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Home My WebLink AboutRes 2015-91 - Office of the Mayor and Mayor Pro TemCITY OF PALM DESERT CITY CLERK DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: RESOLUTION NO. 2015 - 91 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA, RESCINDING ITS RESOLUTION NO. 2013-14 AND RESTATING ITS POLICY ON THE OFFICE OF MAYOR AND THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO-TEMPORE SUBMITTED BY: Rachelle D. Klassen, City Clerk DATE: November 12, 2015 CONTENTS: • Staff Report/Resolution No. 2015 - 91 • Res. No. 2013-14 • Palm Desert Mayoral History • Palm Desert City Council History Recommendation Waive further reading and adopt. Background Since 2001 it has been the Council's policy to: 1) Reorganize in December each year; 2) appoint the offices of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem annually based on tenure, with requirement that a Councilmember must be in office at least one year before being appointed Mayor Pro Tem and at least two years before becoming Mayor. Generally, the Councilmember serving longest without being Mayor Pro Tem was appointed to that seat, followed by the Councilmember serving as Mayor Pro Tem then ascending to Office of Mayor. The most recent iteration of the policy was adopted with Resolution No. 2013-14 (copy attached), including provisions for service on the Planning Commission as satisfying the requirement for at least one/two years' service on the City Council before being appointed to Mayor Pro Tem/Mayor positions, and highest number of votes being the determining factor in establishing rotation when Members are sworn in on the same day after first being elected in the same election. As shown by comparing the Palm Desert Mayors List to the Council History (copy of each, attached), it can be noted that when new Councilmembers were elected in 1997 and 2006, those members were in office approximately three (3) and four (4) years before ascending into the Mayor Pro Tem/Mayor positions, respectively. In 2012 the Councilmember who'd been serving as Mayor Pro Tem for then -Mayor Robert A. Spiegel was not reelected. Therefore, in keeping with the established practice, the next person in line and eligible to serve as Mayor Pro Tem or Mayor for 2013 was Councilmember Jan C. Harnik, who was elected in 2010 (again, approximately three [3] years' time). Councilmember Jean M. Benson served as Mayor Pro Tem for 2013, also in keeping with having a Councilmember in office at least one year before becoming Mayor Pro Tem. However, Councilmember Benson declined ascending to the Mayorship in 2014. Staff Report - Resolution for Office of Mayor/Mayor Pro-Tempore November 12, 2015 Page No. 2 Therefore, Councilmembers Tanner and Weber, both seated in the November 2012 Election, then took their places in the informal rotation of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, respectively, in 2014. This occurred as set forth in Resolution No. 2013-14, where the Councillor receiving the highest number of votes in the election when two or more are seated on the same date is placed into the rotation first, followed by the Member with the next -highest number of votes, and so on. After this occurs, the steps are then repeated for the longest -serving Councilmember who hasn't yet been Mayor Pro Tern or has been out of the rotation the longest typically being appointed to the seat in anticipation of serving as Mayor the following year. The one-year term of office for each of the honorary positions of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tern has generally not been curtailed, with the exception of the term of 1986 Mayor Pro Tern Phyllis Jackson, who passed away in July that year. She would likely have been appointed to be Mayor in 1987; then -Mayor Richard Kelly continued in the office through 1987 instead. Additionally, Councilman S. Roy Wilson served as Mayor in 1994, the same year he was elected to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in November and was seated there as his term of Palm Desert Mayor came to a close, and there was no break in service. In order to better define the selection process for the annual Mayor/Mayor Pro Tern offices, especially following elections occurring in November each even -numbered year, and be better prepared for potential resetting of the informal rotation, staff was asked to prepare a policy to equitably account for these occurrences. The attached draft resolution is put forward to provide such clarity going forward, and adoption is recommended. Fiscal Analysis There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. Submitted by: a I rry =11 nj. �_!A� .G Jo,K0 M. Wohlmuth, City Manager Attachments (as noted) H:IWPdataIWPDOCSIStaHReportslmayoralrotatn-res no 2015- s.r.-2015-11-12.wpd 2 RESOLUTION NO. 2015 - 91 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA, RESCINDING ITS RESOLUTION NO. 2013-14 AND RESTATING ITS POLICY ON THE OFFICE OF MAYOR AND THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO-TEMPORE WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California, must appoint from its own Members two Councilmembers to serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tempore; and WHEREAS, it has been the desire of each City Council serving the City of Palm Desert since incorporation to make these positions honorary in nature, held for a one-year period of time; and WHEREAS, it is this City Council's opinion that each Member elected to the Council is equally qualified and deserving to hold these offices, and each Councilmember should be given ample opportunity to serve in one or both of these offices. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California, that the appointments of Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tempore shall be made on an annual rotating basis, and no one Councilmember shall serve a term in either office to exceed a one-year period of time, except when completing the term of a prior Mayor or Mayor Pro-Tempore for less than six months. The selection shall be made and the term commence at the first regular Council Meeting in December each year. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that prior to any Member of the Council being appointed as Mayor, such Councilmember shall have been either a Member of the Council for approximately two (2) years, and the Mayor Pro-Tempore shall have been a Member of the Council for approximately one (1) year prior to being selected for those respective offices; or in the absence of this occurrence, the Member's having served at least one term on the Palm Desert Planning Commission will be sufficient eligibility for appointment to the office. In appointing Mayor, priority shall be given to the immediately preceding Mayor Pro- Tempore; if the immediately preceding Mayor Pro-Tempore is unwilling or unable to serve as Mayor, priority shall be given to the Member who would otherwise have priority to be appointed Mayor-Tempore. In appointing Mayor Pro-Tempore, priority shall be given to the Member with the longest continuous service since last serving as Mayor, if ever. BE IT EVEN FURTHER RESOLVED that when two or more Members of the Council are sworn into office on the same day after being elected in the same RESOLUTION NO. 2015 - 91 Municipal Election, the order of their service in the Mayoral Rotation shall be established by number of votes received at said election, with the Member receiving the highest number of votes being inserted first into the Mayoral Rotation, and the person receiving the next -highest number of votes being inserted next, and so on. PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California at its regular meeting held on the day of , 2015, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: SUSAN MARIE WEBER, MAYOR ATTEST: RACHELLE D. KLASSEN, CITY CLERK CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 2 72500.00001 \20696288.1 RESOLUTION NO. 2013 - 14 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA, RESCINDING ITS RESOLUTION NO. 01-110 AND RESTATING ITS POLICY ON THE OFFICE OF MAYOR AND THE OFFICE OF MAYOR PRO-TEMPORE WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California, must appoint from its own Members two Councilmembers to serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tempore; and WHEREAS, it has been the desire of each City Council serving the City of Palm Desert since incorporation to make these positions honorary in nature, held for a one-year period of time; and WHEREAS, it is this City Council's opinion that each Member elected to the Council is equally qualified and deserving to hold these offices, and each Councilmember should be given ample opportunity to serve in one or both of these offices. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of �~ Palm Desert, California, that the appointments of Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tempore shall be made on an annual rotating basis, and no one Councilmember shall serve a term in either office to exceed a one-year period of time. The selection shall be made and the term commence at the first regular Council Meeting in December each year. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that prior to any Member of the Council being appointed as Mayor, such Councilmember shall have been gither a Member of the Council for approximately two (2) years, and the Mayor Pro-Tempore shall have been a Member of the Council for approximately one (1) year prior to being selected for those respective offices; or in the absence of this occurrence, the Member's having served at least one term on the Palm Desert Planning Commission will be sufficient eligibility for appointment to the office. BE IT EVEN FURTHER RESOLVED that when two or more Members of the Council are sworn into office on the same day after being elected in the same Municipal Election, the order of their service in the Mayoral Rotation shall be established by number of votes received at said election, with the Member receiving the highest number of votes being inserted first into the Mayoral Rotation and the person receiving the next -highest number of votes being inserted next, and so on. a... RESOLUTION NO. 120 3 -14 PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of `o Palm Desert, California at its regular meeting held on the 14th day of March, 2013, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: BENSON, TANNER, WEBER, and HARNIK NOES: SPIEGEL ABSENT: NONE ABSTAIN: NONE JAN C. HARN , MAYOR ATTEST: am NNW RA PHECL:L�E D. KLASSE , CITY CLERK CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA am we 2 PALM DESERT MAYORS 11/73 - 03/76 03/76 - 03/77 03/77 - 04/80 04/80 - 11 /82 11/82 - 11/83 11/83 - 11/85 11/85 - 11/87 11/87 - 11/88 11/88 - 11/89 11/89 - 11/90 11 /90 - 11 /91 11 /91 - 11 /92 11 /92 - 11 /93 11 /93 - 11 /94 11 /94 - 11 /95 11 /95 - 11 /96 11 /96 - 11 /97 12/97 - 11 /98 11 /98 - 11 /99 11 /99 - 11 /00 12/00 - 12/01 12/01 - 12/02 12/02 - 12/03 12/03 - 12/04 12/04 - 12/05 12/05 - 12/06 12/06 - 12/07 Hank Clark Noel Brush Ed Mullins S. Roy Wilson Romeo Puluqi Walter H. Snyder Richard S. Kelly Jean M. Benson S. Roy Wilson Buford A. Crites Walter H. Snyder Richard S. Kelly Jean M. Benson S. Roy Wilson Buford A. Crites Walter H. Snyder Richard S. Kelly Jean M. Benson Robert A. Spiegel Buford A. Crites Jim Ferguson Richard S. Kelly Jean M. Benson Robert A. Spiegel Buford A. Crites Jim Ferguson Richard S. Kelly 12/07 - 12/08 12/08 - 12/09 12/09 - 12/ 10 12/10 - 12/11 12/11 - 12/12 12/12 - 12/13 12/13 - 12/14 12/ 14 - Present Jean M. Benson Robert A. Spiegel Cindy Finerty Jean M. Benson Robert A. Spiegel Jan C. Harnik Van G. Tanner Susan Marie Weber I I:\W Pdata\WPDOCS\COUNCIL.WAYOR. W PD 12/ 1 1 / 14 PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL HISTORY Jean M. Benson 11/26/73 - 03/09/76 Chuck Aston 11/26/73 - 03/09/76 Henry B. Clark 11/26/73 - 03/09/76 Noel J. Brush 11/26/73 - 04/15/80 James E. McPherson 11/26/73 - 11/18/82 William R. Seidler 03/09/76 - 04/14/77 Edward D. Mullins 03/09/76 - 04/15/80 Alexis A. Newbrander 03/09/76 - 11/18/82 S. Roy Wilson 04/28/77 - 01/02/95 Romeo S. Pulugi 04/15/80 - 11/29/84 Walter H. Snyder 04/15/80 - 12/01/97 Phyllis Jackson 11/18/82 - 07/09/86 Richard S. Kelly 11/18/82 - 08/20/10 Jean M. Benson 11/29/84 - 12/11/14 Buford A. Crites 11/20/86 - 07/01/06 Jim Ferguson 12/01/97 - 12/09/10 Cindy Finerty 12/14/06 - 12/13/12 William R. Kroonen 09/20/10 - 12/13/12 Robert A. Spiegel 01 /26/95 - Present Jan C. Hamik 12/09/10 - Present Van G. Tanner 12/13/12 - Present Susan Marie Weber 12/13/12 - Present Sabby Jonathan 12/11/14 - Present H:\WPdata\WPDOCS\COUNCIL\HISTORY-2014.wpd 12/11/14