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<br /> <br />City Council <br />www.santa-ana.org//city-council/ <br />Item # __ <br /> <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br />Staff Report <br />August 16, 2022 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />TOPIC: Councilmember Requested Items Process <br /> <br /> <br />AGENDA TITLE: <br />Amend City Council Policy Relating to Councilmember Requested Items <br /> <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />Approve an amendment to the City Council policy requiring that: <br />(1) All Councilmember Requested Items be placed on the agenda via a memorandum <br />establishing what is being requested, why it is being requested, and a summary of <br />background information relating to the item; <br />(2) No specific date be mandated for return of an item without staff input; and <br />(3) At least one Councilmember supporting a Councilmember Requested Item first confer <br />with the City Manager and/or City Attorney for input (not approval). <br /> <br />DISCUSSION <br />The City of Santa Ana policy allows councilmembers to place on the agenda <br />“Councilmember Requested Items,” also previously known colloquially as “85A items.” <br />These items allow individual councilmembers, or up to three councilmembers working in <br />tandem, to request an item be brought before the entire City Council for discussion and <br />direction. These items may discuss any issue within the City Council’s jurisdiction, <br />including, but not limited to, policy research, drafting ordinances, creating resolutions, or <br />providing other direction to staff. <br /> <br />In recent years, these Councilmember Requested Items have proliferated. However, often, <br />neither the City Manager nor City Attorney will have received notice about these items, only <br />finding out once an agenda is posted, and therefore are not given the opportunity to provide <br />input. This sometimes results in items that come forward which are duplicative of existing <br />policies, items that are already being implemented at the staff level, or otherwise create <br />logistical issues. Additionally, without such a memorandum, due to Brown Act limitations, <br />councilmembers are unable to discuss in detail specific issues or concerns regarding a <br />Councilmember Requested Item. <br /> <br />Implementing this memorandum and conference process will not only allow the City’s <br />highest executives to provide councilmembers additional information before items are <br />requested, but it would give other councilmembers an opportunity to research a topic or <br />issue prior to the meeting and give the public more detailed notice about an item that is