Government
Government
The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea is a General Law City and operates a Council-City Administrator style of government and derives its power from the California Constitution and laws enacted by the State 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.
Agenda Archive
Read past agendas and agenda packets from 2012-2017 for the City Council and Boards and Commissions.
The most recent agendas, September 2017 through the current month for the City Council and Boards and Commission, can be found in the Meetings section of the site. If you cannot find something in particular, please contact the City Clerk.
Budget
The City’s fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30. Each year in June the City Council adopts its budget, including the Capital Improvement Plan and fees for City services.
- FY 2020-2021 Recommended Budget
- FY 2019-2020 Adopted Budget
- Approved FY 19-20 Master Fee Schedule - Effective July 1, 2019
Past Budgets Books & Related Documents
Boards and Commissions
There are six City Boards and Commissions:
- Building Code Board of Appeals
- Community Activities Commission
- Forest and Beach Commission
- Harrison Memorial Library Board of Trustees
- Historic Resources Board
- Planning Commission
City Boards and Commissions advise and assist the City Council in dealing with specific projects, policies, and issues.
City Council
The Mayor and four Councilmembers represent the residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea, review public policy, and adopt policies responsive to the community. The City Council meets the first Monday and Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber of Carmel City Hall located on the east side of Monte Verde Street between Ocean and 7th Avenues.
Check out the Friday Letter each week for updates on City projects and programs.
Each week City Administrator Chip Rerig sends out a Friday Letter to the community of Carmel-by-the-Sea with updates on City efforts to preserve, protect and defend the natural beauty, resources, and character of the village.
Meetings
Meetings are held in the Council Chamber located on Monte Verde Street between Ocean and Seventh Avenues according to the schedule below, unless otherwise noticed. All City meetings are open to the public, streamed live, and archived here. Agenda packets for each City meeting will be published and made available here for public review prior to each meeting.
MAY 5, 2020 COUNCIL MEETING
You can view the May 5, 2020 Council meeting here.
Upcoming Meetings
Upcoming meetings for the next six months are currently listed on the City’s calendar of events. Agenda packets for regular meetings will be available below, at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting.
Watching Archived Meetings
- Find the meeting you would like to watch below.
- click the red triangle play button icon to the right of the meeting you would like to watch.
- An agenda for the meeting will launch.
- Click the links on far left of the agenda to watch the section of the meeting of interest.
- A video player will launch and the meeting recording will begin playing.
For best results we recommend using an up-to-date web browser.
Searching for Past Meeting Recordings and Agendas
The last six months of all City meetings appear on this page. To search for a specific meeting:
- In the top drop down box choose a date range for the meeting you are looking for. The default is a 6 month span.
- Choose the meeting type.
- Click the search button.
- Scroll down to review the search results.
If you change any of the search criteria after an initial search you will need to click the search button again.
Municipal Code
The Carmel-by-the-Sea Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2018-05, passed January 8, 2019.
The City Clerk’s office has the official version of the Carmel-by-the-Sea Municipal Code. Users should contact the City Clerk’s office for ordinances passed subsequent to the ordinance cited above.
Public Records
As a public agency, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea adheres to the California Public Records Act (CPRA) which requires that governmental records shall be disclosed to the public, upon request, unless there is a specific reason not to do so. Permissible exemptions from disclosure include documents that invade an individual’s right to privacy (e.g., privacy in certain personnel or medical records) or hinder the government’s need to perform its assigned functions in a reasonably efficient manner (e.g., maintaining confidentiality of investigative records, official information, re