Civics 101: Understanding City Council Meetings: What is “Consent Calendar”?

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ARTICLE.  By David Lim, San Mateo City Council, Neighbor from The San Mateo Patch.

Many of you have probably looked at a City Council agenda and noticed that the large majority of items are located under “Consent Calendar”.

 

And if you’ve watched a City Council meeting, you’ve also noticed that the “Consent Calendar” items are usually passed as one item with no discussion, no debate, and take less time to pass than it took me to type this paragraph.

 

However, rest assured that a lot of work goes into a “Consent Calendar” item by myself and City staff before a City Council meeting.

 

The History of the Consent Calendar

Under parliamentary rules governing City Council meetings, Consent Calendar items are reserved for items that are deemed to be non-controversial.  They allow a City Council to save the bulk of it’s meeting time for issues in which there is a need for a serious public debate.

 

Thus, you’ll see a lot of Consent Calendar items deal with the routine maintenance of our City infrastructure dealing with items necessary for the health and well-being of our City.

 

The Public Works Department usually has several items on the Consent Calendar.  Items like “2011 Citywide Slurry Seal Project” (dealing with sealing and maintaining our streets).  Or “Supply of Ferric Chloride for Wastewater Treatment Plant” (“for sulvite control in the transfer of dewatered biosolids in order to minimize crystallization within the pipes” — say that ten times fast!).  Or “Root Foaming for City Sewers” ( to control the growth of tree roots).

 

All of these items are important to the City, and because they deal with the expenditure of over $100,000 or City funds, by law the contracts for these services must be approved by the City Council.  Thus, they make their way onto the Consent Calendar.

 

Working Behind The Scenes to Ensure a Smooth Consent Calendar

 

While it appears that the City Council and City staff spend mere minutes passing the Consent Calendar at the formal meeting, rest assured that there is a lot more done behind the scenes with each item.

 

First, City staff spend days, weeks, and months negotiating, analyzing, and working on each contract or issue put up on the Consent Calendar.  If an item is not fully prepared and vetted, it does not make it to the Consent Calendar.

 

Second, each Consent Calendar item is presented to the City Council with a full staff report written by a City staff member who is an expert in their field.  Every fact and figure is summarized to the City Council, and more detailed information is often provided as attachments to the report.  City staff are also available to answer any questions raised by the Council up until the Consent Calendar is voted on.

 

Finally, as your elected representative, I go through each and every Consent Calendar item before a City Council meeting.  Because I am responsible to represent each resident of San Mateo and need to ensure the wise use of your tax dollars, I do the following for each item:

 

  1. Thoroughly read each staff report and attachments
  2. Do an internet search of each company the City is contracting with to read about the company, check consumer reports, and check the license status of companies requiring contractor’s licenses, business licenses, etc.
  3. Where necessary, I follow up with an email or phone call to the City Manager or appropriate City staff member to get additional information.

Only after I have done all of the above steps am I willing to leave the item on the Consent Calendar and pass the item without discussion.

 

There have been times in the past where I have removed an item from the Consent Calendar.  Click HERE to see the minutes of a council meeting in 2010 where I pulled an item from the Consent Calendar.

 

Anyone Can Pull An Item Off The Consent Calendar

 

If I am not satisfied at any point during my review of a Consent Calendar item, I will ask to pull that item off the Consent Calendar so that the item can be reviewed in a full public hearing.

 

That is the key to remember:  An item on the Consent Calendar may be pulled by a Councilmember or anyone else at any time before it is voted on.

 

Many times, my questions will lead to an item being pulled in advance of the City Council meeting.

 

However, in the majority of cases, our City staff is so professional, their reports need no questions or follow-up.

 

Thus, while Consent Calendar items may seem mundane, with little work done on them, now you know how much work is done by City staff and your City Council to review these items and ensure a healthy City for all of us!

 


 

City Council of Half Moon Bay Meets ~ 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 7:00pm

HMB City Council Agendas and Zoom Links

HMB City Calendar

The New Now ~ Virtual Remote Public Agency Meetings

Watch streaming, or the Pacifica Coast TV video, that we will post. Stay tuned!
The meeting will be held at the Adcock Community Center for any members of the public who wish to speak in person, though we do encourage all members to participate remotely.
The meeting will be:
Members or the public are welcome to submit comments (in accordance with the three-minute per speaker limit) via email 

to [email protected] prior to or during the meeting, via Facebook live during the meeting, and via two phone lines during the meeting – (650) 477-4963 (English) and (650) 445-3090 (Spanish).
The City Clerk will read all comments into the record.

HMB City Council Agendas and Zoom Links

HMB City Calendar

Leave messages with the Clerk’s Department at 650-726-8250

    1. Robert Brownstone

      Mayor
      Phone: 650-726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)
    2. Debbie Ruddock

      Vice Mayor
      Phone: 650-726
    3. Deborah Penrose

      Council Member
      Phone: 650-726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)
    4. Harvey Rarback

      Council Member
      Phone: 650-726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)
    5. Joaquin Jimenez

      Council Member
      Phone: 650-726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)

The City Council of Half Moon Bay

The City Council of Half Moon Bay is the City’s governing body, and consists of five elected members. The Council sets priorities and policies, makes final decisions on all major City matters, adopts ordinances and resolutions, appoints the City Manager and City Attorney, and approves the annual budget.

City Council members are elected at-large to four-year, overlapping terms. There are no term limits in Half Moon Bay. The City Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and one to serve as Vice Mayor, on an annual basis.

The Half Moon Bay City Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month starting at 7 pm at the Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue.

Meetings and Agendas

The City Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, at 7 pm, at Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue. City Council meeting schedule, agendas, minutes, and videos are available online. Planning on attending a City Council Meeting? Please visit our “Commenting at a City Council Meeting” information page. You can also learn about City Council Procedures and Decorum.

Strategic Elements

The City Council develops Strategic Elements to help focus the City’s actions and work plans on its key priorities. The Strategic Elements are aimed at providing high quality public services and facilities in a fiscally sustainable, responsive, and friendly manner, which fosters a safe, healthy, and thriving community.

 


Half Moon Bay City Council Subcommittees

  • CSFA Grant Selection
  • Education
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • Finance
  • Human Resources
  • Legislative Affairs
  • Mobility

Half Moon Bay City Council Strategic Plan

The City Council develops Strategic Elements, Priorities, and a Capital Improvement Program to help guide the City’s actions and work plans, and focus efforts on addressing the City’s identified priority initiatives. Together, these comprise the City’s Strategic Plan.

Below is a summary noting each of the Strategic Elements and Priorities.

Click here for more detailed information and explanations of the Strategic Elements and Strategic Priorities.

 

City Council Strategic Elements

Fiscal Sustainability
Healthy Communities 
and Public Safety
Inclusive Governance Infrastructure and Environment

The overarching Strategic Elements describe how the City will conduct its operations in service to the community, and are based on the principles and values that outline the City’s purposes. They offer focus toward the City Council’s key priorities, and are aimed at providing high quality public services and facilities in a fiscally sustainable, responsive, and friendly manner, fostering a safe, healthy, and thriving community.

 

City Council Priorities – FY 2019-20

Affordable Housing Emergency Preparedness Traffic and TDM Sustainability Minimum Wage

Priorities are more specific areas which the City Council deems as critical to address during a given fiscal year (or over multiple fiscal years). Each Priority has a specific set of actions to be taken, which in turn contribute to and outline the staff’s objectives and work plans.

 

City Council Priorities – FY 2018-19

Housing Homelessness Cannabis Short Term Rentals Parks Master Plan

Click here for more details on the FY 2018-19 Council Priorities.

 

Capital Improvement Program

The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) addresses the community’s needs for planned infrastructure improvements over a rolling five-year period. The CIP is intended to respond to the identified needs of the community, to ensure major infrastructure – such as streets, parks, trails, public facilities, sewers, and drainage – are well-maintained for maximum safety, public use, and enjoyment. Click here to download the Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Years 2019-20 to 2023-24.

Coastside Buzz
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