Agendas & Minutes

City Council Agenda Glossary

Here are some of the terms you may see on an agenda -

Consent -
When the word "consent" is placed next to an agenda item, it indicates that this is a routine item and no discussion is anticipated prior to the vote. Before beginning the meeting's business, any City Council member may ask that an item be removed from the "consent" agenda so that it can be discussed during the meeting.

Public Hearings -
A public hearing is held on matters of substantial community concern so that citizens can ask questions and speak for or against the issue. Usually, a public hearing begins with a staff report and recommendation on the issue. Then the City Council asks if there is anyone in the audience who wishes to speak about the topic. After citizens have spoken, the council can close the public hearing and vote to accept, reject or amend the proposal. They can also vote to postpone the vote to another date.

A notice of a public hearing is printed in the City's official newspaper, the St. Louis Park Sun-Sailor. In some cases, letters may also be mailed to directly affected parties or those individuals who have asked to be notified about a particular topic.

Ordinance -
An ordinance is a written law establishing a general or long-term regulation for the citizens of the city and the property within the city. There is a penalty for violating an ordinance. An ordinance can be repealed or amended only by a future ordinance. An ordinance must be considered at two separate City Council meetings and can be adopted by a majority vote of the council members. After adoption, a summary of the ordinance is published in the St. Louis Park Sun-Sailor newspaper. Most ordinances go into effect 15 days after adoption.

Resolution -
A resolution is a formal written expression of the policy of the City Council. It can also direct certain types of administrative action by the city staff. A resolution is effective immediately after a majority vote of the City Council. A resolution may be changed by a subsequent resolution.

Motion -
A motion is used at a meeting to indicate approval of a procedural action or to authorize disposition of items of business on the agenda. It may also be used to authorize city staff to take certain actions. It is effective immediately after a majority vote of the City Council.