The Kansas City Council met on January 13, 2023, at 6:00 PM to fill a vacancy on the municipal court bench (Division 205). The meeting included presentations from three candidates and a public vote. After deliberations, the council selected Shayla Marshall.
We're going to start off by approving the minutes of our December 8th business session. So moved. Second. It's been moved and seconded that our amendments of our business December 8th business session be approved. All in favor. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Because the municipal judge candidates' presentations will be a little extended. We'll go ahead and jump to number three on the uh agenda. And if there's anyone with discussion of ordinances and resolutions on today's docket for floor introduction, you can talk about that now. Seeing none, we will now jump to the municipal court candidates' presentations, and we'll have our city attorney. Today the council is considering filling the vacancy for uh Division 205 of the municipal court. Um that process will begin with uh an interview of the three uh candidates that have been selected by or that have been proposed to you by the nominating commission. Um there's an affirmative presentation for each candidate is usually allowed. Um Mr. Presiding Officer, I don't know if that's a 20-minute or 30-minute previous practice has been 20 minutes, uh, but we'll leave that to to the presiding officer to decide. Um there will be a question and answer period from from the council, but there is not a public comment period for this proceed for this proceeding. Uh the clerk has prepared and will distribute ballots for your use when we get to the conclusion of the presentations and the QA uh from the council for your use during your deliberations. Uh the vote is a public vote. It will be conducted in open session. Uh you will vote for the candidate of your choice and you will ascribe your name to your vote. And when the clerk reads the votes, they'll read it with uh the councilperson's name and who their vote was for. Um the clerk will collect and announce the councilperson and their associated vote. If there are seven votes for one candidate, the practice of this body has been that has been the selection for the judge. Um if there is not, then a second round of voting can occur. And in that round, the candidate with the least number of votes will fall off the ballot with the design to get to uh selection today. Uh if the council selects a judge, I will prepare a floor resolution for immediate adoption, and each of you will be listed as a sponsor unless you tell me otherwise. That's what I have, Mr. Presiding Officer. Thank you. Uh Mr. Jalati. So I have a question. Yes, ma'am. I'm just wondering for the at least two of us or three of us maybe that are attending remotely. How do we handle our ballots? How do we address ballots? That is a fantastic question, uh, councilwoman. And um regretfully, the Sunshine Law hasn't been updated to account for for this. The this has been the procedure uh is to use a written ballot. Uh clearly, though, the the state law allows you to attend via video conferencing, and our council rules don't otherwise forbade it. Um the council we could send an email to your email saying how we voted. I think you you you could that would be one way to do it. I think if there's no uh we could also have I think you could also have a voice vote. I mean the purpose for video conferencing is to have that voice vote. The email would constitute the record, although I would suggest you send that to the clerk's office as opposed to the city attorney's office. And so if that's a desired practice to accommodate for the fact that we do have this uh this set up, then that probably makes more sense and makes the vote the ballots equal. And so I would suggest that. But either way would be fair, I think.