Lacey City Council
The City operates under a Council-manager form of government. Under this form of government, an elected City Council is responsible for policymaking, and a professional city manager, appointed by the council, is responsible for administration of the City organization. Lacey voters elect seven City Councilmembers from the community. Councilmembers serve four-year terms, with municipal elections held in November of odd-numbered years. The City Council selects a Mayor and Deputy Mayor to serve as presiding officer during public meetings and events.
The City Council’s primary duties are to make laws, adopt regulations and budgets, levy taxes, authorize public improvements, provide for public safety and health, approve board and commission appointments, and oversee a wide-ranging agenda for the community of Lacey.
All business of the City Council is conducted in public with the exception of Executive Session items such as property acquisition, personnel issues, and potential litigation. Community members are welcome to attend, listen, and provide comments.
Types of Council Meetings (Regular, Worksession, Special)
REGULAR MEETINGS
The Council conducts its official business, enacting laws and approving policies during regular Council meetings. Regular Council meetings occur the first and third Thursday of the month. All regular meetings begin at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Lacey City Hall, 420 College Street SE. Meeting may occur in person, remotely, or a combination of both.
Regular meetings follow a formal and specific format. During a Regular Meeting, Councilmembers make a formal vote on items previously discussed at Worksessions, Special Sessions, or Committee Meetings. Councilmembers also adopt previous meetings minutes, and present proclamations, ordinances, and resolutions. During Regular Meetings, members of the public have an opportunity to make official comments to the Council during the Public Comment agenda item.
WORKSESSIONS
Worksessions provide an opportunity for the full Council to review and discuss issues in depth without taking official action. Council Worksessions occur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. All meetings begin at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Lacey City Hall, 420 College Street SE. Meetings may occur in person, remotely, or a combination of both.
During Worksessions, City Council Members discuss topics, receive briefings, reports and memorandums from City staff as well as hear presentations from City staff and outside organizations. The Council follows Robert’s Rules of Order during their meetings to allow for courtesy and orderly flow of the meetings. Although most formal Council action occurs at regular Council Meetings, the Council may make decisions and take official action at Council Worksessions.
OTHER MEETINGS
Periodically, the City Council holds Special Meetings. During these meetings, only the items listed on the agenda may be discussed.
City Council holds Executive Sessions for items such as property acquisition, personnel issues, and potential litigation. Executive Sessions are closed to the public. No final action can be taken during an executive session.
Public Comment for Council Meetings
In-Person during Regular Meetings (1st and 3rd Thursdays): Verbal public comment can be provided in-person at Regular Meetings (1st and 3rd Thursdays). Individuals can register at the Regular Meeting on the sign-up sheet in the Council Chambers. See policy below on opportunities for those that do not pre-register.
Remote during Regular Meetings (1st and 3rd Thursdays):
Verbal public comment can be provided remotely at Regular Meetings (1st and 3rd Thursdays). Individuals can preregister using the link provided on the meeting agenda. Instructions and access details will be provided once registration is complete. Registration for remote verbal public comment closes at 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
Written: Written public comments may be submitted by email to publiccomment@ci.lacey.wa.us. Written comments will be provided to the City Council electronically prior to a Regular or Worksession meeting. Written public comments are not addressed during the Council meeting but are added to the official record. Written public comments must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting.
The City Council Policies and Procedures Manual provides the following for Public Comment:
“Public Comments
Members of the public may address the Council regarding topics scheduled, as well as not scheduled, on the agenda during public comment, with the exception of quasi-judicial matters forthcoming before the City Council and topics that have specified Public Hearings. Individuals who wish to address the Council are encouraged to sign-in using the sign-in sheet in the Council Chambers or they may preregister to speak remotely using the link provided on the posted agenda. Each person addressing the Council at the meeting (either in person or remotely) is encouraged to give their name and address for the record, and is asked to limit their address to three minutes, unless City Council permits a longer period. If several people wish to speak to the same issue, the Mayor may limit the total amount of time dedicated to that specific issue. The Mayor may interrupt public comments that continue too long, relate negatively to others, or are otherwise inappropriate. Provided there is time, the Mayor will offer the opportunity for members of the public that did not pre-register or sign-in to provide Public Comment.
Members of the public may provide written public comment to the Council by mail or email to the City Clerk’s office by 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Comments received by the City Clerk will be provided to the City Council electronically prior to the meeting. Comments will not be addressed during the Council meeting. Comments will be added to the official meeting record.”
(Emphasis added)
Upcoming Meetings for City Council
Tentative Agenda Items
City Council Policies – Procedure Manual
City Council Policy
In 2011, the Lacey City Council adopted the City Council Policies-Procedure Manual to standardize the process for implementing current and new Council practices, procedures, and policies. The General Government Committee reviews the manual annually. If there are any revisions, they are sent to full Lacey City Council for final approval. The City Council Policies-Procedure Manual was last updated in 2023.
Meeting Accomodations
The City of Lacey provides reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities.
To request an accommodation or written materials in an alternate format, contact the City Clerk at least seventy-two (72) hours before the meeting to discuss any necessary accommodations. You can reach the City Clerk by phone (360) 486-8704 or email cityclerk@ci.lacey.wa.us.
For vision or hearing impaired services contact the Washington State Relay Service at 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.
Meeting Locations
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, all public meetings may be conducted remotely, in person, or a combination of the two. The public may attend the Lacey City Council meetings in person or by watching live through video streaming on the following platforms:
When not under the public health emergency:
Meeting Location
All public meetings convene in the Council Chambers of Lacey City Hall, 420 College Street SE. The public is invited to attend. Please refer to the individual meeting agenda for detailed instructions regarding the meeting location(s).
