F. Lobby or lobbying , except as provided below, means any oral or written communication (including an electronic communication) to a City official, made directly or indirectly by any person in an effort to influence or persuade an official to favor or oppose, recommend or not recommend, vote for or against, or take or refrain from taking action on any municipal question. The term "lobby" or "lobbying" does not include a communication: 1. Merely requesting information or inquiring about the facts or status of any municipal question, matter, or procedure, and not attempting to influence a City official; 2. Made by a public official or employee (including, but not limited to, an official or employee of the City of Irvine) acting in his or her official capacity; 3. Made in the course of, or in connection with the gathering, preparation or dissemination of news, information or commentary to the public, or in connection with a municipal question's possible effect upon or relevance to the media's right or ability to engage in such conduct; 4. Made in a speech, article, publication, or other material that is distributed and made available to the public, or through radio, television, cable television, or any other medium of mass communication; 5. Made in the form of a written comment filed in the course of a public proceeding or any other communication that is made on the record in a public proceeding; 6. Made in writing as a petition for official action and required to be a public record pursuant to established City procedures; 7. Made in writing to provide information in response to an oral or written request by a City official for specific information, the content of which is compelled by law; 8. Made in response to a public notice soliciting communications from the public and directed to the official specifically designated in the notice to receive such communications; 9. Made on behalf of an individual with regard to that individual's employment or benefits; 10. Made by a fact witness or expert witness at an official proceeding; or 11. Made by a person solely on behalf of that individual or his or her relative. G. Lobbying firm means: 1. A self-employed lobbyist; or 2. A person that has one or more employees who are lobbyists on behalf of a client or clients other than that person. H. Municipal question means a public policy issue of a discretionary nature pending before the City Councilor another City body identified in the definition of City official, including, but not limited to, proposed action, or proposals for action, in the form of ordinances, resolutions, motions, recommendations, reports, regulations, policies, nominations, appointments, sanctions, and bids, including the adoption of specifications, awards, grants, or contracts. The term "municipal question" does not include the day-to-day application, administration, or execution of City programs and policies such as permitting, zoning and planning matters, but does include the amendment, modification or revision to the City's General Plan or Zoning Ordinance.
City of Irvine Candidate Handbook
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