behavior.
D. For
the purpose of this section, prohibited acts shall include, but not
be limited to, the following, provided that such acts actually impair
or disturb the orderly conduct of the city council meeting:
1. Speaking
without being recognized by the presiding officer;
2. Continuing
to speak after the allotted time has expired;
3. Speaking
on an item at a time not designated for discussion by the public of
that item;
4. Speaking
on an item that is not within the jurisdiction of the city council;
5. Attempting
to engage the audience rather than the city council;
7. Creating
auditory or visual disturbances, such as ringing bells, blowing whistles,
displaying banners, and flashing lights;
8. Refusing
to modify conduct after being advised by the presiding officer that
the conduct is disrupting, delaying, or impairing the meeting, or
disobeying any other lawful order of the presiding officer;
9. Attempting
to make slanderous, profane, or threatening remarks; and
10. Engaging in any other disorderly conduct that disrupts the meeting.
E. A violation of this section may be prosecuted as an infraction pursuant to Section
1.08.030 of this code or prosecuted as a misdemeanor pursuant to Section
1.08.020 of this code.
(Ord. 639-89; Ord. 913-02 § 4; Ord.
1127-17 § 1; Ord. 1200-23 §§ 1—3)