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 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;
6. 
Throwing objects;
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)