Written by the reviewer from the ASR + docket; [verbatim-ASR] = quoted machine transcript; [paraphrase] = reviewer's wording, not a quote.
0:00 Okay, we're going to go ahead and get started with the, I'm going to call to
0:06 order, the meeting of the Rules and Ordinances Committee. Myself is here and
0:12 along with chair, along with committee members, Councilwoman Marks and
0:17 Councilman Evans. And then we are joined by our Youth Council and their
0:24 advisor, Amy, and their Council liaison is Councilman Stripik. So the first order
0:31 of business we're going to do is approval of the minutes of the October
0:35 20th, 2025 meeting of the Rules and Ordinances Committee.
0:41 Can I, can I get a motion? So moved. Moved to accept. Thank you. Second. Okay, so we
0:56 have approved the Rules and Ordinances minutes from October 20th. So we're
1:02 going to dig right in into resolution 2025-60, which is in regards to updating
1:12 of the rules for the Youth Council. And since we have you all here, I am going
1:18 to turn the floor over to you all. We do have an Exhibit A and then we
1:25 also have an additional document that was sent to us that explains
1:30 everything. So I'm going to just turn over everything over to you all and help
1:36 talk us through what it is that you're trying to do with these updates. Hello?
1:43 Okay, so the primary purpose of these amendments was we realized that the
1:49 bylaws didn't really match up with what we needed as a council as of
1:56 currents. Like they needed to be updated with our current functionings
2:00 of the council. So starting with Article 2, Section 4A, we thought the current
2:07 wording was overly strict with the meetings. As high school students, we're
2:13 all extremely busy and things can happen and get in the way and, you
2:17 know, you can miss two meetings. So we've decided we would like to amend
2:21 it to have a review of a person's attendance if they've missed too many
2:26 meetings, unexcused, with through the executive meetings. And then that can
2:34 happen. That will be how we decide if someone needs to step down from the
2:40 council. Just because a lot of the people on our council are extremely busy
2:44 people. They're very dedicated students and they're dedicated to a lot of
2:47 things. And we want to keep in mind their schedules and we also want to say
2:52 that this is council, like it's top priority, but we do understand that
2:56 family events happen, other school events happen, and we want to be
3:00 understanding and slightly more flexible of that moving forward. And then
3:07 Article 2, Section 6, this is just to help us more flexibility with
3:12 inducting new members. We've noticed it's searching for and interviewing
3:17 applicants can take a lot more time than I think was originally thought. Just
3:22 because we have to make the posters, put up the posters, and then give the
3:25 applicants enough time to fill out. High school students, I said, they're
3:29 very busy. Sometimes they don't fill out things. It takes them a while and
3:32 then from there we have to choose an interview. It can be a way longer
3:35 process. So the rewarding of that is just to kind of
3:42 help us. It changes it from the first meeting of the year to the first
3:45 regularly scheduled meeting after interviews have been conducted to kind
3:49 of give us that flexibility if we need more time. We're probably going to try
3:53 and get interviews done as soon as possible. I mean, as in this case, we
3:56 did it quite speedily, but just in case something happens, we would like
4:01 to have that flexibility. And then with Article 3, Section 1, this is, we
4:09 just wanted to add in something in case the officer's seat becomes vacant in
4:14 the middle of a council year, just because there wasn't something previously
4:18 added there. We haven't had an issue with an officer becoming vacant, but
4:22 because we're still in the beginning years of this, we want to put
4:25 something forth in case that does happen and to make sure things
4:28 don't go into chaos. And then Article 3, Section 2A, it calls for
4:36 the meetings to be called at the top of the hour, but things usually don't
4:40 happen at the top of the hour. Usually it's like 6.03, 6.02 because
4:45 of traffic or just, you know, we have to meet Quora and people come
4:48 in like a minute late. So we just want to reward that to make
4:52 it more clear, like it's when we meet Quora, when everyone's there
4:56 and we can call the meeting to order. Article 3, Sections 2D and 2G are,
5:04 they provide clarity for when all of our officers are absent,
5:07 which will probably never happen, but in worst case scenario, we do
5:12 want to have a plan set forth. And then Article 4, Section 4A,
5:20 this is mostly due to the fact that we don't have our seats,
5:23 sometimes we don't have our seats full all of the time.
5:26 We try our best to keep it completely full council, but there have
5:28 been times where people have stepped down or right before, you know,
5:32 we get a new batch of like interviewees and people on the council.
5:36 So we just wanted to clarify and say, it doesn't have to be
5:40 specifically eight, it just has to be a simple majority of the
5:44 current amount of members on the council because there's not always
5:47 going to be exactly 15, as much as we'd like it to be.
5:51 And then Article 4, Section 4B, our vice chair wanted to clarify
5:55 the grammar on that. I don't know what his nitpick was.
6:01 OK, that was just a grammar clarification.
6:04 And then Article 4, Section 5, this current wording requires
6:12 the Lakewood Community Relations Advisory Commission to advise
6:15 the Lakewood Youth Council, which doesn't happen.
6:18 We're currently being advised by Ms. Cindy Shreveage.
6:20 So we just wanted to reword that as any city council member
6:25 to kind of, you know, word things as how they have been going.
6:31 And then Article 5, Section 1E, the current bylaws give no method
6:37 for dissolving standing committees, so there might be times
6:41 where standing committees become no longer necessary.
6:43 So we wanted to put forth a way to dissolve a standing committee
6:48 if it is no longer necessary.
6:50 And then Section 5, Article 5, Section 2A, I think this was just
6:57 a clarification. I think it says, like, full council.
7:04 We just wanted to put that it's all everyone that's there
7:07 at the meeting, so the current core of the people that are meeting
7:11 would be the unanimous vote instead of just everyone,
7:14 all 15 members of the council.
7:17 And then Article 5, Section 2C would be improved procedure
7:23 for selection of special committees.
7:25 We put selection of special committees mostly in the hands
7:29 of the committee chair because we feel that would be a more
7:33 efficient way of doing that.
7:34 If there are outside council members that want to be
7:36 on the committee, that would then go to the chair
7:39 of the entire council, but we like to put trust
7:41 in our committee chairs because it helps things move along faster
7:45 and more efficiently.
7:51 So great job going through all of that.
7:53 I think all of these make sense.
7:56 I did have a question about your attendance.
7:59 I mean, I can understand about being busy
8:03 and busy lives and everything.
8:05 So and I definitely understand unexcused absences are just
8:10 not good and when students get out into,
8:16 I don't want to say real world, but they get out,
8:18 you know, they're done with high school
8:20 when you all are done, you know,
8:21 unexcused absences in the workplace
8:23 or any other commitments are not tolerable.
8:25 So it's a great lesson to know that yes,
8:28 you might be volunteering,
8:29 but it's important that you inform someone
8:30 if you're going to not be available.
8:33 So is there like unlimited excused absences
8:37 or is that one of those things
8:39 where it gets evaluated where maybe it's a conversation
8:42 that you have with that member that, hey, you know,
8:45 it's okay if you don't necessarily have the time
8:50 So I don't know if you've thought about that
8:52 or had those conversations.
8:55 That's very important to us in the interview process.
8:58 When we're interviewing them,
8:59 we ask them that they have enough time
9:03 and they also have to fill out an excused absence
9:07 So it's a very, to get an excused absence,
9:10 it is, it takes a lot of, it's a process.
9:14 It's something that we think through
9:15 and if they don't fill out that form in two weeks,
9:19 don't give us sufficient notice.
9:20 It is an unexcused absence
9:22 so you can only have two of those.
9:24 So I would say we have gotten a lot stricter
9:26 on our attendance policy.
9:28 We do let members know and coming in like,
9:30 hey, this is serious.
9:31 You do have to be here as much as possible.
9:35 And that's kind of how we approach it.
9:37 We haven't had a lot of issues with attendance recently
9:40 although I feel like it's gotten a bit better.
9:44 I don't have anything else.
9:45 I do have some edits.
9:46 I don't know if other committee members
9:49 have any comments they would like to, yeah, go ahead.
9:57 Well, I'm impressed with how you've gone through
10:01 the organization of your committee
10:03 and done a good job of coordinating things
10:06 and looking at what could make your committee better,
10:09 your council better.
10:10 And it is a commitment that we certainly
10:13 that we make on city council when we stand for a position.
10:18 As your fellow students should understand
10:21 that the commitment to attendance is very important
10:24 in order for you to do the job that you're looking
10:28 So I think it's great that you clarify that in here
10:31 and that when you're interviewing them,
10:33 students understand what that commitment means.
10:36 I think you've done a good job of putting this together.
10:44 Yeah, I just, I wanna applaud you guys
10:45 for all the work you undertook to do this.
10:48 This is a huge initiative.
10:51 And this is important work
10:52 that all of us do from time to time.
10:54 That's really important to the work we do in governance
10:57 is making sure we go through from time to time
10:59 and take a look at the rules by which we operate
11:02 and make sure they're working for us
11:04 and working for our constituents
11:06 and that we're working efficiently in the best we can.
11:08 So I applaud you for the initiative.
11:11 Thank you for taking the time.
11:12 And I'm certainly interested to hear
11:13 what Councilperson Striebig thinks this year.
11:17 but there's a lot of great stuff in here
11:19 that makes a lot of sense.
11:28 I had a chance to sit down and really look at this
11:31 today and I wanted to make a couple comments
11:33 and make a couple suggestions along the way here.
11:36 So I'm gonna dive right into article one
11:39 with the purpose of the group.
11:41 And I wanted to point out to you
11:43 that you're meeting the topics
11:47 regarding youth health and safety.
11:49 I'm on line three at the end of line three
11:52 with your mental health committee.
11:54 I think you're covering that there.
11:56 And then the, not the next one,
11:59 the one after that, community relations
12:01 and community outreach.
12:02 I think you have a committee for that as well.
12:06 But in that middle one there,
12:07 youth advocacy might be a good committee to consider.
12:13 And I'm not sure where that would go,
12:15 but I think some of you are advocates
12:17 for a number of different things in your lives.
12:20 And that might be another good committee
12:28 I also thought establishing
12:31 public and private partnerships
12:33 between the council and local enterprises.
12:35 Mel, I know that you've met with somebody
12:37 that was working with the YMCA
12:39 to talk about mental health there.
12:41 So I think that any kind of work
12:43 that collaborates, like it says,
12:44 collaborates with nonprofit organizations
12:46 across the community.
12:47 And I think you guys are kind of scratching
12:49 the surface with that,
12:50 but maybe that's another area
12:52 where you could look at even
12:55 the Healthy Lakewood Foundation
12:56 might be a good person to invite into a meeting
12:59 and have conversations there.
13:02 And then in article two,
13:03 there seems to be a little bit of margin error here.
13:09 And number C needs to go over a little bit to the left.
13:14 And then in section two,
13:16 it looks like A is hanging out there
13:18 at the end of line two.
13:21 And then I think A after the first paragraph
13:27 or even B could be half of A there.
13:32 So I'm looking at A as the chair, vice chair,
13:36 secretary and vice secretary
13:38 will conduct the in-person interviews
13:40 and will decide on the final slate of candidates.
13:42 That's one thing, I think.
13:44 And then B could be the final slate of candidates
13:47 is subject to approval
13:49 by a quorum of the Lakewood Youth Council.
13:51 See how those are two different things.
13:52 I think that needs to be split.
13:55 And then that A there would become a C, okay?
13:59 And then in section three,
14:01 again, just some indentation corrections there.
14:05 And then number four,
14:07 I wanted to kind of really get into a conversation
14:09 with you about the vacancies.
14:12 Because the word should is a little concerning to me,
14:16 especially when you're talking about asking people
14:19 that you've done all this work with to now step down.
14:23 And I think maybe you should consider the word will
14:26 as opposed to should.
14:28 So in that, in section A where it says
14:32 warnings should be presented,
14:36 pick a number, like two warnings will be presented,
14:41 If you wanna be a little more flexible,
14:43 like I hear what you're saying,
14:45 you're all very busy people
14:47 and doing a million different things.
14:49 But I think if you were to say
14:50 will be presented before direct action is taken.
14:54 And then in B, a review will be conducted
14:58 by the executive committee.
15:00 And again, at the discretion of is a little bit,
15:03 a little bit wishy washy there.
15:05 So maybe more of a, this is what we're gonna do.
15:08 We're gonna give you two warnings
15:11 before we're gonna take action.
15:13 And then a review is going to be made
15:15 by the executive committee.
15:17 And then decisions will be made from there.
15:20 Because I still think that the review in and of itself
15:23 will allow you to either, okay,
15:25 this is not acceptable or,
15:29 oh my gosh, something horrific happened to their family
15:31 or whatever that is, right?
15:33 And we have to make an exception for this.
15:40 two I and three I there,
15:42 I think that should be accumulated past tense,
15:46 accumulated a total of two unexcused absences.
15:49 Any thoughts on any of that?
15:53 I think we would be amendable to all of that,
15:57 changing it to will,
15:58 the change in the accumulating and fixing the formats.
16:03 Yeah, I think that should all be totally okay with us.
16:07 And then I go down into section five
16:09 and I see, or section six rather,
16:13 in B where, or C, the last one,
16:16 applicants will be inaugurated as promptly as possible.
16:18 And I love the flexibility there.
16:20 I think that that's absolutely appropriate
16:22 for you to say that there.
16:23 I don't think that that needs to be,
16:25 will be on the state or anything like that,
16:26 because again, you need some flexibility there.
16:29 And then just a couple indentations in article three.
16:35 And again, in section two down there,
16:37 the flexibility of starting the meeting.
16:42 Roughly about a quarter after,
16:44 we're gonna start the meeting.
16:45 I don't think it needs to be promptly at.
16:47 I totally agree with that.
16:48 The next two seem to be procedural.
16:51 That's not a problem for me.
16:53 In section four, four, under procedure,
16:58 a simple majority of the total number of active members.
17:04 I think that you may wanna put in there
17:06 in attendance for the meeting,
17:08 as opposed to just the whole 15 of you.
17:11 You wanna say, because you're taking out the eight,
17:14 the number eight, right?
17:16 Because you wanna say, we might not all be there,
17:19 so we don't wanna be tied down to the number eight.
17:22 You may just wanna see, say,
17:24 the number of people that are at the meeting
17:26 are gonna make this decision.
17:27 So that's something to consider there.
17:30 And then, I understand the idea
17:35 to correct maybe the English there,
17:41 but I think by doing that,
17:43 you may be losing the essence of this idea
17:46 that in this, because now it sounds a little bit
17:49 bullying to me on this first one.
17:51 The first priority in the works of the council
17:54 shall be to strive for consensus.
17:57 And I don't know that that's necessarily always
18:01 what you wanna say there,
18:01 because you all have conversations.
18:04 You're all, you know, some are in agreement,
18:06 some are in disagreement,
18:07 and I don't think that you're trying
18:08 to get everybody in agreement.
18:10 You're having a conversation,
18:12 and I like the way that it reads
18:13 without the correction that although the first priority
18:17 in the work of the council is to strive for consensus,
18:20 sure, we all wanna agree, but we may not.
18:24 You know, votes of the council will be valid
18:26 when authorized by an affirmative vote of the majority.
18:28 So you're taking a vote and understanding
18:30 that there may be some people that don't agree,
18:33 but you're gonna go with the majority.
18:34 So I don't know that that one needs to be changed.
18:38 And then just some other corrections on the margins there.
18:47 So I thought it was really good.
18:48 Just a couple comments from me on that.
18:54 I have just a couple minor edits.
18:58 So if we go to section, article two, section six,
19:07 six B, removing meeting then September,
19:16 just say no later than youth council September meeting.
19:20 So just a minor grammatical.
19:23 And then the only other one is section,
19:31 article four, section four C,
19:38 role, it should be R-O-L-E, just typo.
19:45 So this role will be used in above.
19:55 We should be good with all those changes.
19:57 I do wanna say section four A says a simple majority
20:01 of the total number of active members
20:03 serving on the council because that's for quorum,
20:08 that's for starting the meeting.
20:09 If we're already in a meeting,
20:10 it's the simple majority of whoever's in the meeting
20:12 for a vote, just for some clarification.
20:17 But everything else that you said,
20:20 we should be amendable to that.
20:26 Madam Chair, thank you.
20:30 And that in terms of the quorum being met
20:33 by a majority of the members serving on the council
20:37 mirrors what this council does to make quorum
20:41 so that makes sense to me.
20:46 Just to make sure that we can, as we edit,
20:48 to make sure we can avoid this.
20:49 In section four A, you suggested that for I,
20:53 we should change accumulates to accumulated.
20:56 Should we do the same for number two as well?
21:19 We had discussed before about process here
21:22 with how to go through this.
21:23 There were a number of small changes there
21:28 and I think more than, no big deal,
21:31 but just a number of little things to change.
21:33 And so I'm gonna suggest that the process
21:35 might be that if the youth council members
21:39 be able to just do those in the document
21:42 and send it to the clerk's office,
21:43 then the clerks would be able to give that to us
21:47 as a substitute that we can introduce on the floor
21:51 if that's so desired.
21:54 I'm okay with that, if youth council's okay with that.
22:02 You have a deadline for, is it?
22:06 Oh, when do they need to send it to us or?
22:09 How anxious are you to get these?
22:11 Do you have a urgent, like?
22:16 Well, yeah, what we had discussed
22:20 prior to this meeting starting was
22:21 if there were like three changes,
22:23 we could move to amend them and then do it audibly
22:26 and then substitute and then move to refer out
22:30 of committee for adoption as that substitute version.
22:32 But there were more than I could keep track of
22:36 in my brain to be able to do that myself.
22:40 No, I don't want to speak for everybody else.
22:42 So it would make sense to get that on paper, I think.
22:48 But if you're anxious for it to be passed tonight,
22:51 then we can try to figure that out.
22:52 But if not, it can just come back to us
22:55 and we can substitute it and refer it back
23:02 Yeah, it would just be,
23:07 we could actually, you could actually even make a motion
23:10 to amend with all those amendments
23:15 and then refer it as amended and then once we get that,
23:19 we can then vote on it in full council.
23:22 Does that process make sense?
23:26 It's a suggestion, you're the chair?
23:27 Yeah, no, I'm not the chair.
23:30 It's a suggestion, you're the chair?
23:32 No, no, I'm okay with that.
23:33 Other committee members, top of the woman,
23:38 Mark Comforts and Evans, is that okay?
23:45 So do we have a motion to accept those amendments?
23:55 A motion, okay, motion to amend as discussed.
23:59 I'd like to make a motion to amend as discussed
24:02 and I need a second, or did you make that motion?
24:14 Okay, so all right, so that is going to,
24:18 so yes, so please make those edits
24:21 and then we can refer this favorably back
24:24 to full council for, we'll refer it favorably
24:28 back to full council.
24:34 If you were to go ahead and motion to do that,
24:36 then we can put this on the next docket
24:39 with the substitute that we would receive.
24:41 Okay, so I'm going to make a motion
24:45 to refer favorably back to full council
24:50 with the amendments as discussed.
24:57 Okay, great, we're good.
25:00 Meeting, any, if there's no other further business,
25:06 the meeting of the rules and ordinances committee
25:10 Thank you, thanks for being here, great job.
25:13 We'll start full council in five minutes.