The Council confirms or rejects appointments proposed by the Mayor, and prescribes duties of boards or officers not defined by Charter. The first City Council of seven members, held its initial meeeting on July 3, 1850. With the rapid growth of the City have come many problems affecting lives and welfare of its residents, such as traffic control, sewage and garbage disposal, recycling, environmental quality, fire and police protection, flood control, public utility regulation, and many other functions. Responsibility for the proper solution of these problems rests with the City Council which now consists of fifteen members elected by districts. The Council meets at ten o'clock in the morning in the Council Chamber of the City Hall three days each week, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Meetings are open to the public.
Council Members shoulder a responsibility far heavier than most citizens suspect. The average citizen's first thought when a problem arises is to write, telephone, or call upon the Council Member. The reason is obvious. The Council Member knows the district and the constituents with more intimate understanding than can more distant representatives, and a citizen can know the Council Member by simply dropping in at the City Hall, or by attending public meetings. This is why, in spite of rigid separation among legislative, executive, and judicial branches of municipal government, Council Members constantly receive requests for adjustment of matters beyond their jurisdiction.