City of Lewiston, Idaho City Hall

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1134 F Street
Lewiston, ID 83501
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LEWISTON CITY COUNCIL

The City of Lewiston is one of three cities in the state that have a Manager-Council form of government. Seven people are elected to serve on the City Council and a full time City Manager runs the day-to-day affairs of the city. The Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.

Meet Lewiston's City Council Members	Council Agenda
Mission Statement	Welcome to a City Council Meeting

Lewiston City Council Members

The seven Council members are elected at large for four-year terms by the citizens of the City. The Mayor is selected from among the Council Members to serve for a two year period.

Double Click on Biography link for more background information and a photo of each member.

Biography	Title	Name / E-Mail	Telephone
Biography	Mayor 2009	Doug Havens	743-7588
Biography	Mayor Pro Tem 2009	Garry Bush	746-3119
Biography	Councilor 2011	John Currin	743-0963
Biography	Councilor 2011	Jim Kleeburg	743-4852H 743-4246W
Biography	Councilor 2011	Matthew Carlson	746-4404
Biography	Councilor 2009	Jim Kluss	743-1333
Biography	Councilor 2009	Dennis Ohrtman	743-0319

City Council Agenda

Council meets in Regular Session every second and fourth Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. in the LCSC Library Building, Telecommunications Classroom, 500 8th Avenue. Click here for next Council meeting's agenda

City Council Mission Statement

The legislative authority of the City of Lewiston is vested in the City Council who makes public policy based upon the best interests of all our residents. The City Council is committed to economical, effective, democratic and ethical local government, recognizing their role as community leaders and policy makers, and affirming that responsibility for policy execution lies with the City Manager.

Welcome to a Lewiston City Council Meeting!

To help you better understand what happens at a City Council meeting, we have prepared the following general information about the Council and your City government.

The Council meets with City staff in a work session meeting on the first Monday of each month. Additionally, the Council meets in Regular Session every second and fourth Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. on the Lewis Clark State College Campus, Library Building, Telecommunications Classroom. Work Sessions are held at 4:00 p.m., at a location designated by the City Manager. The most important aspect of the regular meeting is the Council's legislative action on various ordinances and resolutions pending before them.

The City of Lewiston operates under the Council/Manager form of government. The voters of our community elect seven Council Members through a nonpartisan election who then choose a full-time professional administrator. The duties of the City Manager compare to those of a business corporation general manager, as she manages the multi-million dollar operations of the City.

The seven Council members are elected at large for four-year terms by the citizens of the City. The Mayor is selected from among the Council Members to serve for a two year period.

CITY COUNCIL:

Represents the City as its political leadership;
Adopts and amends City ordinances and resolutions;
Determines City Policies and standards of service;
Determines through the annual budget how much money is to be spent and for what purposes;
Determines what taxes are to be levied;
Approves contracts, agreements and bids; and
Appoints citizens to various Advisory Boards and Commissions.

MAYOR:

Is the Chief Elected Official of the City and is elected by a vote of the City Council;
Presides over all meetings of the City Council;
Is recognized as the official head of the City for ceremonial purposes, by the courts for the purpose of serving civil process, and by the Governor for the purpose of martial law;
Executes contracts and legal instruments on behalf of the City; and
Votes on all issues.

CITY MANAGER:

Is appointed by the City Council solely on the basis of his or her executive and administrative qualifications;
Serves as the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the City and is responsible for carrying out the policies and laws passed by the City Council;
As CAO of the City, the City Manager is responsible for making all personnel appointments, supervising the work of all departments, enforcing the laws and ordinances of the City, preparing and recommending the annual operating budget to the City Council for approval, administering the day-to-day business of the City; and
The City Manager attends all meetings of the Council and is responsible for making recommendations to the Council as she may deem necessary or expedient for the benefit of the public.

CITY ATTORNEY:

Is appointed by the City Council;
Advises the City Council, City Manager and City staff on legal matters and procedures;
Represents the City in litigation;
Prepares ordinances, resolutions, contracts, agreements, deeds, leases, bond indentures, and miscellaneous legal documents; and
Prosecutes misdemeanor and traffic offenses occurring within the City limits.

CITY CLERK:

Is appointed by the City Manager with the consent of the City Council;
Is the Council's recording secretary;
Keeps ordinances, resolutions, and other official City records
Attests contracts and legal instruments on behalf of the City;
Conducts City elections.

Resolution: A Resolution is a written legal action, passed by the Council by a majority vote. A resolution states the policy of the City Council on a particular matter. Resolutions also authorize the execution of legal documents.

Ordinance: An ordinance is the most formal type of Council legislation. An ordinance is prepared at the request of the Council and placed on the agenda for consideration. When the ordinance appears on the agenda, its title is read by the City Clerk and then the Mayor asks for discussion. The Council then takes a majority vote of the Council present for passage. An ordinance requires three readings, passage, and publication to become effective.

Citizen Participation: The public is invited to attend and speak at City Council meetings to insure open communications. Our agenda is arranged so that questions from the public may come early in the meeting. Citizens are asked to step before the microphone and give their name and address so that we can properly record their interest and so that they can be heard by others.

Public Information: City Council agendas are prepared two weeks before City Council meetings, including a description of agenda items and a full agenda packet. These items are available at City Hall for public inspection.

Regular City Council meetings are broadcast on the City's Public Educational and Governmental (P.E.G.) Channel, Cable Channel 13.

The City publishes a monthly informational page known as the "Lewiston Monthly" in the Lewiston Morning Tribune. Residents can refer to this publication to find the latest City news available.

The City produces a weekly public affairs television program entitled "City Beat" that airs over the P.E.G. Channel weekdays at 6:00 a.m., 12:00 Noon, and 7:00 p.m. Tune in to learn more about City programs and services offered.