Title
Amending Appendix A-2 of the Administrative Code relating to City Council Committees.
Body
WHEREAS, Under the City’s Administrative Code, Appendix A-2, City Council can establish Council Committees as part of its governance structure in order to provide for the efficient operation of the legislative branch of city government; and
WHEREAS, §4.01 of the City Charter vests the legislative power for the City in the Council; and
WHEREAS, According to section 6.03.02 of the City Charter, the City Council’s authority over the government is determined through administrative ordinances. Council committees are used for organizational and procedural matters within the government. They can establish, alter, or abolish departments, offices, or agencies. Regulate procedures for city administration. Promulgate rules for the conduct of city government; and
WHEREAS, The Appendix A-2 provides that a submission of a resolution may amend such rules for council committees and its operation; and
WHEREAS, Committees help provide a structured space for focused policy discussions, stakeholder engagement, and expert input; Council committees enhance transparency and accountability by allowing deeper exploration of key issues before full Council action; and
WHEREAS, The revisions made to the committee authority, organization, and duties will best serve the city and its residents by allowing the Council to properly receive timely information, engaged in topical and informed deliberation, provide for more direct input from council members and staff, and legislate effectively; and
WHEREAS, That Chapter A-2 of the Appendices of the Saint Paul Administrative Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
1. - Council committees; appointment; organization.
(a). Authority.
That in In order to provide for the proper exercise of powers for an elected legislative body as provided in the City Charter and for the efficient operation of the legislative branch of city government, the following subcommittees standing committees of the council are hereby established:
(1) Finance and budget.
(2) City Council operations.
(3) Community and economic development Policy.
(4) Audit committee.
(5) Public safety & community wellness committee.
(b). President of the City Council.
The president of the council shall be is empowered with the following authority to:
(1) schedule the dates and times for regular committee meetings;
(2) eliminate or consolidate committees, to establish such additional committees as the need may arise, with the consent of majority of the council, as the need may arise;
(3) ensure the effective operation of hearings for each committee in coordination with the committee’s assigned chair, which includes, but is not limited to, the following requirements:
(i) that no hearing on a legislative action such as an ordinance or resolution may be scheduled or conducted without the consent of the chair and council president;
(ii) the preparation of an agenda for each meeting to outline all matters to be presented for consideration or action;
(iii) identifying the subject area of and referring a legislative action to a standing committee with jurisdiction for review, consideration, and deliberation, including the sequence by which an action is assigned if multiple standing committees retain jurisdiction over an action’s subject matter. In the event of any dispute about the proper committee to which a particular legislative action should be assigned, the president retains exclusive authority to determine the proper committee assignment for the action;
(iv) applying and enforcing the rules of the City Council, so far as they are applicable and to the extent practicable, to committee meetings to facilitate the committee’s work in reviewing, analyzing, evaluating, amending, or finalizing a proposed legislative action before the full council; and
(v) providing authorization to a committee chair to hold a meeting outside of city council chamber or its regularly-assigned meeting space or incur any expense related to a committee meeting.
(C.F. No. 88-38, 1-13-88; C.F. No. 88-435, 3-29-88; C.F. No. 88-454, 4-5-88; C.F. No. 88-1694, 11-22-88; C.F. No. 92-127, 1-30-92; C.F. No. 93-1922, 12-28-93; Res 20-1110, 8-12-20; Res 25-434, 4-9-25)
2. - Membership.
Each council committee shall be composed of at least four (4) members, one (1) of whom shall be the president of the council who shall serve in an ex officio capacity and which members, including the chair, shall be named by the president of the council with the advice and consent of the council. The president of the council may also name, with the advice and consent of the council, alternate members to any committee, who may serve in the absence of regular members of such committees. The members and alternates of the council committee, including the chair, shall serve on such committee at the pleasure of the president of the council. Alternate members, when serving in the absence of a regular committee member, shall have all the powers, functions and duties of regular committee members, including constituting a quorum, voting and participation in the committee affairs in all respects.
Whenever there are not sufficient members or alternates to constitute a quorum at any regularly scheduled committee meeting and the chair deems it necessary to do so, the chair of that committee may appoint another member of the council who may be present to serve temporarily as an alternate member of the committee. Provided, however, that only one (1) such appointment may be made at any one (1) meeting of the committee. Every member of the City Council shall serve as a member of every standing committee. The council president shall appoint the chair of each committee, with the advice and consent of the Council. Because all council members serve on every committee, no alternates are required and a quorum of the committee is the same as a quorum of the Council.
(C.F. No. 88-38, 1-13-88; C.F. No. 88-435, 3-29-88; C.F. No. 88-660, 6-14-88)
3. - Functions; participation, in general.
It shall be the duty of each council committee to consider all ordinances or resolutions referred to it by the city council and where permitted by law to conduct all public hearings required by law. All committee agendas shall be cablecasted according to the notification procedures currently established for cablecasting of agendas for city council meetings. The meetings of the council committees shall be open to the public except for those instances permitted by state law, and such committee may hear testimony or public comment as referred by the secretary to the council or as the committee deems proper. All councilmembers may attend any committee meetings. Council committees shall report to the council upon all ordinances or resolutions referred to them, either with or without recommendation, unless the president or councilmember introducing such ordinance or resolution shall withdraw it or the president reassign it. The votes of committee members present and other councilmembers present shall be recorded and forwarded to the council. The affirmative vote of either a majority of the committee members or of the council shall be sufficient to return or refer a matter to the council. Each council committee shall consider ordinances, resolutions, and other matters referred to it by the council president or the city council. Committees may hold public hearings when required by law and may receive public testimony or comment at the discretion of the chair. All committee meetings shall be open to the public except where closure is permitted by state law. Committee agendas, notices, and materials shall be published and distributed in the same manner as regular Council agendas.
Committees shall report to the City Council on all referred items, with or without recommendation, unless the item is withdrawn by the author or reassigned by the council president. All votes taken in committee shall be recorded and forwarded to the council. An affirmative vote of a majority of the council members present at the committee meeting shall be sufficient to return an item to the council for consideration.
(C.F. No. 88-38, 1-13-88; C.F. No. 88-435, 3-29-88; C.F. No. 88-660, 6-14-88)
4. - Meetings.
(1) All council committees shall hold regular meetings according to a schedule adopted by the members at its first meeting in January of each year. A schedule of such meetings shall be provided all councilmembers, the mayor, city attorney, the city clerk and news media and distributed and published in accordance with state law.
(2) Special committee meetings may be held at the call of the chair. Advance written notice of all special meetings shall be provided all councilmembers, the mayor, city attorney, and city clerk as prescribed by state law and distributed and published in accordance with state law.
(3) A majority of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
(4) A majority vote of the committee shall be required for committee action.
(5) Committees shall keep minutes of all meetings. Committee chairs shall work in conjunction with the director of the council investigation and research center council operations to ensure that the appropriate research, administrative and clerical staff shall be provided for that committee. Committee chairs shall be responsible for approving, by signature, the minutes of committee meetings. A copy of such minutes shall be filed with the city clerk as a public record and a copy provided the council president.
(C.F. No. 88-38, 1-13-88)
5. - Committee functions in particular.
(1) Finance and budget. The council committee on finance and budget shall establish policy for all capital and operating budgets of all city departments, boards and agencies. In addition, the committee shall assume the responsibility of reviewing capital and operating budget matters submitted to the council and shall be responsible for the consideration of any legislation relating to the personnel of the city, salary questions and labor relations. This committee shall also be responsible for matters related to city franchises.
Finance and Budget. The council committee on finance and budget is responsible for reviewing operating and capital budget proposals, fiscal policies, revenue systems, enterprise funds, and matters related to financial oversight. The committee may also consider personnel and labor matters with budgetary implications, and franchise or licensing matters affecting city revenues.
(2)
City operations. The council committee on city operations shall oversee policy development and review and recommend legislation with respect to all city activities except those specifically assigned to other committees. In addition, the committee may respond to administrative proposals that affect these operations.
Policy. The council committee on policy is responsible for:
(i) policy and legislation development for city policy, ordinances, legislative priorities, or budget;
(ii) the review of proposed administrative proposals requiring council approval;
(iii) the review and potential amendment to the city’s legislative agenda as provided in Chapter 45 of the Administrative Code;
(iv) reporting to the council on ordinances or resolutions with or without recommendation; or
(v) working sessions on an identified policy issue or subject not specifically assigned to other committees;
(3)
Community and economic development. The council committee on housing and economic development shall oversee policy development and review and recommend legislation in these areas: The housing and redevelopment authority, housing and economic development by the port authority and the city department of planning and economic development, land use and zoning, improving buildings and especially improving the condition of problem properties, licensing and business regulation, code enforcement and the housing information office.
Council Operations. The council committee on operations is responsible for the development and review of city council organizational activities, including, but not limited to,
(i) the responsibilities, membership, and processes of other council committees;
(ii) the activities of council members on other boards, commissions, committees, and other topics necessary for the conduct of business,
(iii) the council’s process for consideration and initiation of resolutions and ordinances; or
(iv) the functions of council or other committee meetings
(4)
Audit committee. The council committee on audit shall oversee is responsible for the evaluation of financial and program performance of city departments to build public trust and ensure outstanding service delivery, transparency and accountability.
(5)
Public safety committee. The council committee on public safety shall oversee is responsible for review and policy development and review and recommend legislation in these areas: public safety, police, fire and emergency services, community-first public safety framework, safety inspections and code enforcements, neighborhood safety, crime and violence prevention, diversion programs, and community partners and agencies.
(C.F. No. 88-38, 1-13-88; C.F. No. 88-435, 3-29-88; C.F. No. 88-454, 4-5-88; C.F. No. 88-1694, 11-22-88; C.F. No. 90-75, 1-9-90; C.F. No. 92-127, 1-30-92; C.F. No. 93-1922, 12-30-93; Res 20-1110, 8-12-20; Res 25-434, 4-9-25)
6. - Amendments.
This resolution may be amended only by the submission in writing by a member of the council of a notice of intent to amend the same, which notice shall contain the specific proposed amendments. Such notice shall be served upon each member of the council seven (7) days prior to the submission of any resolution amending such rules. These rules may be amended by resolution of the city council following written notice to all councilmembers at least seven (7) days prior to consideration.
(C.F. No. 88-38, 1-13-88)