[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and City Council of the City of Maroa as Ch. 1, Art. II, Div. I, II, of the 2001 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The City Council shall consist of the Mayor and six Aldermen, two from each of the three wards, and their term of office shall be for four years and until their successors are elected and have qualified.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I); 7-19-2021 by Ord. No. 2021/07/19-1]
The regular stated meetings of the City Council shall be held in the City Hall Building on the first Monday in each month at a time set by the City Council. When said meeting date falls upon a legal holiday, the meeting shall be held on an alternate day as designated by the City Council. Adjourned meetings may be held at such times as may be determined by the Council. Public notice of regular meetings shall be given in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120/1 et seq.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Special meetings of the City Council may be called by the Mayor or any three Aldermen by giving at least 24 hours' notice thereof, by delivering to them, personally, written or printed notices of the time of such meeting at the residences of the Aldermen; such notices shall be served by mail, by the Chief of Police or his designated representative. Said notices shall specify the purpose of said special meeting and the business to be taken up at that time and place. Such notice shall be posted at the City Hall and on the City's website and shall be provided to any local newspaper of general circulation or any local radio or television that has filed an annual request for such notice. The notice shall be provided to such news media in the same manner as the notice is given to the Mayor and members of the City Council, provided such news media has given the City an address within the City at which such notice may be given.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of Alderman, if more than 28 months remain in the term and the vacancy occurs not less than 130 days before the next consolidated election, the office shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by special election at that consolidated election. During the period from the time that the vacancy occurs until the next election of Aldermen, the vacancy may be filled by the appointment of an Alderman by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council.
[Amended 2-27-2006 by Ord. No. 02/27/2006-6; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A. 
Standing committees shall be appointed annually by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. Committee appointments are subject to change at the discretion of the Mayor.
B. 
The Mayor shall be an ex-officio member of each and every standing committee.
C. 
The first named Alderman of each committee shall be the Chairman, and in the case of his absence or disability, the one next named shall act as Chairman.
D. 
The reports of committees shall be in writing.
E. 
As provided by law, any report of a committee of the City Council shall be deferred for final action thereon to the next regular meeting of the same after the report is made, upon the request of any two Aldermen present.
F. 
Each standing committee of the City Council shall exercise a general supervision over the affairs of the department of municipal government with which it is connected; shall ascertain the condition and needs of said department; shall, from time to time, report the same to the Mayor and City Council so that a full understanding thereof may be had; and generally shall do all acts necessary to promote the efficiency of the department.
Special committees may be appointed by the Mayor, subject to the advice and consent of the Aldermen, as may be needed from time to time.
At all meetings of the City Council, a majority of the corporate authorities shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and if no such quorum attends such meeting of the Council, the Aldermen may adjourn from day to day until a quorum is present; and shall have power to compel the attendance of absent members, except when such members are physically unable to attend such meetings.
It shall be the duty of each and every Alderman to attend all meetings of the City Council. If any Alderman shall be absent from three consecutive regular and/or special meetings of the City Council, he may be censured by a majority vote of the Council. Censure shall consist of public notification of the Alderman's absenteeism. Should any Alderman be absent from five consecutive regular or special meetings of the City Council, the Council may, by a 2/3 majority vote, declare the aforesaid member's office to be vacant after notification to the Alderman by certified mail. Said vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the City Council; provided, however, it is hereby established that these provisions shall not be applicable if the City Council excuses the absence or the absence is caused by illness or unavoidable accident.
Members of the general public may address the Mayor and City Council, or any other body convened in a public meeting for the purpose of conducting municipal business, at that point on the agenda designated "Public Comment." A member of the general public may speak for a period of up to five minutes, which may be extended for additional successive five-minute periods at the discretion of the presiding officer. The body need not respond to questions posed by members of the general public but may do so at the discretion of the presiding officer. Members of the general public whose comments are disruptive of the proceedings may be asked to leave peaceably or may otherwise be escorted from the premises.
[Amended 7-25-2011 by Ord. No. 07/25/2011]
The following rules of order and procedure shall govern the deliberations and meetings of the City Council.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A. 
The order of business shall be as follows:
(1) 
Roll Call.
(2) 
Pledge of Allegiance.
(3) 
Public Comment.
(4) 
Approval of Meeting Minutes.
(5) 
Police Report.
(6) 
Attorney's Report.
(7) 
Engineer's Report.
(8) 
Administrator's Report.
(9) 
Zoning/Public Works.
(10) 
Old Business.
(11) 
New Business.
(12) 
Committee Reports.
(13) 
Bills.
(14) 
Closed Session.
(15) 
Adjourn City Council.
B. 
All questions relating to the priority of business shall be decided by the presiding officer without debate, subject to appeal.
The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum and may speak to points of order in preference to other Aldermen, and shall decide all question of order, subject to appeal. In case of any disturbance or disorderly conduct, the presiding officer shall have the power to require that the chamber be cleared.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
While the presiding officer is putting the question, no member shall walk across or out of the Council Chamber. Every member, previous to his speaking, making a motion or seconding the same, shall not proceed with his remarks until recognized and named by the presiding officer. He shall confine himself to the question under debate, avoiding personalities and refraining from impugning the motives of any other Aldermen's argument or vote.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
No person other than a member of the Council shall address that body on any question unless such person has been recognized by the presiding officer.
When an Alderman wishes to present a communication, petition, order, resolution, ordinance or other original matter, he shall send it to the desk of the Clerk, who shall read such matter when reached in its proper order.
A. 
No Alderman shall speak more than once on the same question except by consent of the presiding officer or unless 3/4 of the corporate authorities agree that one's right to debate should be limited to speak only once, and then not until every other Alderman desiring to speak shall have had an opportunity to do so; provided, however, that the proponent of the matter under consideration, as the case may be, shall have the right to open and close debate.
B. 
No Alderman shall speak longer than 10 minutes at any one time except by consent of the Council; and in closing debate on any question as above provided, the speaker shall be limited to five minutes except by special consent of the Council.
C. 
The City Council, by motion, may limit debate. The presiding officer shall have the right to participate in debate. While a member is speaking, no Alderman shall hold any private discussion, nor pass between the speaker and the presiding officer.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
An Alderman, when called to order by the presiding officer, shall thereupon discontinue speaking and take his seat and the order or ruling of the presiding officer shall be binding and conclusive, subject only to the right to appeal.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A. 
Any Alderman may appeal to the Council from a ruling of the presiding officer, and if the appeal is seconded, the Alderman making the appeal may briefly state his reason for the same, and the presiding officer may briefly explain his ruling; but there shall be no debate on the appeal and no other person shall participate in the discussion. The presiding officer shall have the right to participate in debate.
B. 
The presiding officer shall then put the question: 'Shall the decision of the presiding officer be sustained?". If a majority of the Aldermen present vote "No", the decision of the presiding officer shall be overruled; otherwise it shall be sustained.
If any question under consideration contains several distinct propositions, the Aldermen, by a majority vote of the Aldermen present, may divide such question.
In all cases where a resolution or motion is entered in the journal, the name of the Aldermen moving the same shall be entered also.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
The result of all votes by yeas and nays shall not be announced by the Clerk, but shall be handed by him to the presiding officer for announcement; and no vote shall be changed after the tally list has passed from the hands of the Clerk.
A. 
When a question is under debate, the following motions shall be in order and shall have precedence over each other in order, as listed:
(1) 
To adjourn to a day certain.
(2) 
To adjourn.
(3) 
To take a recess.
(4) 
To lay on the table.
(5) 
The previous question.
(6) 
To refer.
(7) 
To amend.
(8) 
To defer or postpone to a time certain.
(9) 
To defer or postpone (without reference to time).
(10) 
To defer or postpone indefinitely.
B. 
Subsection A(2), (4) and (5) shall be decided without debate.
A. 
A motion to adjourn the City Council shall always be in order, except:
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(1) 
When an Alderman is in possession of the floor.
(2) 
While the yeas and nays are being called.
(3) 
When the members are voting.
(4) 
When adjournment was the last preceding motion.
(5) 
When it has been decided that the previous question shall be taken.
B. 
A motion simply to adjourn shall not be subject to amendment or debate, but a motion to adjourn to a time certain shall be.
C. 
The City Council may, at any time, adjourn over one or more regular meetings on a vote of a majority of all the Aldermen authorized by law to be elected.
When the previous question is moved on the main question and seconded, it shall be put on this form: "Shall the main question now be put?". If such motion is carried, all further amendments and all further motions and debate shall be excluded, and the question shall be put without delay upon the pending amendment in proper order and then upon the main question.
A. 
A motion to lay the question on the table shall not be debatable, but a motion to lay on the table and publish, or with any other condition, shall be subject to amendment and debate.
B. 
A motion to take any motion or other proposition from the table may be proposed at the same meeting at which such motion or proposition was laid upon the table, provided 2/3 of the Aldermen vote therefor.
C. 
A motion to lay any particular motion or proposition on the table shall apply to that motion or proposition only. An amendment to the main question or other pending question may be laid on the table, and neither the main question nor such other pending question shall be affected thereby.
A. 
When consideration of a motion or other proposition is postponed indefinitely, it shall not be again taken up at the same meeting.
B. 
A motion to postpone indefinitely shall not open the main question to debate.
C. 
A motion to defer or postpone, without any reference to time, shall not be construed as a motion to postpone indefinitely, but shall be considered to be of the same general nature and to possess the same general attributes so far as applicable under these rules as a motion to postpone indefinitely or to a time certain.
A motion to refer to a standing committee shall take precedence over a similar motion to refer to a special committee.
A. 
A motion to amend an amendment shall be in order, but one to amend an amendment to an amendment shall not be entertained.
B. 
An amendment modifying the intention of a motion shall be in order; but an amendment relating to a different subject shall not be in order.
C. 
On an amendment to "Strike out and insert", the paragraph to be amended shall first be read as it stands, then the words proposed to be stricken out, then those to be inserted, and finally, the paragraph as it will stand if so amended shall be read.
D. 
An amendment to the main question or other pending questions may be referred to a committee, and neither the main question nor such other pending question shall be affected thereby.
When a blank is to be filled, and different sums or times proposed, the question shall be taken first on the least sum or the longest time.
A substitute for any original proposition under debate or for any pending amendment or such proposition may be entertained notwithstanding that at such time, further amendment is admissible; and if accepted by the Aldermen by a vote, shall entirely supersede such original proposition or amendment, as the case may be, and cut off all amendments appertaining thereto.
A. 
A vote or question may be reconsidered at any time during the same meeting or at the first regular meeting held thereafter. A motion for reconsideration, having been once made and decided in the negative, shall not be renewed, nor shall a motion to reconsider be reconsidered.
B. 
A motion to reconsider must be made and seconded by Aldermen who voted on the prevailing side of the question to be reconsidered, unless otherwise provided by law; provided, however, that where a motion has received a majority vote in the affirmative, but is declared lost solely on the ground that a greater number of affirmative votes is required by statute for the passage or adoption of such motion, then, in such case, a motion to reconsider may be made and seconded only by those who voted in the affirmative on such question to be reconsidered.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Any Alderman acting or appearing in a lewd or disgraceful manner or who uses opprobrious, obscene and insulting language to or about any member of the Council, or who does not obey the order of the presiding officer shall be, on motion, censured by a majority vote of the members present, or expelled by a 2/3 vote of all Aldermen elected.
An itemized agenda, along with all necessary supporting documentation, shall be furnished to each member of the Council no later than 12:00 noon on the Friday preceding the regular Council meeting. In the case of emergency matters, which could not have been reasonably foreseen in sufficient time to comply with this section, a revised agenda will be furnished to each member of the Council prior to the opening of the Council meeting. (Note: The Council will establish the time for the close of business.)