[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township
of Cranford as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
[Adopted 9-8-1992 by Ord.
No. 92-33 (Ch. 32, Art. I, of the 1992 Code)]
Members of the Township Committee shall observe order and decorum
during Township Committee meetings. A member of the Township Committee
shall neither, by conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the
proceedings of the Committee nor disturb any member while speaking
nor refuse to obey the orders of the Chairperson. Township Committee
members shall inform the Chairperson before leaving their seats during
a Committee meeting.
Members of the Township staff shall observe the same rules of order and decorum applicable to the Township Committee in § 72-1 above.
Any person(s) making personal, defamatory or profane remarks
or who willfully utters loud, threatening or abusive language or engages
in any disorderly conduct which disturbs or disrupts the orderly conduct
of any meeting shall be called to order by the Chairperson. If such
conduct continues, the Chairperson of the Township Committee, at his
discretion, may order such person removed from that meeting by the
Sergeant at Arms.
Persons addressing the Township Committee shall be allowed a
maximum of five minutes for their presentations.
No person in the audience shall engage in disorderly conduct
such as hand clapping, stamping of feet, whistling, using profane
language, shouting or other similar demonstrations which may disturb
the peace and order of the Township Committee meeting.
All persons shall, at the request of the Chairperson, be silent.
If, after receiving a warning from the Chairperson, a person persists
in disrupting the meeting, the Chairperson may order that person to
leave the meeting. If he or she does not remove himself or herself,
the Chairperson may order the Sergeant at Arms to remove him or her.
The Chief of Police, or such member of the Department of Police
as the Chairperson may designate, shall be Sergeant at Arms at the
Township Committee meetings. The Sergeant at Arms shall carry out
all orders given by the Chairperson for the purpose of maintaining
order and decorum at the Township Committee meeting. On instruction
of the Chairperson, the Sergeant at Arms shall remove from the meeting
any person who disturbs the proceedings of the Committee.
Any person who resists removal by the Sergeant at Arms shall
be charged with violating N.J.S.A. 2C:33-8, Disrupting meetings and
processions.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 32-9, Recording,
taping or photography, which immediately followed this section, was
repealed 10-16-2001 by Ord. No. 2001-32.
Township Committee meetings shall be conducted pursuant to Robert's
Rules of Order.
