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Home My WebLink AboutCC AG PKT 2015-01-12 #H AGENDA STAFF REPORT DATE: January 12, 2015 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council THRU: Jill R. Ingram, City Manager FROM: Tina Knapp, City Clerk SUBJECT: MUNICIPAL CODE - CLEAN-UP NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES SUMMARY OF REQUEST: That the City Council adopt Resolution No. 6528, authorizing the City Clerk to prepare a new draft of the Municipal Code to incorporate Quality Code Publishing's Standard Editorial Procedures. BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS: The City of Seal Beach is one of few remaining cities in the state of California to codify City ordinances in-house. From FY 2014/15 the City Clerk's office staffing level was downsized by 50% and the Clerk began to consider alternatives to streamline certain services. The City Clerk's office sent out an RFP (Request For Proposals) for a qualified codification expert, and ultimately met with three codification services. Quality Code Publishing (QCP) was ultimately selected. On March 18, 2014, the City Clerk's office, with approval from the City Manager, entered into an agreement with QCP for codification services. Under Phase I of the project, QCP conducted a review and analysis of the Municipal Code. The City Attorney, Senior Attorney, City Clerk, and a QCP representative then met to discuss the recommendations from QCP. Based on the review and analysis, it was determined that the Municipal Code only requires minor clean-up and standardized formatting procedures concerning matters such as: • Capitalization • Numerals • Outlining and Cross-Referencing (subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs) • Section History Notes (added at the end of each full section) • Changing Language to be Gender Neutral Agenda Item H Attached to this report is QCP's Standard Editorial Procedures that reflect how these issues would be addressed. These changes are deemed non-substantive. The City Clerk seeks the Council's approval to work with QCP and the City Attorney to prepare a new draft of the Municipal Code to incorporate QCP's editorial standards. The Council will have the opportunity at a later date to review the draft before republication. In Phase II, the republished Code will be published on the internet with links to cross-references to the California Government Code, and the CodeAlert Ordinance Tracking Service that notifies users when a particular section of the code has been amended, added, or repealed. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no environmental impact related to this item. LEGAL ANALYSIS: The City Attorney has approved the proposed resolution as to form. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The cost paid to QCP from the FY 2013/14 budget was for Phase I of the agreement — $2,500 for the editorial review and $3,215 for the analysis and legal review. Phase II has been budgeted in the FY 2014/15 budget — estimated cost is $7,155. RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council approve Resolution No. 6528, authorizing the republication of the Municipal Code to incorporate Quality Code Publishing's Standard Editorial Procedures. SUBMITTED BY: NOTED AND APPROVED: Tina Knapp, City Clerk iCl Ingram, City Ma a er Attachments: A. Resolution No. 6528 B. QCP Standard Editorial Procedures RESOLUTION NUMBER 6528 A RESOLUTION OF THE SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZING THE CITY CLERK TO PREPARE A NEW DRAFT OF THE SEAL BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO INCORPORATE QUALITY CODE PUBLISHING'S STANDARD EDITORIAL PROCEDURES THE CITY COUNCIL HEREBY RESOLVES, FINDS, AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS: 1. The City previously retained the services of Quality Code Publishing (QCP) to review the Seal Beach Municipal Code and recommend changes for republication or recodification, as necessary. Based on the review and consultation with the City Attorney, it was determined that only non- substantive formatting and stylistic changes are required at this time. 2. The City Clerk is hereby authorized to work with QCP and the City Attorney to prepare a new draft of the Municipal Code that incorporates QCP's Standard Editorial Procedures as presented to the City Council at its meeting on January 12, 2015. 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this resolution. PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED by the Seal Beach City Council at a regular meeting held on January 12, 2015 by the following vote: AYES: Council Members: NOES: Council Members: ABSENT: Council Members: ABSTAIN: Council Members: Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk STATE OF CALIFORNIA } COUNTY OF ORANGE } SS CITY OF SEAL BEACH } I, Tina Knapp, City Clerk of the City of Seal Beach, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is the original copy of Resolution Number 6528 on file in the office of the City Clerk, passed, approved, and adopted by the City Council at a regular meeting held on the 12th day of January , 2015. City Clerk Attachment B QCP STANDARD EDITORIAL PROCEDURES Following is a brief overview of QCP's editorial procedures, which are based on the Associated Press(AP)style handbook. These guidelines may be amended as the city prefers. A. Capitalization 1. City officers and agencies are lowercase unless the full title is given, as in "City Man- ager John Doe," City Councilmember Jane Doe," "Seal Beach Department of Public Works,""City Council of Seal Beach,""Mayor Elizabeth Doe,"and so on. Otherwise: city council, department of public works, finance director, fire chief, mayor, etc. 2. State and Federal officers, departments, agencies etc. are capitalized, as in "Depart- ment of Motor Vehicles," "Internal Revenue Service," "Federal Communications Commission,""State Revenue Department,"etc. 3. If a full title/chapter/section number: "Chapter 3.54,"Title 2,""Section 8.12.020,"etc. If alone without a corresponding number, then not capitalized, as in "this chapter," "this section." 4. "State of California" and "City of Seal Beach" are capitalized, but "state law," "the city,"federal statute,"etc. B. Numerals All numerals, as in 7 days, 80 feet, $253, 15%, 7:00 p.m., 8:00 a.m. However, spell"one." C. Outlining Whenever a code section, because of its length, requires a logical division into lettered and numbered parts,the following system of lettering, numbering, and indentation is used: A., B., C., etc.will indicate subsections,the first level of division. 1., 2., 3.,etc.will indicate paragraphs,the second level of division. a.,b., c.,etc. will indicate subparagraphs,the third level of division. i., ii., iii., etc. will indicate subparagraphs,the fourth level of division. (A), (B), (C), etc. will indicate the fifth level of division. (1),(2),(3), etc.,will indicate the sixth level of division. (a), (b), (c), etc.will indicate the seventh level of division. Note: In sections that contain lists of definitions, individual definitions are not lettered or num- bered.Definitions are set out in alphabetical order,as in: "Bicycle parking zone" means that space reserved exclusively for the parking of bicy- cles. "Block"means one side of any street between the next intersecting streets. "Curb" means the lateral boundary of the roadway whether such curb is marked by curbing construction or not. Attachment B D. Section History Notes Section history notes will be arranged in chronological order, latest ordinance first, includ- ing the year of adoption, as in: (Ord. 1524,2014; Ord. 1508,2012; Ord. 1212,2001) E. Changing Language to be Gender Neutral The entire code will be gender neutral. Examples: "He" to "he or she," as in "The city manager shall prepare the budget annually and submit it to the city council, and he or she shall be responsible for its administration after adoption." "His," "him"or"himself'to be"his or her,""him or her"or"himself or herself,"as in "The city manager may designate in writing a qualified administrative officer of the city to perform his or her duties during his or her temporary absence. "Policeman" to "police officer," "fireman" to "firefighter," "councilman" to "coun- cilmember,""chairman"to"chair,""flagman"to"flagger," etc. ► If you have concerns about any of QCP's editorial procedures, please bring them up so that we may arrive at an editorial style that conforms to the city's wishes. ► The city representative's signature below confirms the city's understanding and approval of the editorial procedures described herein. The city specifically approves the following editorial procedures: A. Capitalization: [X] yes [] no B. Numerals: [X] yes [] no C. Outlining [X] yes [] no D. History Notes [X] yes [] no E. Changing Language to be Gender Neutral [X] yes [] no /ACTING CITY CLERK RK Signature&Title Date SEAL BEACH City