City Council Standby Officers.
Riverside Municipal Code § 9.20.280
in effect9.20.280 - City Council Standby Officers.
The continuity of local government during a local emergency, state of emergency, or state of war emergency requires minimum precautions in accordance with Government Code Section 8635, et seq. Each member of the City Council may appoint and designate by filing with the City Clerk the names of at least three qualified electors and their succession order from his or her ward who would fill his or her office as his or her standby officer in the event that such member is unavailable as defined in Government Code Section 8636, et seq. Any such appointee may be replaced by the appointing member at any time and for any reason. All such appointments and changes shall be in writing.
A. Each person so appointed as standby officer shall take the oath of office and shall deliver to the City Clerk within ten days after his or her appointment a written declaration under oath that he or she accepts the appointment and will faithfully perform the obligations imposed upon him or her thereby.
B. The duties of the standby officer are as stated in Government Code Section 8641, or its successor.
C. Standby officers shall be designated numbers 1, 2 and 3, as the case may be.
D. The qualifications of each standby officer should be carefully investigated, and the City Council may request the Chief of Police to aid in the investigation of any prospective appointee. No examination or investigation shall be made without the consent of the prospective appointee.
E. Each standby officer shall take the oath of office required of the person occupying the office for which he or she stands by. Persons appointed as standby officers shall serve in their posts as standby officers at the pleasure of the City Council and may be removed and replaced at any time with or without cause.
F. Each standby officer shall have the following duties:
1. To inform himself or herself of the duties of the office for which he or she stands by. Officers and employees of the City will assist him/her and shall provide each standby officer with a copy of this chapter, as well as a copy of Government Code Section 8635, et seq.
2. To keep informed of the business and affairs of the City to the extent necessary to enable him to fill his post competently. For this purpose the City may arrange information meetings and require attendance.
3. To immediately report themselves ready for duty in the event of a state of war emergency or in the event of a state of emergency or a local emergency at the place and in the method previously designated in the City Emergency Operations Plan.
4. To fill the post for which he has been appointed when the regular councilmember is unavailable in accordance with this chapter.
5. Standby officers numbers 2 and 3 shall substitute in succession for standby officer number 1 in the same way that the standby officer is substituted in place of the regular councilmember. He or she shall serve until the regular councilmember becomes available or until the election or appointment of a new regular councilmember.
G. The Office of Mayor shall not be filled by a standby officer, but instead by the Mayor Pro Tempore as provided in Section 405 of the Riverside City Charter.
(Ord. 7115 § 1, 2011)
Source: City of Riverside, California, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/riverside/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_TIT9PESAMO_CH9.20EMMADI_9.20.280CICOSTOFFetched: 11/1/2026