Council to consider changing quorum minimum
Yuma officials scheduled to meet Tuesday, Wednesday
The Yuma City Council will consider this week adjusting the number of members required for a quorum of Charter Review Committee meetings.
A proposal calls for amending the resolution that created the committee to reflect the number of members who accepted the position and to provide a clear quorum of members required.
After the council created the committee through a resolution on June 19, council members reached out to the community and provided a list of potential members. Ultimately, the council invited 11 residents to participate in the committee and all 11 members accepted the appointment on Sept. 4.
However, prior to the first meeting, one of the members resigned because of work relocation. Another member has not been able to participate and will not be able to participate due to work conflicts moving forward, according to a staff report.
The committee currently consists of nine members who have “diligently” participated and reviewed about 25% of the charter.
The report notes that although the council has the power to add or remove members from the committee, the addition of new members at this late juncture could be disruptive to the process. As such, the proposal calls for amending the resolution to reflect the number of community members who are able to participate in the review.
Additionally, the proposal sets a clear quorum of six of the nine members, meaning charter amendment recommendations would require an affirmative vote of at least four of the six members present.
The committee will present proposed amendments to the council in a public meeting and the recommendations may be placed on the ballot of the next scheduled city election. The committee normally meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
This week, the council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday for a work session, during which Rose Anne Forte will brief the council on the Yuma Orchestra Association programs and provide some insight on how the programs benefit the community.
Then at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the council will hold its regular meeting. Both meetings will take place in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1 City Plaza.
The consent agenda includes a recommendation to reject a bid for rehabilitation of a Joe Henry Optimist Center basketball court for exceeding the allocated amount and approval of an estimated expenditure of $357,000 for updating the heating, ventilation and air conditioning control system at the Yuma Police Department and Municipal Court.
The council will also consider adopting an ordinance that authorizes the reacquisition of property located at 1100 S. 13th Ave., which houses the Boys and Girls Club run by the Salvation Army.
Other consent agenda items include a bid award for box office ticketing software; the donation of 22 Motorola radios and chargers to volunteer fire districts in Quartzsite and McMullen Valley; and agreements with the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for the acceptance of two grant awards totaling $45,000 to cover overtime expenses associated with DUI/impaired driving enforcement and selective traffic enforcement programs.
Another item would authorize the city administrator to execute a grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice for reimbursement of funds up to $47,883 for the Yuma Regional Communications System Data Interoperability and Information Sharing Project using the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
To view the complete agenda and staff reports, go to www.yumaaz.gov.