[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Rensselaer
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
CHARTER REFERENCES
Additional compensation of officers — See § 25.
Compensation of Corporation Counsel — See § 267.
GENERAL REFERENCES
Officers and employees — See Ch. 35.
[Adopted 2-19-1947 by L.L. No. 1-1947[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: Section 2 of this local law also provides as follows: "This law shall supersede every provision inconsistent herewith of the Rensselaer City Charter, known as 'Chapter 69 of the Laws of 1915,' all amendments thereto, every local law of the City of Rensselaer inconsistent herewith and § 25 of the General City Law, being Chapter 26 of the Laws of 1909, entitled 'An Act in relation to Cities, Constituting Chapter 21 of the Consolidated Laws,' as last amended by Chapter 604 of the Laws of 1923. insofar as such § 25 of the General City Law applies to the City of Rensselaer."
The power of the Common Council and of the several departments
and boards of the City of Rensselaer to fix the compensation of any
office or position is hereby extended to include the power to increase,
during any fiscal year, the compensation of any office, officer or
person paid out of the treasury of the City of Rensselaer. Such increased
compensation may be made after the salary or compensation of any office,
officer or person shall have been fixed and provided for in the budget
of the City for the fiscal year.
[Adopted 8-5-2009 by L.L. No. 1-2009]
A.Â
Section 66 of the Rensselaer City Charter explicitly gives the Common Council the right to determine the rules of its own proceedings and be the judges of the election and qualifications of its members.
B.Â
Members
of the Common Council are elected officials to be held accountable
to the residents who elected them.
C.Â
Absenteeism
of the Council affects its ability to conduct work and fairly represent
the people of the City of Rensselaer.
A.Â
The Common Council of the City of Rensselaer hereby authorizes the
City Treasurer to dock the pay of any Councilperson in office after
December 31, 2009, according to the following schedule:
(1)Â
Regular Common Council meetings held on the first and third Wednesdays
of each month: to be docked a total of $50 for each meeting missed
beyond the first four meetings missed within a calendar year, with
the exception of documented written medical reasons.
(2)Â
Special meetings called for by the Mayor, President of the Common
Council or any three Alderpersons: to be docked a total of $25 for
each meeting missed beyond the first four meetings within a calendar
year, with the exception of documented written medical reasons.
(3)Â
Common Council workshop meetings to review and discuss proposed resolutions
to be voted on at the next regular Common Council meeting: to be docked
a total of $25 for each meeting missed beyond the first four meetings
within a calendar year, with the exception of documented written medical
reasons.
(4)Â
Budget/Finance workshop meetings that are called to specifically
discuss and help draft the new budget for the following year to be
later voted on: to be docked a total of $15 for each meeting missed
beyond the first six meetings missed within a calendar year, with
the exception of documented written medical reasons.
B.Â
The exception for documented written medical reasons may be determined
by the entire Council as a valid reason for not docking a Councilperson's
pay by means of a unanimous Council vote.
Any Councilperson out for a period of six months or more shall
not be paid regardless of medical reason until returning. Such Councilperson,
depending on the length of time absent, should consider resigning
so that a functioning representative can represent people of that
ward and City as a whole.
Proof of meeting attendance will be determined by timesheet
reports via the new hand scanner (or equivalent time clock). In the
absence of a working hand scanner (or equivalent time clock), proof
of meeting attendance will be determined by the following:
A.Â
Non-functioning
hand scanner or time clock: proof of meeting attendance will be documented
by the City Clerk for all regular Common Council meetings and special
meetings determined by official roll call. This official roll call
will be submitted to the City Treasurer by the Clerk the following
morning after the meeting.
B.Â
Proof of
the Common Council workshop meetings will be determined by the Common
Council President, or in the case of the Common Council President's
absence, the acting or Pro-Tem, or in the case of both their absences,
by the senior member (years on the Council) of the Common Council
present.
C.Â
D.Â
The City
Treasurer or his/her designee shall maintain a spreadsheet containing
each Councilperson's attendance of the above-mentioned four types
of meetings and shall submit a copy of this report in each Councilperson's
folder for the regular Common Council as part of the documentation
of payroll tracking.