O-2021-3841, amending the City Council's adopted rules of procedure and ethics policy for City Council by adding an attendance policy for members of City Council

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ORDINANCE NO.2021-3841 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY COUNCIL'S ADOPTED RULES OF PROCEDURE AND ETHICS POLICY FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS BY ADDING AN ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL; FINDING COMPLIANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT; CONTAINING A REPEALING CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE HEREOF WHEREAS, pursuant to a special election held on May 1, 2021, the La Porte Home Rule Charter was amended to provide that a member of City Council shall forfeit his or her office by failing "to attend three consecutive regular Council meetings without being excused by the Council.'; and WHEREAS, the City Council Rules of Procedure and Ethics Policy does not contain rules for attendance of meetings by City Council members, and to that extent does not provide guidelines to the City Council in making a determination whether an absence is excused or unexcused; and WHEREAS, the La Porte City Council finds that it is therefore necessary to adopt an attendance policy for members of the City Council, in light of the May 1, 2021, amendment to the La Porte Home Rule Charter providing that a member of City Council forfeits their office by failing to attend three (3) consecutive regular Council meetings without being excused by the Council; and WHEREAS, based on authority of Section 2.07. Meetings. b. Rules. of the City Charter of the City of La Porte, which provides that "City council shall determine its own rules and order of business", the City Council finds that it is within its purview to amend the City Council Rules of Procedure to adopt an attendance policy for members of City Council; NOW, THEREFORE, BE. IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE: Section 1. The City Council Rules of Procedure and Ethics Policy are hereby amended by adding a new Section 5.04. Rules for Attendance at Regular Meetings of the City Council, which shall hereinafter read as follows: "SECTION 5.04 Rules for Attendance at Regular Meetings of the City Council Section 2.04 (b)(4) of the City Charter provides that a member of City Council shall forfeit his or her office by failing "to attend three consecutive regular Council meetings without being excused by the Council". A member of City Council who will not be able to attend a regular Council meeting shall make a reasonable effort to notify the Mayor, the City Manager's Office, or the City Secretary's Office prior to the meeting, and shall indicate the reason for his or her inability to attend. Absences shall be considered excused if for personal illness, family illness, emergencies, funerals, military service, family events including vacations, weddings, and graduations, business obligations, official city business such as attendance at a conference for municipal officers, or for other good cause as determined by the Council. At the next regular meeting following the meeting at which the member