Board Rules

Adopting Rules for Board Meetings and Repealing Resolution 2013-021

The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners Finds:

A. Multnomah County Home Rule Charter section 3.50 contains requirements for board meetings, and subsection (1) requires the Board to adopt and publish rules for the conduct of its meetings, and “shall conduct the meetings in accordance with the rules.”

B. The County will provide online resources and access to information and guidance on board procedures.

C. All board meetings must comply with the Oregon Public Meetings Law.

D. This Resolution repeals and replaces Resolution 2013-021.

Section 1: Organization

A.Presiding officer:

1. The chair presides at board meetings and has a vote on each matterbefore the Board. (Charter 3.60).
2. The vice-chair presides when the chair is absent. (Charter 3.60). In theabsence of both the chair and vice-chair, the commissioner with themost seniority in office will act as presiding officer.
3. Duties of the presiding officer include:

i.Managing time of presentations or limiting testimony if the matter is running over the estimated time requested.

ii.Sign all documents approved at the board meeting.

 iii.The presiding officer may not make or second motions unless the position is first relinquished for that purpose.

iv. The presiding officer may require, or the Board can vote, to adjourn to another time or to another location accessible to the public when deemed necessary.

4. All substantial decisions of the presiding officer may be subject to appeal by motion.

Section 2: Yearly Actions

At the first regular Thursday meeting each year, or the soonest practical Thursday in January, the Board will:

A. Adopt rules for the conduct of its meetings.

B. Appoint a vice-chair. (Charter 3.60). 

1. Appointments will be made in rotation by commission district number.
2.  If a commissioner declines the appointment, or there is a vacancy in the vice-chair position, a vice-chair will be appointed from the next numerical commissioner district at the first regular meeting. (Charter 4.40).

C. Discuss committees, boards, and commissions and express any desired assignments. The chair will present a list of assignments that require Board approval.

Section 3: Minutes

The board clerk will make a record of all board meetings. The record will comply with the Oregon Public Meetings Law and will be accessible to the public during regular office hours, and posted online, including written and verbal testimony. (Charter 3.50).

Section 4: Meetings

A. Meetings may be conducted in person, hybrid, or virtually, allowing for both in person and virtual options for the Board and the public in accordance with State law.

B. Ideally, board members will attend board meetings in-person. With the exception of executive sessions, board members may occasionally attend meetings remotely. Board members participating remotely retain the same authority as members attending in-person.

C. Regular Meetings: 

1. Board meetings are open to the public, except executive sessions.
2. Board meetings are held in the boardroom and other locations accessible to the public as noted on the agenda.
3. The Board meets as a legislative body to deliberate on county business and make decisions on Thursdays, and other days as  necessary.
4. The Board meets for briefings, executive sessions, work sessions, joint briefings, and other deliberations on Tuesdays, and other days as necessary.

D. Special Meetings: 

1. The chair or three board members may call special meetings. The special meeting notice must include an agenda of items for consideration. The notice must be delivered personally and electronically to each board member or their office or residence at  least 24 hours before the meeting. (Charter 3.50).
2. An emergency meeting is a type of special meeting under Oregon Public Meetings Law. An “actual emergency” must exist, and the minutes of the meeting must describe the emergency justifying less than 24 hours’ notice.
3. Board action at a special meeting, except adoption of an emergency ordinance, does not take effect unless ratified at the next regular meeting.

E. Executive Session:

1.  The Board may meet in executive session in accordance with state law. The notice for each executive session will state the  statutory authority for the meeting.
2.  Representatives of the news media and all other attendees are specifically directed not to disclose specified information that is the subject of the executive session.

Section 5: Notice and Agenda

A. Duties of the board clerk: 

1. Oversees agenda preparation, scheduling, and noticing of the agenda.
2. Maintains and internally distributes a snapshot of proposed agenda items.

3. The board clerk will schedule agenda items in the order received and according to the following order of business: 

   i. Consent agenda.

               ii. Time-certain items.

               iii. Regular agenda.

               iv. Appropriation ordinances or budget modifications.

               v. Emergency ordinances.

               vi. Second readings of ordinances.

                vii. First readings of nonemergency ordinances.

                viii. Other board actions, including but not limited to resolutions, orders, proclamations, hearings, or approvals. 

                 ix. Reports.

4.  Maintains an interested person board meeting notice list. The list will include the names and addresses of interested            persons including news media that have requested notice of board meeting

5.  Provide notice stating the time and place of board meetings along with the agenda and agenda packet to persons on the      list, and post the notice to the Board’s internet web site. 

    i. Notice will be given at least 72 hours before each regular meeting.

               ii. Notice will be given at least 24 hours before each special meeting.

               iii. Notice for emergency special meetings will be provided as soon as reasonably practical.

B. Agenda Placement: 

1. The chair, each commissioner, sheriff, auditor, district attorney, chief operating officer, and department directors may request placement of matters on a board meeting agenda by filing an agenda placement request (APR) and submitting it to the board clerk.
2. An APR submitted by a county elected official will be placed on the agenda on the date requested, or as soon thereafter as there is space available.
3. Submission of an APR will hold time on the board agenda. All APRs must be confirmed with the board clerk by Wednesday at noon three weeks before the scheduled meeting. A final agenda packet must be submitted by the deadline in Section 5(C)(3) for elected officials, and BCC-1 for the chief operating officer, and department directors.

C. Final Agenda Packet Content and Timelines:

1.  Before a matter will be publicly noticed as an agenda, a final agenda packet must be submitted to the board clerk. A final agenda packet must include any documents requiring Board approval (resolutions, ordinances, orders, etc.), materials, information, and presentations that will be provided to the Board.
2. County attorney review: All documents requiring Board approval (resolutions, ordinances, orders, etc.) must be submitted to the county attorney for legal review and form. For regular meetings, documents must be submitted no later than Monday at noon, one week prior to the requested board meeting date. For special and emergency meetings documents must be submitted as soon as reasonably practicable.

3. Final agenda packet submission deadlines for the chair, each commissioner, sheriff, auditor, and district attorney are

            i.Regular meetings: Wednesday at noon, one week prior to the requested board meeting date.

                       ii.Special meetings: at least 30 hours before each special meeting.

                       iii.Emergency meetings: as soon as reasonably practicable.

4. Any changes or additions to the materials, information, and presentations in the finalized agenda packet must be submitted to the board clerk 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting. Any such changes should be identified and explained with specificity.
5. The official who submits a finalized agenda packet or APR may withdraw or postpone the matter by notifying the board clerk and chair prior to the agenda being distributed. If the agenda has already been distributed, theBoard must vote on whether to continue the matter to a subsequent date or postpone it indefinitely.

D.Time-Certain Matters:

1. Two time-certain slots are available for county elected officials to reserve at each regular board meeting.
2. County elected officials may reserve time-certain slots on a first-come basis by submitting an APR with the board clerk. No county elected official may reserve more than 1 time-certain slot per meeting.
3. Each time-certain presentation is limited to 60 minutes inclusive of presentations, guest speakers and any public testimony. County elected officials may exchange scheduled time-certain time slots to the board clerk in accordance within the timelines in Section 5(A).

E.The chair may adopt executive rules for placement of matters on the board agenda by the chief operating officer, and department directors, and for the format for board adopted documents.

Section 6: Unanimous Consent

A.The Board may act on an item not on the agenda notice if at least three board members vote in favor of a motion to immediately consider the matter.

B. For the matter to be adopted, all board members present must vote in favor of the matter. (Charter 3.50).

Section 7: Attendance, Quorum

A. Board members will provide written or electronic mail notification of all anticipated absences from board meetings to each other and the board clerk.

B. A quorum consists of three board members. (Charter 3.30)

C. Two board members may meet and compel the attendance of absent members and request assistance from the sheriff. (Charter 3.30).

Section 8: Voting

A. If a potential conflict of interest exists for any board member relating to any matter on the board agenda, the board member will publicly announce the nature of the potential conflict before participating in the board discussion of that matter. If a board member has an actual conflict of interest relating to any matter, the board member will publicly announce the nature of the actual conflict and may not participate or vote on that matter.

B. After a motion and second, the presiding officer will request an explanation of the agenda matter and may accept public testimony. At the conclusion of board discussion, the presiding officer will state the motion before the Board and call for the vote.

C. After the call for the vote, no further discussion is permitted.

D. No voting abstention is allowed. Board members must vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ unless they have been excused for an actual conflict of interest.

E. Board members will vote by voice, unless they are unable to do so, in which case a show of hand is allowed. The presiding officer will announce the results of the vote, and the vote of each commissioner will be recorded.

F. The call to cast the first vote will rotate through each commission district, with the presiding officer voting last.

G. Motions and amendments to motions fail if there is a tie vote.

H. Motions:

1. Withdrawal: At any point prior to the call for a vote, the maker of the motion may request to withdraw the motion. The motion will be withdrawn unless another board member objects. If an objection is stated, the motion remains on the table, but a motion to withdraw can be offered by the maker.
2. Amendments: Ideally, proposed amendments to board items requiring approval will be provided in writing to the board clerk and each board member by email 24 hours before each meeting is scheduled to begin. The board clerk will add any written amendments to the online agenda packet as soon as practicable.
3. Changing a Vote: A board member may change their vote at any time before the presiding officer announces whether the motion has passed or failed. Once the presiding officer announces the result, but prior to the end of the meeting, a board member can make a motion to change their vote.
4. Motion to Reconsider: Any board member on the prevailing side of the original vote may offer a motion to reconsider prior to the end of the meeting.
5. Motion to Close Debate: Also referred to as calling the question or calling for the vote. This motion cuts off discussion and brings the Board to a vote on the pending question only. The motion requires a yes vote by four board members when five members are present, otherwise, a motion to close debate requires a yes vote by at least three members.

I. The affirmative concurrence of four or more board members is required to: 

1. Establish additional administrative departments,
2. Abolish any department,
3. Combine two or more departments into one, and
4. Separate departments so combined. (Charter Section 6.20(4)).

J. Meeting agendas for meetings conducted under Section 4(C)(3) may include a consent calendar for approval of items determined routine by the chair. The consent calendar may be approved by a single motion, second and vote of the Board. Any item from the consent calendar will be moved to the regular agenda upon request of any board member.

K. Agenda items may be taken out of order by the presiding officer for the purpose of keeping time-certains on schedule, making the most efficient use of time, for the benefit of the public, or to hear the testimony of an elected official, or other invited guests.

L. Except as provided in the Charter, or by these rules, the Board may act at a meeting only with the affirmative concurrence of a majority of its members. (Charter 3.40).

Section 9: Public Testimon

A. The presiding officer may regulate the length of public participation, number of participants, and limit appearances to presentations of relevant points. Prior public notice of such limits will be provided as practicable.

B. To assist persons wishing to testify at board meetings, the board clerk will make public sign-up sheets available.

C. The presiding officer has authority to keep order and impose reasonable restrictions necessary for the efficient and orderly conduct of a meeting. Any person who fails to comply with reasonable rules of conduct or who creates a disturbance may be asked or required to leave and upon failure to do so becomes a trespasser.

Section 10: Ordinances

A. Proposed ordinances will be prepared or reviewed by the county attorney. For the purposes of attorney client privilege each  county elected official is a client representative. (Code 25.330).

B. Except for ordinances containing emergency clauses, proposed ordinances will be read at regular board meetings on two different days at least six days apart. (Charter 5.30).

C. The reading of an ordinance will be read by title only if a copy is available for each person at the meeting who desires a copy. (Charter 5.30).

D. A motion to move a proposed ordinance to its second reading requires the affirmative concurrence of at least three members of the Board. Unless a later date is provided by the Board, upon passage of the motion, the presiding officer will announce the second reading is scheduled for the next regular meeting, which must be at least six days from passage of the motion.

E. No change or amendment to a proposed ordinance that has been publicly noticed on an agenda may be made except by approval of a majority of theBoard during the public hearing of the ordinance. If the Board approves a change that materially affects a proposed ordinance, an additional reading of the proposed ordinance may be held.

F. A proposed ordinance to meet an emergency may be introduced with an emergency clause, read once and enacted at a single meeting with unanimous consent of all board members present. If the Board votes in favor of passage atthe first reading but the vote is not unanimous, the proposed ordinance must be scheduled for a second reading. At the second reading, the proposed ordinance may be approved as either an emergency or a nonemergency ordinance by majority vote.

Section 11: Effective Dates 

A. A nonemergency ordinance will take effect on the 30th day after it is signed bythe presiding officer unless: (a) It prescribes a later date for it to take effect or (b)It is referred to the voters of the county, in which event it will take effect onlyupon receiving their approval. (Charter 5.50).

B. An emergency ordinance may take effect immediately upon being signed by thepresiding officer of the Board. (Charter 5.50).

C. An ordinance adopted by the Board will, within three days of its adoption, besigned by the presiding officer at the meeting at which the ordinance was approved. (Charter 5.40)

Section 12: Board Messaging

A. After a quorum of the Board has reached a final decision on any matter before the Board, each board member will support and respect the decision of the Board.

B. The chair may sign a letter on behalf of the Board if a quorum of the Board approves the letter even if the chair was opposed. The chair may delegate signing authority to the vice chair. 

C. The chair may provide testimony or sign a letter on behalf of the Board without prior board approval if the testimony or letter repeats an already adopted position of the Board or if it is a merely ministerial function of the Board. 

D. Any board member may write a letter or express an opinion as an individual member of the Board provided the statement is expressly qualified. 

Section 13: Application of the Rules 

The Board is the governing body for Dunthorpe-Riverdale Sanitary Service District No. 1, the Mid-County Street Lighting Service District No. 14, and the Multnomah County Library District. The Board also sits as the Multnomah County Budget Committee, the Public Contract Review Board and in other capacities. These Rules apply to the meetings in all capacities.

This resolution repeals Resolution 07-014 and all previously adopted Board Rules. These Rules take effect immediately upon Board adoption.

Section 14: Adoption 

This resolution repeals 2013–021 and all previously adopted board rules.  These rules take effect immediately upon adoption.  

ADOPTED this 19th day of March, 2026.

Board of County Commissioners, Multnomah County, Oregon

Jessica Vega Pederson , Chair

Reviewed by Jenny M. Madkour, County Attorney