City Council Meeting Agendas

Series

Identifier: 4600-05

Scope and Contents note

Agendas for the weekly meetings of the City Council. The Agendas include legislation titles and Committee recommendations regarding passage of items. For some years there are lists of legislation passed at each meeting. Agendas can be found in three different locations. Paper hard copies of agendas are available for the years 1964 to 1992, although before 1976 agendas are incomplete. After 1992, agendas are compiled annually as a Clerk File from 1996-2012. Researchers can search in the Clerk Files using CITY-COUNCIL in the Index terms and Full Council in the title field. From 2002 to the present, agendas are searchable online through the Agenda database on the City Clerk's website.

Dates

Creation: 1964-2017

Creator

Seattle (Wash.). Legislative Dept. (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access note

Records are open to the public.

Historical Note

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The Legislative Department is comprised of the City Council, Office of the City Clerk, and Central Staff (policy analysts and budget support). The City Council is responsible for setting City-wide policy through the adoption of ordinances and resolutions, overseeing the Executive's implementation of policies and programs, and passing the City budget. The first City Charter, in 1869, established a seven-member Common Council. In 1890, the new City Charter created a bicameral legislative branch with a nine-member Board of Aldermen and 16-member House of Delegates. The 1896 Charter returned to a single body of 13 members elected from 11 wards and two at-large. As the number of wards increased, the number of Council members grew to 18 in 1907. A City Charter Amendment in 1910 reduced the number to nine, all elected at large, and made elections non-partisan. In 1946 Councilmember terms were increased from two years to four years. The Office of the City Clerk and the Office of the City Auditor became part of the Legislative Department in 1993. In 1999 the Office of the City Auditor became an independent department.