RULES OF PROCEDURE OF

THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

County of San Luis Obispo

In order to provide for more expeditious handling of growing public business, these rules of procedure are adopted by the County of San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors as of October 1985, and amended as of February 23, 1999. Whenever possible, these rules are to be construed generally.

I. MEETINGS

A. The Board of Supervisors shall meet weekly in regular session on the first 4 Tuesdays of each month. All meetings will be open sessions in the Board Chambers.

B. Business shall be conducted from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. only, unless extended by unanimous consent of the Supervisors present. Otherwise, business shall be adjournned to 8:30 A.M. of the following day, or on a day as designated by the Board.

C. The order of business for the Board of Supervisors shall be as arranged by the County Administrator and Board Chairman, except for matters set for a specific time by the Board.

D. A matter not on the agenda will not be considered, save by unanimous consent of the Board members present unless legally required.

II. ATTENDANCE

A. The County Counsel or a Deputy shall be present at all meetings of this Board of Supervisors.

B. The Clerk of the Board or a Deputy shall be present at all meetings of the Board of Supervisors.

C. The County Administrator or a Deputy shall be present at all meetings of the Board of Supervisors.

III. PUBLIC COMMENT

A. All persons desiring to speak on agenda items other than public hearings, during the meeting, or during the Public Comment portion of the agenda, should fill out a "Board Appearance Request Form", and provide it to the Clerk of the Board prior to the start of the Board item or unless invited to speak by the Chairman or a member of the Board. Persons appearing at meetings of the Board of Supervisors making presentations shall first be recognized by the Chairman and give their names and residences. Such persons should stand during their presentation, unless invited to do otherwise by the Chairman.

B. There will be a portion of the agenda set aside for members of the public to directly access the Board on items of interest. A total of 15 minutes will be allocated for the Public Comment period and each individual speaker will be limited to a 3 minute presentation.

The Chairman may refer any issues that arise during this period to staff for appropriate action. Comments will be limited to issues over which the Board has jurisdiction and items that were not listed on that day's agenda for public hearing.

C. Public Comment remarks should be directed to the Chairman and the Board as a whole and not to any individual thereof. No person will be permitted to make slanderous, profane or personal remarks against any individual.

D. Any member of the Board may briefly comment at the conclusion of public comment on any issue brought up during the public comment period.

IV. PROCEDURE

A. A Board Order applies mainly as a directive to County officers or employees. It need not be reviewed in writing, as it generally applies to one specific act only. Board Resolutions and Ordinances must be reviewed in written form before binding action is taken on them.

B. At the first regular meeting of the calendar year, a Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be elected by majority vote of the Supervisors present and such Chairman shall preside for one year. In their absence or inability to attend, a Chairman protem shall be selected by the members present.

C. When motions are made by Supervisors, the motion shall be stated to the Clerk by the moving Supervisor.

D. No question on a motion shall be debated or put unless the motion has been seconded. When a motion is seconded, it shall be stated by the Chairman before debate.

E. A motion having been stated by the Chairman, it shall be deemed to be in possession by the Board, but it may be withdrawn at any time before decision or amendment with the assent of the second.

F. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received unless:

1. To adjourn.

2. To lay on the table.

3. To consider the previous question.

4. To postpone to a certain date.

5. To commit to committee.

6. To amend.

7. To postpone indefinitely.

These motions shall have preference in the above order.

G. A motion to adjourn or a motion to fix time of adjournment shall be decided with debate.

H. A motion to refer or lay on the table until it is decided shall include all amendments to the main question.

I. A motion to consider the previous question shall preclude all amendment from debate to the main question and shall be put in the form "shall the main question be put to a vote."

J. A member called to order shall relinquish the floor unless permitted to explain, and the Board, if appealed to, shall decide on the case, but without debate. If there is no appeal, the decision of the Chairman shall be final.

K. Upon demand of any Board member, or at the discretion of the Chairman, the vote shall be by roll call, except that the vote on all ordinances or resolution shall be by roll call.

V. COMMITTEES

A. The Chairman, with majority consent of the Board, shall appoint committee at such times as deemed necessary for the proper conduct of the business of the Board of Supervisors, subject to the provisions of Government Code Sections 54970-54975.

B. All orders of the Board relative to committees shall specify the purpose of the committee, the length of time the committee shall serve, and the times and methods by which the committee shall report to the Board.

C. No committees appointed by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors shall include in their membership more than two Supervisors, but may include within their membership any number of other County officials or public members who are not members of Boards and Commissions subject to the provisions of Government Code Sections 54950-54960.

D. The County Administrator shall be ex-officio member of all committees appointed by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors pursuant to the foregoing rules and is hereby empowered to call meetings of such committees at such times as may be mutually agreed upon by a majority of the members of any such committee.

VI. AGENDAS

A. Agendas for the Board will be prepared by the County Administrator, and the Administrator shall have discretion as to when and what items shall be included while working closely with the Chairman of the Board.

B. Items for a Tuesday agenda shall be submitted to the County Administrator by 9:00 A.M. of the preceding Monday, by the person requesting the item, unless a legal holiday necessitates the moving of the agenda deadline.

C. Agenda requests referred to in B. above shall be submitted in such form and contain such information as the County Administrator shall prescribe.

D. Any item not on the agenda may be heard at any time by the Board with the unanimous consent of all Board members present. However, these are to be held to an absolute minimum, are to be based on urgent circumstances, and except when otherwise provided by law must be cases in which need for the item arose subsequent to the 72 hour agenda posting requirement.

E. Whenever deemed advisable, in order to provide a guide for Board action, the County Administrator shall recommend a course of action for items other than the Consent Agenda. (See F. hereafter)

F. The County Administrator may list such items as deemed advisable together with a recommended course of action for each under a Consent Agenda category. The Board may delete such items from the Consent Agenda in order to change the recommended course of action, and by roll call vote then approve the remainder of the Consent Agenda, or by roll call vote may approve the Consent Agenda as submitted.

VII. Items referred to individual departments for action and/or study by the Board of Supervisors shall be routed through the County Administrator. The County Administrator shall inform the Board on a quarterly basis as to the current status of such communications, and as to which department's final reports are still outstanding.

VIII. The County Administrator shall occasionally review these rules of procedure and make recommendations for change to the Board for revision.

IX. Amendments to these rules of procedure shall be four-fifths vote of the Board.