City Council Meetings

The City of South San Francisco is a general law City with a City Council-City Manager form of government and derives its power from the City Municipal Code, the State Government Code, the California Constitution, and laws enacted by the State and Federal legislature. All legislative power is held by the publicly elected five member City Council which consists of the Mayor and four Councilmembers. While all Councilmembers enjoy the same powers and privileges, the Mayor has the additional responsibility of presiding over City Council meetings, signing official documents, and officiating at ceremonies and events.

City Council

The City Council consists of five members. November 2020 marked the first South San Francisco by-district election, with representatives from Districts 2 and 4 elected. On November 8, 2022, City Council representatives were elected for Districts 1, 3, and 5.

The Mayor and Vice-Mayor are elected directly by the City Council from among its members. The Mayor is selected by the City Council to serve a one-year term, and has the same voting power as any other Councilmember.

The terms of office are staggered, with three members elected at one general municipal election and two at the next. General municipal elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years. Members serve four year terms. There are no term limits.

Members of the South San Francisco City Council are:

  • James Coleman, Mayor (District 4)
  • Eddie Flores, Vice Mayor (District 5)
  • Flor Nicolas, Councilmember (District 3)
  • Mark Nagales, Councilmember (District 2)
  • Mark Addiego, Councilmember (District 1)

City Council Meetings

The City Council meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

Library | Parks and Recreation Center
Council Chambers
901 Civic Campus Way
South San Francisco, CA 94080

The City Council takes action in four ways:

  1. Ordinances are laws adopted by the City Council that often amend the Municipal Code. Most ordinances appear on two consecutive agendas. An ordinance is usually introduced at the first meeting and adopted at the second. Most ordinances become effective 30 days after adoption.
  2. Resolutions constitute a written action or decision of the City Council but do not amend the Municipal Code.
  3. Minute Orders, or Motions, are the least formal City Council action, and are used to approve policy, establish procedures, or provide direction to staff.
  4. Appointments are designations by the City Council of selected applicants to commissions, committees and boards; or the Mayor’s appointment of Councilmembers to committees, multi-jurisdictional boards, agencies and joint power authorities.

The “Brown Act”

The Ralph M. Brown Act (beginning at Government Code Section 54950) governs the conduct of City Council meetings and allows for public participation as discussed throughout this brochure. The law also provides limited circumstances for a “closed session” not open to the public.

Agenda

The agenda is the published roadmap for the meeting. The Council may not consider items of business that are not listed on the agenda unless an emergency situation exists or there is a need to take immediate action and the need became apparent after the agenda was posted.

Closed Session Report

If Council has been in closed session, they will report any action taken in open session.

Public Comment—Matters Not on Agenda

Public comment is taken for 30 minutes at the beginning of the meeting for matters not listed on the agenda (and will resume later in the meeting if there are more speakers than the initial 30 minutes can accommodate). If you wish to speak on an item not on the agenda, approach the podium when the Mayor calls for public comment. Please give your name and address, as it will be helpful if a response to your comment is indicated. Since Council is unable to take action on issues not on the agenda, your matter may be referred to staff for follow-up or to be placed on a future Council agenda. Public comment on other items of business will be received before or during Council’s consideration of that item.

Consent Calendar

Public comment is taken on the Consent Calendar as a whole. Items listed on the Consent Calendar portion of the agenda are generally approved in a single motion by the City Council and are procedural in nature. A Council Member may remove an item from the Consent Calendar if there is a question, or further discussion is warranted.

Administrative Items and Public Hearings

Each item of business is considered separately during this portion of the agenda. The City Clerk announces an item, staff presents a report, Council asks questions of staff, and the public is invited to speak one at a time. Following public input, the Council may ask staff to respond. Council will then discuss the matter and take action on the issue. Public hearings are required by law on certain matters.

Voting

Council discusses a matter until they are ready to vote. In order to consider taking action, one Councilmember makes a motion, which, if supported, is followed by a second from another Councilmember. Once there is a second, the Mayor asks for a roll call vote of the Council. Generally a majority vote rules, and a tie vote fails. If a Councilmember has a conflict of interest, prior to consideration of the item, he or she will state the reason for the conflict, and leave the meeting room until the matter is concluded.

Ordinances

The consideration of an ordinance generally follows the same procedure as an administrative item. With the exception of an urgency ordinance, an ordinance is placed on first reading upon its introduction by Council. The ordinance is then put on the Consent Calendar of the following meeting for second reading and adoption. Once adopted, an ordinance becomes a law.

Resources

Contact Us

City Clerk's Office
City Hall
400 Grand Ave.
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 877-8518

Back to top