La Mirada City Council
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La Mirada City Council |
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C O U N C I L |
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E M B E R S |
 Councilmember Pete Dames |
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About City Council Meetings Contact the City Council |
About the La
Mirada City Council
The City Council is the legislative and policy making body for the City of La Mirada. Five members of the City Council are elected at large in March of odd-numbered years for four-year, overlapping terms. Each year the Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and one member to serve as Mayor Pro Tem. The Mayor presides over all Council meetings and is the ceremonial head of the City for official functions.
As La Mirada’s elected representatives, the City Council expresses the values of the electorate in keeping pace with community needs and establishing the quality of municipal services in the urban environment. The Council determines service levels and revenue obligations through the adoption of an annual budget, authorizes City contracts and expenditures, establishes City service and operating policies, and adopts such regulatory measures as may be necessary for the mutual protection of the community.
The City Council has two primary goals, as adopted in the Fiscal Year 1998-99 budget. These goals are: to provide a better quality of life for all La Mirada citizens by developing cost effective and productive policies and procedures; and to maintain La Mirada’s fiscal integrity through the adoption of a balanced budget providing a high level of service to the community.
Members of the City Council also serve as the Board of Directors of the La Mirada Redevelopment Agency. The Mayor serves as Chairman of the Redevelopment Agency and the Mayor Pro Tem serves as Vice Chairman. The Redevelopment Agency acts in conjunction with the City to assure future stability and growth in La Mirada.
Regular meetings of the City Council and Redevelopment Agency are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at La Mirada City Hall. Study Session meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Conference Room at La Mirada City Hall.
About City Council Meetings
The agenda for all City Council/Agency meetings are prepared by the City Clerk’s office, and posted pursuant to State law at least 72 hours before any meeting. The purpose of the agenda is to inform the public in advance of the items under consideration.
Order of Business
The City Council and Redevelopment Agency follow a regular order of business as provided
in the agenda for each meeting. The order of business is as follows:
Appearances, Proclamations & Presentations
At various times throughout the year, the City Council recognizes individuals, groups or organizations for their many contributions to the community by special presentations or proclamations of upcoming events. Also, from time-to-time, individuals or groups who wish to recognize the City Council may appear.
Public Hearings
The advertised public hearing procedures, established by the City Council, provide for a staff presentation followed by presentations of proponents of the matter under consideration, then presenations by the opponents, followed by any questions the City Council/Agency may have. The applicant then has the opportunity for rebuttal prior to closing hearings.
Any person desiring to address the Council/Agency on a hearing matter should rise and be recognized by the chair following the staff report, step up to the microphone, state his/her name and address for the record, and sign the register.
Once the public hearing is closed, no further testimony from the public may be taken.
Consent Calendar
Items under the Consent Calendar are considered routine and may be enacted by one motion and roll call vote. Should any Councilmember desire to consider any item separately, he will so indicate to the Mayor. If the item is desired to be discussed separately, it will be considered as the first item under New Business.
New Business
Items that are presented for City Council/Agency action and not considered routine will normally be heard under New Business.
Ordinances and Resolutions
An Ordinance is a city law. When an ordinance is drafted, it must be approved twice – at two separate Council/Agency meetings. It becomes a law thirty days after passage (second reading). An ordinance remains a city law until and unless it is amended or repealed by a subsequent Ordinance.
A Resolution is an official statement of Council/Agency policy. It requires only one reading. Once adopted, it remains Council policy until and unless changed by subsequent resolution.
In adopting Ordinances and Resolutions, a roll call vote is required and each Councilmember votes when his name is called by the City Clerk.
Public Comment
Citizen participation is invited at all Council meetings. To insure that all La Mirada residents have a fair opportunity to appear before the City Council, a Public Comment Period is included on each regular City Council Agenda. Council policy is that individual presentations not exceed five minutes. The Council will hear public comments regarding regular agenda items at the time the particular matter is presented for Council consideration.
The Council will make no decisions nor take action on those matters presented during the Public Comment period. However, those matters may be placed on a future Council Study Session or Regular Meeting agenda for consideration and action.
Any information or materials provided during Public Comments are recorded in the minutes and are subject to public disclosure under the Public Records Act. The speaker is requested, but is not required, to orally state or register his or her name and/or address on the sheet located at the podium, for purposes of recording the information accurately in the minutes. If the speaker declines to provide his or her name, address, and other relevant information, the records will so indicate. This will preclude the City staff from communicating the results of any investigation of the issues presented with the speaker or enabling the City from following up to obtain further details and information for the investigation of the issue.
Warrants and Demands
All bills and charges to the City are paid by warrants (checks). The Warrant Register is approved by the City Council/Agency prior to payment.
Americans with Disabilities Act
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons needing special assistance to participate in a City meeting or other services offered by the City should contact the City Clerk’s office at (562) 943-0131, extension 2304, or the Personnel Department, extension 2305, at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
City of La Mirada
13700 La Mirada Blvd.
La Mirada, CA 90638
P.O. Box 828
CA, 90637-0828
Phone (562) 943-0131 Fax (562) 943-3666
