A. Majority Vote. All voting must take place at a public meeting with a quorum present either in person or remotely. Passage of most ordinances requires an affirmative vote of the majority of the Council (four (4) votes). A supermajority (five (5) affirmative votes) is required by several statutes related to emergencies and certain expenditures to name a few that can be found in RCW Title 35A, as well as RCW 84.55.0101 for excess property tax. Unless otherwise provided by statute, ordinance, or resolution, all votes shall be taken by voice, except that at the request of any Council member, a roll call vote shall be taken and recorded by the City Clerk. The order of the roll call vote shall be determined by the City Clerk.

B. Tie Vote. The passage of a motion, resolution, or ordinance is lost by a tie vote; provided, that the question may be brought forward again at the request of any member at the same meeting or at the next meeting when any members who were absent or disqualified at the time of the tie vote are present.

C. Votes on Questions. Each member present shall vote on all questions put to the City Council except on matters on which he or she has been disqualified for a conflict of interest or under the Appearance of Fairness Doctrine. Such member shall disqualify himself or herself prior to any discussion of the matter. If abstaining, the Council member must state the reasons for abstaining, identifying one (1) or more of the following: (1) an excused absence from the prior Council meeting and/or (2) a conflict of interest and/or (3) an appearance of fairness issue. A Council member who abstains but fails to identify the absence, conflict of interest and/or appearance of fairness issue will be considered to have voted for the majority’s position in respect to questions before the Council and have their vote so recorded. When disqualification of a member or members results, or would result, in the inability of the Council to act on a matter on which it is required by law to take action, any member who is absent or who is disqualified under the Appearance of Fairness Doctrine may subsequently participate, provided such member first shall have reviewed all materials and listened to all recordings of the proceedings in which the member did not participate.

D. Reconsideration. Any action of the Council, including final action on applications for legislative changes in land use status, shall be subject to a motion to reconsider except for:

Such motion for reconsideration can only be made by a member of the prevailing side on the original action and prior to the publication deadline. A motion to reconsider is debatable only if the action to be reconsidered is debatable. Upon passage of a motion to reconsider, the subject matter is returned to the table anew at the next regular Council meeting for any action the Council deems advisable. Any motion for reconsideration of a matter which was the subject of a required public hearing or which is a quasi-judicial matter may not be discussed or acted upon unless and until the parties or their attorneys and the persons testifying have been given at least five (5) business days’ advance notice of such discussion and/or action.

E. Dissents and Protests. Any Council member shall have the right to express dissent from or protest, orally or in writing, against any motion, ordinance or resolution of the Council and have the reason therefor entered or retained in the minutes. (Ord. 2972, 5/25/21)