A. 
At all regular meetings, the order of business shall be:
1. 
Call to order;
2. 
Flag salute;
3. 
Recital of Lands Acknowledgment by mayor, “The Assembly of the City and Borough of Sitka would like to respectfully acknowledge the traditional first people of Sheet' Ká, with gratitude we proceed on Tlingit Aaní”;
4. 
Roll call;
5. 
Correspondence and changes to agenda;
6. 
Ceremonial matters: proclamations, presentations, awards;
7. 
Special reports: government-to-government, municipal boards/commissions, committees, municipal departments, school district, students and guests;
8. 
Public participation on any item off the agenda. Public testimony is not to exceed three minutes per individual, unless the mayor imposes other time constraints at the beginning of the agenda item;
9. 
Consent agenda, to include vote on approval of minutes of previous meeting(s), ordinances for introduction, and routine items adopted by one motion;
10. 
Board, commission, and committee appointments;
11. 
Unfinished business, with public hearing/participation after motion on agenda item, but before deliberation of the assembly;
12. 
New business, with public hearing/participation after motion on agenda item, but before assembly deliberation;
13. 
Public participation on any item on or off the agenda. Not to exceed three minutes per individual;
14. 
Municipal reports from mayor, administrator, attorney, liaisons, clerk and others, not to exceed three minutes per report;
15. 
Executive session, if motion for executive session is made and adopted;
16. 
Adjournment.
B. 
The agenda shall be prepared by the administrator with concurrence of the mayor. In order for matters to appear on the agenda at a regular meeting, they must be submitted to the clerk’s office on or prior to noon on the Wednesday immediately preceding the meeting. In order for items to appear on the agenda at a special meeting, they must be submitted to the clerk’s office no less than 24 hours prior to the special meeting. In order for materials to appear in the assembly packet, such materials must be submitted to the municipal clerk in compliance with the deadlines as established in the previous two sentences (noon on the preceding Wednesday for a regular meeting and 24 hours in advance of a special meeting). Other matters may be considered under administrative reports, unfinished business, or new business as applicable.
(S.G.C. 2.04.010; Ord. 72-4, 1972; Ord. 00-1593 § 4, 2000; Ord. 02-1692 § 4, 2002; Ord. 02-1693 § 4, 2002; Ord. 02-1694 § 4, 2002; Ord. 06-30A § 4, 2006; Ord. 08-28 § 4, 2008; Ord. 09-79A § 4, 2010; Ord. 15-15 § 4, 2015; Ord. 15-29 § 4, 2015; Ord. 20-26 § 4, 2020; Ord. 21-37 § 4, 2021)
A. 
Regular meetings of the assembly shall be held at 6:00 p.m. in the appointed meeting place on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each calendar month or as otherwise prescribed in SGC §§ 2.05.170 and 2.05.180.
B. 
The places of such meetings shall be prescribed by the assembly.
C. 
Special meetings of the assembly may be held at any time upon call, briefly stating the purpose, of the mayor or of four or more members and, whenever practicable, upon no less than six hours’ notice to each member. Notice shall be given in either of the following manners:
1. 
By call given at a regular or special meeting;
2. 
By service either orally or in writing of the call by any municipal officials or employee upon the mayor and each member of the assembly, provided:
a. 
That no such service need be made upon the officials, either mayor or assemblymen, who issue such call; and
b. 
Delivery of the call to any person residing or working therein, who is over the age of 14 years, at the home or usual place of business of any assemblyman shall be equivalent to personal service or call upon the person so to be served.
D. 
All meetings shall be open to the public except that the following may be discussed in closed executive session:
1. 
Matters, the immediate knowledge of which would adversely affect the finances of the municipality;
2. 
Subjects that tend to prejudice the reputation and character of any person, provided the person may request a public discussion;
3. 
Matters which by law, municipal Charter or ordinances are required to be confidential;
4. 
Communications with the municipal attorney or other legal advisors concerning legal matters affecting the municipality or legal consequences of past, present or future municipal actions.
E. 
Meetings will adjourn at 10:30 p.m. unless extended by a unanimous vote of the members present. However, if seven members are present, meetings can be extended by a vote of at least six members, but the meeting will adjourn at 11:00 p.m. unless extended by a unanimous vote of all seven members.
F. 
The municipal administrator (or his/her designee) serving as chief administrative officer for the assembly; the municipal attorney to assure compliance with Alaska’s Open Meetings Act and to advise on legal issues; and the municipal clerk as parliamentary advisor will attend executive sessions of the assembly, unless otherwise excluded in the motion to enter into executive session. Other persons may be invited into the executive session by an approved motion of the assembly and must be named in said motion.
(S.G.C. 2.04.020; Ord. 72-4, 1972; Ord. 83-531 § 3, 1983; Ord. 83-550 § 3, 1983; Ord. 87-747 § 4, 1987; Ord. 01-1604 § 4, 2001; Ord. 09-50 § 4, 2009; Ord. 14-41 § 4, 2015)
A. 
Introduction of ordinances and resolutions by the assembly. Each ordinance and resolution introduced by an assembly member shall have the sponsorship of two assembly members before introduction of the ordinance and resolution. The supporters of the introduction of the ordinance and resolution shall be listed as sponsor and cosponsor, and their names shall appear as such on the ordinance or resolution.
B. 
Introduction of ordinances and resolutions by the municipal staff. Each ordinance and resolution introduced by the municipal staff shall be through the city administrator. The administrator’s name shall appear on the ordinance or resolution for introduction.
C. 
On adoption of the ordinance or resolution the sponsors’ names shall be removed.
(S.G.C. 2.04.035; Ord. 83-585 § 4, 1984)
A. 
The assembly shall have the following standing committees:
1. 
Police and fire;
2. 
Utilities and finance;
3. 
Airport, harbors and transportation;
4. 
Streets and roads;
5. 
Parks and recreation;
6. 
Public sanitation;
7. 
Public health services;
and shall have such special committees as may be appointed. Any assembly member shall be privileged to sit with any committee at all times; such assembly member shall have the right to participate in committee discussion except that members of the committee shall have priority to obtaining the floor and only committee members may vote. Reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard shall be allowed. Special committees automatically terminate upon completion of the assignment given to them upon formation of the committee.
B. 
Selection of the committees. Upon organization annually at the first meeting following certification of the election for assembly members, if the assembly by a majority vote of its members decides to make committee appointments to any standing and/or special committee, a committee on committees shall be appointed by the mayor to recommend committee appointments to the mayor. The mayor then appoints the committees, but the mayor is not bound by the recommendation of the committee on committees. The committee appointments are subject to ratification by a majority of the members of the assembly. If appointments are not made to a standing committee or any special committee formed, such committees shall not convene or act.
C. 
Committee of the whole. The presiding officer may appoint another member of the body to preside over the committee of the whole. Upon adjourning the committee of the whole, the mayor resumes the chair and the member who acted as chairman of the committee of the whole shall make a report of the proceedings and recommendations of the committee of the whole to the assembly. Generally the rules of the assembly shall be followed in the committee of the whole, except at the discretion of the chair the rules may be relaxed and the rules relating to participation by the presiding officer and the number of times a member should speak shall not be in effect unless a majority of the committee orders that they be. Reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard shall be allowed.
(S.G.C. 2.04.040; Ord. 72-4, 1972; Ord. 20-52 § 4, 2020)
A. 
When desiring to speak, assembly members and staff shall respectfully address the presiding officer, and shall refrain from speaking until recognized by the presiding officer.
B. 
Members of the assembly will be recognized by the presiding officer by name. The presiding officer shall determine who shall speak first when two or more members request recognition at the same time.
C. 
The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum at all times and shall make such rulings as deemed necessary to preserve order and decorum.
D. 
Any assembly member may challenge a ruling of the presiding officer by motion, and, if duly seconded, will proceed to a vote. The presiding officer’s ruling shall stand unless overridden by a majority vote of the assembly.
E. 
During assembly debate on a motion, an assembly member may speak more than once with priority of access to the floor given to members who have not spoken on the motion. Members shall speak to the subject under debate, endeavor to provide the body with relevant facts and arguments, and shall strive to avoid redundancy.
F. 
After obtaining recognition from the presiding officer, an assembly member may ask direct questions of another member, municipal staff and/or members of boards, commissions, and committees or to a person appearing before the assembly.
G. 
Assembly members and staff shall speak and refer to each other in a respectful manner and shall not attack the motives of others.
H. 
The administrator may participate in the same manner as an assembly member.
I. 
The municipal clerk may comment on parliamentary procedure. The municipal attorney may comment on procedural and legal issues.
J. 
Parties to an appeal may testify in a quasi-judicial administrative or adjudicatory proceeding, except as provided otherwise in the code.
K. 
Consideration of an ordinance by paragraph shall not be required unless demanded. A demand that consideration by paragraph take place may be overridden by a majority vote of the assembly.
(S.G.C. 2.04.050; Ord. 22-13 § 4, 2022)
A. 
Seconds to motions are required.
B. 
Renewal of defeated motions. Defeated motions may be renewed only under suspension of the rules.
C. 
Priority of privileged motions. Privileged motions shall have the following priority:
1. 
Fix time to adjourn;
2. 
Give notice of reconsideration;
3. 
Adjourn;
4. 
Recess;
5. 
Question of privilege of the body;
6. 
Question of personal privilege.
(S.G.C. 2.04.070; Ord. 72-4, 1972)
Clerical errors that do not affect the substance of an ordinance or resolution such as errors in numbering or errors in spelling may be corrected by the staff upon discovery of such error.
(S.G.C. 2.04.090; Ord. 72-4, 1972)
A. 
The affirmative vote of four members of the assembly shall be sufficient to take any action except as provided otherwise by Charter or ordinance and except in the following instances and as provided in subsection B of this section:
1. 
Limiting, extending, or closing debates;
2. 
Suspension of rules;
3. 
Setting of or postponement of special orders;
4. 
Objection to consideration of question;
5. 
Motion for immediate vote (previous question);
6. 
Rescind;
7. 
To take up reconsideration where notice for reconsideration at next meeting was given.
B. 
The affirmative vote of at least five assembly members shall be required to take any of the actions listed above, unless there are only four members voting on the action, in which case the vote only requires four votes.
(S.G.C. 2.04.100; Ord. 72-4, 1972; Ord. 08-39 § 4, 2008)
When the assembly votes by call of the roll, the clerk shall call the roll by random order. There shall be no special consideration given to the mayor in this order.
(S.G.C. 2.04.105; Ord. 04-66 § 4, 2004; Ord. 05-51S § 4, 2005)
Each regular or special meeting of the assembly constitutes a session for purposes of the rules.
(S.G.C. 2.04.120; Ord. 72-4, 1972)
A. 
Rules for public participation. There shall be an opportunity for public participation on agenda items and “persons to be heard” at each regular meeting, special meeting, and emergency meeting of the assembly. Agenda items are those appearing on the consent agenda; board, commission, and committee appointments; unfinished business; and new business. Public participation on “discussion/direction/decision” items, under new business, is allowed when authorized by the presiding officer or a majority vote of the assembly.
1. 
The presiding officer shall instruct members of the public that the testimony time available is not to exceed three minutes per individual on each item, unless the presiding officer imposes other time constraints at the beginning of the agenda item. Such time limits may be overridden by a majority vote of the assembly.
2. 
No person shall speak during a meeting until that person is recognized by the presiding officer. Upon recognition that person shall state their full name for the record.
3. 
All persons shall speak to the assembly as a whole and not to individual assembly members, or to members of the public.
4. 
Assembly members shall refrain from engaging in discussion with the person testifying or answering questions directed by the person testifying.
5. 
All persons testifying shall immediately cease speaking when notified by the presiding officer that the allotted time has expired.
6. 
An inquiry made by a member of the public regarding municipal business may be referred to the administrator. An answer shall not be provided at the meeting by the assembly or staff. By majority vote of the assembly, the assembly may direct the administrator or municipal attorney to report back to the assembly regarding the inquiry made by a member of the public at a meeting.
B. 
Rules of order and decorum.
1. 
The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum at all times and shall make such rulings as deemed necessary to preserve order and decorum.
2. 
A member of the public shall not engage in the assembly debate or deliberations.
3. 
A person addressing the assembly shall not make personal, impertinent, unduly repetitive, slanderous, or profane remarks to the assembly, staff, or general public, nor use loud, threatening, personal or abusive language, nor engage in any other disorderly conduct that disrupts or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct and decorum of any meeting.
4. 
All persons attending any meeting must observe the assembly’s rules of procedure and adhere to the same standards of order and decorum as members of the assembly. Persons in the audience shall not engage in disorderly or boisterous conduct, including the utterance of loud, threatening or abusive language, whistling, clapping of hands, stamping of feet or other acts which disturb, disrupt or otherwise impede the orderly conduct and decorum of any meeting.
C. 
Enforcement of order and decorum. At the discretion of the presiding officer or upon majority vote of the assembly, the presiding officer may order the removal of any person committing any of the following acts of disruptive conduct with respect to a regular meeting, special meeting, emergency meeting, adjourned meeting, or work session of the assembly:
1. 
Disorderly, contemptuous or insolent behavior toward the assembly or any member thereof, which interrupts the due and orderly course of the meeting;
2. 
A breach of the peace, boisterous conduct or violent disturbance, which interrupts the due and orderly course of the meeting;
3. 
Disobedience of any lawful order of the presiding officer, which shall include an order to be seated or to refrain from addressing the assembly; and
4. 
Any other interference which interrupts the due and orderly course of the meeting.
Any person so removed shall be excluded from further attendance at the meeting from which they have been removed, unless permission to attend is granted upon motion made and adopted by a majority vote of the assembly before the next agenda item.
(S.G.C. 2.04.130; Ord. 22-13 § 4, 2022)
A. 
What may be reconsidered. Main motions, amendments to main motions, privileged motions involving substantive questions, and appeals are subject to reconsideration. Procedural motions may not be reconsidered.
B. 
Who may reconsider. Any assembly member who voted on the prevailing side may move for reconsideration.
C. 
When notice may be given. Notice of reconsideration may be given only at the meeting at which the action to be reconsidered was taken.
D. 
Effect of notice. The effect of giving notice of reconsideration is to suspend all action on the subject of the notice until the motion to reconsider is acted upon or until the time within which the motion may be taken up has expired.
E. 
Time in which notice must be taken up. A notice of reconsideration expires unless it is acted upon prior to adjournment of the next regular meeting succeeding the meeting at which the action to be reconsidered occurred.
F. 
Successive reconsiderations. There may be but one reconsideration even though the action of the assembly after reconsideration is opposite from the action of the assembly before reconsideration.
G. 
Vote required. A reconsideration requires only a majority vote regardless of the vote necessary to adopt the motion reconsidered.
H. 
Precedence. The notice of reconsideration has precedence over every main motion and may be taken up at any time during the meeting when there is no other motion on the floor.
I. 
Effect. The adoption of the motion for reconsideration cancels the previous vote on the question to be reconsidered as completely as though it had never been taken.
(S.G.C. 2.04.140; Ord. 72-4, 1972; Ord. 01-1642 § 4, 2001)
A. 
Public notice. When a vacancy occurs on an existing board or commission, or upon the establishment of a new board or commission, the assembly shall advertise such vacancy or positions through the public media in order to encourage interested individuals in the community to make their interest known to the assembly. Such notification shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation no later than three days before consideration of the appointment by the assembly.
B. 
Method of nomination. All interested individuals shall submit an application to the clerk on a form provided by the clerk, after which consideration shall be given to the qualifications and merits of each applicant by including the applications in the assembly packet for each assembly member’s review. The assembly shall only select from the list of applicants who have submitted applications, but may request opening the application period to consider additionally submitted applications.
C. 
Special committees. Special committees may be appointed from the general public without notification or advertising if such committee is of an investigative or fact-finding nature and pertains to only one special issue. Special committees shall have no authority other than to provide information and submit recommendations to the assembly.
(S.G.C. 2.04.150; Ord. 72-4, 1972; Ord. 93-1219 § 4, 1994; Ord. 08-27 § 4, 2008)
Regular meetings of the assembly shall be held at 6:00 p.m. in the appointed meeting place on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each calendar month. If such day is a holiday, or if other reasonable conflict occurs making a change appear to be necessary, such meeting shall be held at an hour and on a day more convenient to the members and the public.
Regular meetings may be held more frequently, but not more than once a week, at the option of the assembly, if it appears to be necessary and reasonable.
Call for additional regular meetings shall be made in the same manner as for special meetings, provided at least five days’ notice shall be given.
(S.G.C. 2.04.170; Ord. 71-1 § 1, 1971; Ord. 83-531 § 3, 1983; Ord. 15-15 § 4, 2015)
Special meetings of the assembly may be held at any time upon call, briefly stating the purpose, of the mayor or of four or more members and, whenever practicable, upon no less than six hours’ notice to each member. Notice shall be given in either of the following manners:
A. 
By call given at a regular or special meeting;
B. 
By service either orally or in writing of the call by any municipal official or employee upon the mayor and each member of the assembly, provided:
1. 
That no such service need be made upon the officials, either mayor or assemblymen, who issue such call; and
2. 
Delivery of the call to any person residing or working therein who is over the age of 14 years, at the home or usual place of business of any assemblyman, shall be equivalent to personal service or call upon the person so to be served.
(S.G.C. 2.04.180; Ord. 71-1 § 2, 1971)
A. 
The mayor or any assembly member may participate in and vote at a regular meeting, special meeting, emergency meeting, or work session of the assembly by remote participation (videoconferencing or similar technology) provided the following circumstances are met:
1. 
The meeting or work session is held with a quorum of members physically present, except as provided in subsection H of this section;
2. 
Reasonable technical capabilities are available at the meeting location to allow the member(s) to participate, to include being able to hear and engage in discussion, and being audible to all persons participating in the meeting;
3. 
The member(s) participating remotely has/have the ability to obtain the meeting agenda and other pertinent documents to be discussed and/or acted upon;
4. 
The member(s) participating remotely shall make every effort to participate in the entire meeting and must have their video turned on except during breaks;
5. 
For executive sessions, the member(s) shall participate by telephone, not videoconference. The member(s) participating shall acknowledge that there is no other person(s) with the member(s) or in close enough proximity to hear the executive session discussion. Member(s) participating remotely are prohibited from electronically recording or taking notes in the executive session.
B. 
The mayor, or the presiding officer in the absence of the mayor, shall not preside over a meeting in which they are participating remotely, except as provided in subsection H of this section.
C. 
No more than the first three members to contact the municipal clerk requesting remote participation at a particular meeting may participate remotely, except as provided in subsection H of this section.
D. 
The member shall notify the municipal clerk and the presiding officer at least 24 hours in advance of their intent to participate remotely in a meeting or work session.
E. 
If the remote connection cannot be made or is made and then lost, the meeting shall commence or continue as scheduled and the municipal clerk shall attempt to establish or restore the connection; provided, that if the member(s) participating remotely is/are necessary to achieve a quorum, the meeting shall recess or adjourn as necessary until the remote connection is established or restored.
F. 
All voting at the meeting when a member(s) is/are participating remotely shall be by roll call vote.
G. 
For the mayor and other assembly members, remote participation is limited to four regular meetings during the 12-month period. This 12-month period begins at the first regular meeting of the assembly after the regular election in October. Remote participation by the mayor or a member will not be allowed consecutively for more than two regular meetings. Remote participation in a meeting while out of town on municipal business does not count toward the four times for which remote participation is limited or toward the two consecutive regular meetings limit on remote participation.
H. 
When the administrator, assembly, governor, or federal government has declared an emergency, a quorum of assembly members may be established with the combined total of members participating physically, partially remote, or entirely remote. In this instance the mayor, or presiding officer, may preside over the meeting remotely. When an emergency has been declared, limits established in subsection G of this section do not apply.
I. 
The mayor or any assembly member(s) who participate(s) remotely shall not be charged for any costs associated with remote participation.
(S.G.C. 2.04.185; Ord. 22-13 § 4, 2022)
A. 
Any member(s) of the public may request to provide comment by telephone on any agenda item or “persons to be heard” which allows for public participation under SGC § 2.05.130(A). To participate by telephone, the person shall provide the municipal clerk with a telephone contact number and indicate which agenda item(s) they wish to provide comment on by 5:00 p.m. on the Monday before the Tuesday regular meeting, and at least 24 hours before any special or emergency assembly meeting, when such notice is reasonably practicable. The municipal clerk will call that phone number during the public participation section on the agenda item or during “persons to be heard.” If the person is not available at the time of public comment for the item, the presiding officer will move to the next person. A person participating by telephone must be able to hear and engage in discussion and be audible to all persons participating in the meeting.
B. 
Any member(s) of the public who participates by telephone shall not be charged for any costs associated with telephonic participation.
C. 
Public participation rules and enforcement in SGC § 2.05.130 apply to members of the public participating by telephone.
(S.G.C. 2.04.186; Ord. 22-13 § 4, 2022)
The assembly, by ordinance, shall determine the salary of the mayor and other assembly members. An increase in salary shall not take effect until the assembly meeting following the regular election after the ordinance has been adopted. With the approval and authorization of the assembly, assembly members shall also receive their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in office.
(S.G.C. 2.04.190; Ord. 86-703 § 4, 1986; Ord. 02-1701 § 4, 2002; Ord. 23-20 § 4, 2023)
The assembly shall, within 20 days after a vacancy occurs, select a qualified person to be an acting assembly member until the next regular election when a successor is elected and qualified to fill the remainder of the term. The qualifications shall be those set out in Section 2.05 of the Charter and in state law.
(S.G.C. 2.04.200; Ord. 96-1379 § 4, 1996; Ord. 04-55 § 4, 2004)
At the same meeting at which the assembly elects from its membership a deputy mayor, the assembly shall elect from its membership a deputy mayor who shall act as mayor during the absence or disability of both the mayor and the deputy mayor. The deputy mayor shall become mayor for the remainder of the elected mayor’s term if the offices of mayor and deputy mayor become vacant. If the assembly does not elect the deputy mayor and the deputy mayor at the meeting immediately following the certification of the election as described in Section 2.06 of the Charter, the assembly shall do so at the next meeting with five or more members present.
(S.G.C. 2.04.210; Ord. 01-1648 § 4, 2001; Ord. 04-25 § 4, 2004)