Meeting
Schedule and Agenda Posting
Americans
With Disabilities Act
Order of Business
Presentations
Housing Authority & Redevelopment Agency
Public Safety Report
Items From City Clerk
Items From Citizens
Comments From Council
Consent Calendar
Public Hearings
Administration - Continued And New Business
City Manager's Report
Items from Councilmembers
Closed Sessions
For Your Information:
Ordinances & Resolutions
MEETING
SCHEDULE AND AGENDA POSTING
Regular City Council meetings are held
on the first and third Mondays of each month, at 6:30 p.m. in the council
chamber at City Hall, 14717 Burin Avenue.
The city clerk’s office prepares
the agendas and posts them on the City's website and at City Hall, the
Community Center, the Community Center Annex and the Lawndale Post Office
at least 72 hours before the meeting to inform the public of matters
to be considered by the City Council. Copies of the agenda are also
available in the City Hall foyer.
Staff reports to the City Council for
each meeting are available for inspection at the Lawndale Library and
City Hall, generally no later than Thursday prior to the meeting.
AMERICANS
WITH DISABILITIES ACT
The City of Lawndale wishes to make its
meetings accessible to all members of the public. If you need special
assistance to participate in a council meeting, please contact the city
clerk’s office at (310) 973 3211 at least 48 hours prior to the
meeting.
ORDER
OF BUSINESS
The City Council follows a regular order
of business for each meeting, as follows:
Presentations
The Lawndale City Council takes great
pleasure in recognizing individuals, organizations and community groups
for their accomplishments and contributions to the community, and in
presenting proclamations for upcoming events. On occasion, individuals
or groups who wish to recognize or commend the City may also appear.
Housing Authority & Redevelopment
Agency
Lawndale Housing Authority and Lawndale
Redevelopment Agency meetings are occasionally incorporated into regular
City Council meetings. Though not listed on the council agenda, meetings
of the Lawndale Cable Usage Corp. board may also be scheduled. There
are separate agendas for each of these agencies.
Public Safety Report
The Lennox Station captain for the Los
Angeles County Sheriff’s Department regularly reports on law enforcement
activities in the city.
Items From City Clerk
The Lawndale city clerk may report on
the department's activities or matters pertinent to the meeting agenda.
Items From Citizens
The City Council welcomes public participation
at its meetings. The public may comment on any matter within the subject
matter jurisdiction of the City Council that is not on the agenda. Under
state law, the City Council may not take action on matters that are
not listed on the agenda. However, council may refer subjects raised
in Items from Citizens to City staff or place them on the agenda of
a subsequent meeting.
Those wishing to address the City Council
are encouraged to submit a request form to the city clerk. These are
available in the pocket on the council chamber door. Each individual
may speak for five minutes. Groups should select one representative
to address the City Council.
Comments From Council
The City Council will respond to the
public's concerns during the Comments from Council portion of the meeting.
Consent Calendar
Routine items are listed in the Consent Calendar
and may be acted upon by one motion and one roll call vote. Any councilmember
may remove agenda items from the Consent Calendar for separate discussion
and vote during the Excluded Consent Calendar portion of the meeting.
Public Hearings
Certain matters, such as land use issues
and General Plan amendments, must be considered in a noticed public
hearing. Once staff has presented a report and relevant evidence, the
presiding officer will open the public hearing. Those wishing to speak
or present evidence will be sworn in prior to being allowed to speak.
No person may speak without first being recognized by the presiding
officer, nor may a person provide testimony after the public hearing
has been closed. The presiding officer may establish a time limit for
each speaker.
Administration - Continued And New Business
Items which require individual consideration
by the City Council will be heard in the Administration portion of the
agenda. Issues which have been addressed, though not decided upon in
a previous meeting are considered first, under Continued Business.
City Manager's Report
The City Manager's Report includes items
of interest to the City Council and is generally informational in content.
Items from Councilmembers
In this portion of the meeting, individual
councilmembers comment on any matter affecting the city, its residents
and business community. Councilmembers occasionally place issues on
the agenda which may result in formal action. Such matters will be specifically
described on the agenda.
Closed Sessions
Certain items of a sensitive nature require
confidential discussion by the City Council in closed session. To qualify
as a closed session matter, such issues must meet criteria specified
in state law. The city attorney reports on any action taken during closed
session upon resumption of the open meeting.
FOR
YOUR INFORMATION: ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS
An ordinance is a city law and is the
most binding form of action taken by the City Council. Violation of
ordinances may be misdemeanor offenses or infractions of the law. The
City Council is empowered by state law to adopt ordinances, so long
as they do not conflict with the state constitution, state laws or federal
laws. Approval of most ordinances requires two separate readings at
least five days apart. Once adopted, an ordinance will generally take
effect 30 days after final passage and remains a city law until and
unless it is amended or repealed by a subsequent ordinance.
A resolution is a written action or decision
and requires only one reading. Like ordinances, resolutions remain in
effect unless amended or repealed by a subsequent resolution.
