§ 2-25. Council conduct with staff.

(a)

Council has the authority to direct the city manager with respect to the manager's duties, concerning the administration and operation of the city, including its codes, ordinances, resolutions, policies, procedures and directives. Individual councilors' directives however, shall be limited to requests for documents and information and subject to the following;

(1)

Requests for public records and criminal justice records shall be made in writing to the appropriate custodian with a copy provided to the city manager. Replies to such requests shall be in accordance with the applicable law except that councilors shall not be assessed any fees. However if the custodian, with the city manager's concurrence determines that the research and retrieval time for a request exceeds 60 minutes of staff time the custodian shall notify the councilor that for staff to proceed the councilor must submit a council work request form executed by the requestor and three other councilors or in the alternative the councilor may request that the matter be placed upon the agenda for the consideration of council at an upcoming regular meeting. The custodian shall then proceed to fulfill the request only if so directed by a vote of the majority of the council present.

(2)

Requests for information outside the scope of public or criminal justice records shall be made to the city manager. If in the city manager's determination more than 60 minutes of staff time per calendar week shall be required to obtain the required information the request will not be processed unless a councilor submits the city manager a council work request form executed by the requestor and three other councilors or in the alternative a councilor may request that the matter be placed upon the agenda for the consideration of council at an upcoming regular meeting. The city manager shall then proceed to direct staff to fulfill the request only if so directed by a vote of the majority of the council present. For the purposes of this sub-section each councilor shall be allotted 60 minutes of staff time per calendar week, however such time is not accruable nor may it be transferred or assigned to another councilor.

(b)

Council members may discuss all matters relating to city operations and administrative services with employees but should first advise the city manager of such discussions. Council members are prohibited from giving a direct order to any city employee, or soliciting political support from any employee for any council member's campaign for any elected or appointed office.

(c)

In interacting with staff, council members shall treat all staff as professionals, not disrupt staff in the performance of their duties, not publicly criticize individual staff members and not attend staff meetings unless invited by the city manager.

(Ord. No. 14-04, § 2, 5-20-2014; Ord. No. 15-03, § 1, 5-5-2015)