Hidden Hills City Council
Meeting Information
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Public hearings and discussion items at City Council meetings proceed generally in the following order: A) City staff presents a report of the item under consideration. B) City Council Members have an opportunity to ask questions of staff for clarification or to gather additional information. C) Public testimony is taken from affected parties and members of the public who wish to be heard. D) At the close of public testimony, the Mayor allows staff to respond to any public testimony in order to answer questions or to provide clarification. E) The Mayor asks other City Council Members to speak first, and then summarizes or provides the final comments before asking for a motion or direction to staff on the item. F) The order of City Council comments is at the discretion of the Mayor.
TYPES OF COUNCIL MEETINGS
Regular Meetings
The regular meeting of the City Council is a vital part of the democratic process in the conduct of the City’s affairs. The City Council generally meets the second Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Agendas are posted at City Hall and on the City’s website at least 72 hours in advance, and are emailed to residents who request to receive agendas.
Special Meetings
The Mayor or City Council may call Special Meetings at any time between regular meetings to consider specific items. The City Clerk’s Office will post a notice and agenda of these meetings at least 24 hours in advance. Typically, special meetings are called when a specific item is time sensitive and must be addressed prior to the next regular meeting.
Workshops/Study Sessions
A workshop/study session is a type of adjourned regular meeting or special meeting that is held for a specific purpose or to consider items that require more discussion than can be accommodated at a regular meeting. These sessions are usually informal, though open to the public, and may be held at a place in the City other than the Council Chambers.
Closed Sessions
The City Council may meet in closed session at a regular or special meeting to discuss and act on matters that the Brown Act allows to be addressed in closed session, such as pending or threatened litigation, conference with real property negotiators, or consideration of appointment, performance evaluation, discipline, dismissal or release of a public employee.
Emergency Meetings
The Brown Act provides for emergency meetings to be held by a legislative body with an hour’s notice to the public and the press in order to address a catastrophic event such as a wildfire, earthquake or similar type of emergency. When a majority of the legislative body determines that an emergency situation exists, it may call an emergency meeting.
ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL DURING THE MEETING
Public Participation on Items on the Agenda
The City Council encourages public participation in the decision-making process. Individuals wishing to address the City Council on any item on the agenda may do so at the time the item is being considered and prior to action being taken. Comments are limited to no more than 3 minutes per speaker, but that time limit may be reduced at the Mayor’s discretion if there are numerous speakers on a particular item.
Public Participation on items NOT on the Agenda
The public is welcome to comment on any issue not on the agenda but within the jurisdiction of the City Council during the Public Comment period of the agenda. The City Council appreciates it when residents bring issues of community concern to its attention. Please note, however, the City Council is precluded by the Brown Act from discussing or taking action on any item not on the agenda unless it can be demonstrated that the item is of an emergency nature, or the need to act is immediate and arose subsequent to the posting of the agenda. Council members may make a brief informational statement when warranted but are not allowed to engage in a back-and-forth conversation or have a substantial discussion on a matter not on the agenda.
How to Address the Council
Public comment on agenda and non-agenda items will be accepted by hard copy correspondence or email to staff@hiddenhillscity.org prior to the meeting and the correspondence should identify the agenda item number or indicate that it pertains to a non-agenda item. Such correspondence must be received by the City Clerk no later than 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Alternatively, members of the public may participate in Council Chambers or join the meeting via the Zoom platform. To ask a question or comment during a meeting via Zoom, click on the icon labeled “Participants” at the bottom center of your PC or Mac screen. At the bottom of the window on the right side of the screen, click the button labeled “Raise Hand.” Your digital hand is now raised. To “Raise Hand” on an audio only call, press*6 to unmute and *9 to “Raise Hand”.