The first meeting of the Council after each general municipal
election shall be held as provided by law. Thereafter, the Council
shall hold regular monthly meetings at least once each month at such
time and place as the Council may prescribe by rule. The Council may
also hold additional regular meetings at such time and place as the
Council may prescribe by rule. Notice of such regular meetings shall
be posted at the City Hall.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
All meetings of the Council shall be public meetings unless
such meetings may be closed pursuant to law. Unless otherwise provided
by law, no action of the Council shall take effect unless the motion
for action and the vote by which it is disposed of shall take place
at proceedings open to the public.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
Special or emergency meetings of the Council may be called from
time to time to be held at the place and at the time designated in
the special or emergency call. The Mayor may, or at the request of
at least three members of the Council shall, call a special meeting
of the Council for a time not earlier than 24 hours after notice is
given to all members of the Council then in the City. Emergency meetings
of the Council may also be held at any time by the consent of 5/7
of all the members of the Council, and such consent may be given either
prior to or during the emergency meeting. Notice of special or emergency
meetings may be given either in writing or verbally. The notice shall
set the time, purpose and general object of the meeting.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
The Council shall determine its own rules and order of business.
It shall cause a journal of its proceedings to be maintained and this
journal shall be open to public inspection.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
A majority (four members) of the Council shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. If at any meeting of the Council
a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand adjourned until the
next regular, special or emergency meeting; however, any two members
of the Council may have a call of the Council and send for and compel
the attendance of any absent member of the Council in the manner and
subject to the penalties prescribed by the rules of the Council.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
At the time prescribed for a meeting of the Council, or to which
it may have been adjourned, the Mayor shall call the members of the
Council to order and, a quorum being present, shall proceed with the
order of business.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
The Mayor shall preserve decorum and order, may speak to points
of order in preference to other members of the Council and shall decide
all questions of order, subject to an appeal of the Council. If such
appeal is seconded, then no other business shall be in order until
the question on the appeal is decided. All questions of parliamentary
procedure not provided for in this article shall be governed by Robert's
Rules of Order.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
The Mayor shall propound all questions in the order in which
they are moved, unless the subsequent motion shall be previous in
its nature; however, in naming sums and fixing times, the largest
sum and longest time shall be first put.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
(a) When a question is under debate, the Mayor shall receive no motion
but:
(3) For the previous question.
(4) To postpone to a certain time.
(7) To postpone indefinitely.
(b) The several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they are arranged in Subsection
(a), and the first three shall be decided without debate.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
The previous question shall be put in the following form, "Shall
the main question be now put?," and all further amendments or debate
upon the main question shall be suspended until the previous question
shall be decided. After the adoption of the previous question, the
vote of the Council shall forthwith be taken upon all pending amendments
in their regular order, and then upon the main question.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
The Mayor and each Council member present when a question is
put, when not excluded by private interest, shall give their vote
unless the Council shall, by vote, excuse a member of the Council,
but no member shall be permitted to vote on any question or serve
on any committee where their private interest is immediately concerned,
distinct from that of the public.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
Voting shall be by roll call, except on procedural motions,
and the ayes and nays shall be recorded in the journal. Roll call
votes shall be taken in the order as prescribed by rule of the Council.
Except as otherwise required by law, the affirmative vote of a majority
of the entire Council then in office shall be necessary to adopt any
ordinance or resolution.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
After a vote of the Council has been taken upon any question,
it shall be in order for any member voting in the majority to move
a reconsideration thereof at the same meeting or at the succeeding
meeting unless the subject of the vote shall have passed out of the
custody of the Council; not more than one motion for the reconsideration
of any vote shall be entertained.
[Ord. No. 7497, § 1, 3-13-1986]
Each motion shall be reduced to writing if the Mayor directs,
or if any Council member requests it.
[Ord. No. 9777, § 1, 7-3-2008]
No person shall bring any sign or placard into City Hall or
into the Council Chambers unless such sign or placard is for informational
or demonstrative purposes as part of a public hearing scheduled on
the Council meeting agenda. This prohibition shall not apply to signs
or placards related to City sponsored events, activities, proclamations
or recognitions.