jlittler@DanaPoint.org
(949) 248-3513
About the City Council
The City of Dana Point operates under a Council/Manager
form of government. The City Council is composed of five members
elected at large on a non-partisan basis to serve four-year overlapping
terms. Municipal elections are held the first Tuesday in November
of even numbered years, with three Council members selected at
one election and two at the next. Service on the Council is limited
to two consecutive full terms. For names and terms of office of
the current City Council Members, refer to the City
Directory.
The Council is the legislative policy-making branch
of City government. City Council is responsible for enacting ordinances,
resolutions and orders necessary for governing the affairs of the
City; approving or amending the annual budget; authorizing contracts
on behalf of the City; acting as the final appeal body on rulings
of commissions; and appointing the City Manager, City Clerk, City Attorney,
and members of commissions and/or committees.
About the Mayor
Each year, the Council elects one of its members
to serve as Mayor and one as Mayor Pro Tem for a one-year term.
The Mayor serves as the official representative of the City for
all legislative and ceremonial purposes. The Mayor is the presiding
officer at City Council meetings and executes legal instruments
and documents. However, the Mayor is not vested with administrative
authority. The Mayor Pro Tem serves in the Mayor’s absence.
City Council
Representatives to Boards and Committees
City Council Members represent the City on various
boards and committees. For a list of those committees and the appointed
representative, click HERE.
City Council Meetings
The regular meeting of the City Council is a vital
part of the democratic process in the conduct of the City's affairs.
It is at Council meetings that laws, policies and basic decisions
are made for the government of Dana Point. All meetings of the
City Council are open to the public and citizens are encouraged
to attend to learn more about how the City operates. City Council
meetings are held in the Council Chamber, City Hall, 33282 Golden
Lantern, Dana Point, CA 92629, at 6:00 p.m., on the first and
third Tuesday of each month. Special meetings are called as
necessary by the Mayor, or by a majority of Council Members, and
noticed at least 24 hours in advance. For a current meeting schedule,
click HERE.
City Council Agenda
The City Council agenda is the official order
of business at Council meetings. Items for the agenda are prepared
and submitted to the City Council by the City Manager and staff.
The agenda lists the items coming before the Council
for consideration. A City staff report for each item gives background
and analysis, as well as staff recommendations and alternatives.
The Council may take action on any matter noticed
in the Agenda in any manner deemed appropriate by the Council.
The Council's consideration of the noticed matters is not limited
by the recommendations indicated in the Agenda Reports.
By Resolution, no new items of business will be
started after 11:00 p.m., unless an exception is made by vote of
the Council.
A copy of the Council
Agenda may be found at this website. Also, copies of the
Agenda can be obtained at City Hall on Friday preceding the Council
Meeting. In the future, Agenda Staff Reports will also be available
on the website.
Television Broadcasts
City Council meetings are cablecast live on Cox
Communications, Channel 30, and are rebroadcast on Tuesday and
Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m., the week after the Council meeting.
Addressing the City Council
Members of the public may address the Council
on items included in the agenda or on topics that are not included
in the agenda. Any person wishing to speak must complete a "Request
to Speak" form, which is available at the door, and submit
it to the City Clerk prior to the calling of that agenda item by
the Mayor.
Items on the "Consent Calendar" are
not discussed individually but are approved as a group with one
motion. If an item is pulled from the Consent Calendar for discussion,
it is considered after the Consent Calendar items are voted upon.
Anyone wishing to address the Council on a non-agenda
item may do so during the "Public Comments" part of the
agenda.
In order to conduct a timely meeting, there will
be a three-minute time limit per person and an overall time limit
of 15 minutes for the Public Comments portion of the agenda. State
law prohibits the City Council from taking any action on a specific
item unless it appears on the posted Agenda.
At the meeting, if anyone has handouts to distribute
to the Council, please hand them to the City Clerk. The City Clerk
will see that they are distributed.
Written Correspondence
Written correspondence can be sent to the Mayor
and City Council either by fax at (949) 248-9920 or addressed to
City of Dana Point, 33282 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA 92629.
Rules of Decorum
for the Public at Council Meetings
Members of the audience shall not engage in disorderly
or boisterous conduct, including the utterance of loud, threatening
or abusive language, clapping, whistling, stamping of feet or other
acts which disturb, disrupt, impede or otherwise render the orderly
conduct of the City Council meeting infeasible. A member of the
audience engaging in any such conduct shall, at the discretion
of the presiding officer or a majority of the City Council, be
subject to ejection from that meeting.
No cell phone operation or audible pager use is
allowed in the Council Chamber.
Glossary
of Terms
- Minutes: The written record of prior actions
presented to the Council for approval at the following meeting.
Minutes are not considered official until approved by the Council.
- Consent Calendar: A listing of routine business
items, which are adopted with one motion, without discussion.
However, any Council Member, citizen or staff member may request
that an item be pulled from the Consent Calendar for discussion
and separate action. The item is then considered after the Consent
Calendar items are voted upon.
- Public Hearings: The formal process of getting
opinion on major legislative matters as required by the City
Code--assessment districts, rezonings, subdivisions, appeals,
etc.
- Public Comments: The time during which citizens
may address the Council on any matter not on the agenda. Topics
brought up in this way are usually referred to the appropriate
staff member who may prepare a report and possibly place it on
a future agenda.
- Quorum: Requirement that three Council Members
be present to conduct a meeting.
- Motions: The least formal of actions which
ordinarily requires three affirmative votes.
- Resolutions: Formal written motions required
by the City Code for certain legal actions.
For Further Information
For further information, please contact
the City Manager’s Office at (949) 248-3513.
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