[Amended 8-8-1966 by L.L. No. 1-1966; 1-1-1968; 1-1-1970; 1-24-1972]
The President of the Council is hereby authorized
to appoint members of the following Council Committees:
A.
The Finance, Tax Sale and Personnel Committees, covering
the fiscal administration of the City, including taxes, bonds, accounts
and the like.
B.
The Public Works Committee, including highways, streets,
alleys, bridges, sidewalks, pavements, gutters, sewers, sewage treatment,
public projects and the like.
D.
The Public Safety, City Affairs and Claims Committees,
including investigations, reports on suggested public policies, ordinances
and attention to any other City matter for which a committee does
not otherwise exist.
[Amended 7-25-1966; 11-28-1967; 1-1-1968]
The proceedings of the Council shall be governed
by Robert's Rules of Order, except as hereby provided:
A.
A motion need not be seconded.
B.
The City Clerk/Treasurer shall adopt every possible
measure to expedite the submission of matters in the first instance
or immediate matters which precede final action. Thus to illustrate:
When the initial petition is presented for the paving of a street,
the City Clerk/Treasurer shall say, in substance, "I have a standard
form of petition for the pavement of _______________ Street." The
President shall then say, if there is no immediate objection, "This
petition is referred to the Director of Assessments to certify it
under the provisions of the Charter." The City Clerk/Treasurer shall
enter in his minutes, "The City Clerk/Treasurer read a standard form
of petition for the paving of _______________ Street, and it was referred
by unanimous consent to the Director of Assessments for investigation
and report."
[Amended 2-10-2006 by L.L. No. 2-2006; 8-28-2017; 11-25-2019 by L.L. No. 1-2020]
C.
The City Clerk/Treasurer shall summarize the variety
of communications from outside civic bodies, chambers of commerce
and similar propaganda bodies having no immediate responsibility of
the citizens and taxpayers of the City. The President shall then say,
"These communications shall be filed unless some member of the City
Council makes an immediate motion to the contrary." The City Clerk/Treasurer
shall note the receipt of the communications and the decisions thereon
in his minutes.
[Amended 2-10-2006 by L.L. No. 2-2006; 8-28-2017; 11-25-2019 by L.L. No. 1-2020]
D.
The City Clerk/Treasurer is instructed to make every
effort to diminish the number of formal roll calls and to include
in one resolution and in one roll call the action of the Council on
a similar group of matters. To illustrate: If there are several sidewalk
or curb bonds to be submitted and approved, the City Clerk/Treasurer
shall announce the names of the bondsmen and their sureties in succession
and then submit one prepared resolution approving such bonds and directing
their filing. The roll shall then be called on the one resolution.
[Amended 2-10-2006 by L.L. No. 2-2006; 8-28-2017; 11-25-2019 by L.L. No. 1-2020]
E.
Any person desiring to address the Council may exercise
that privilege only at the time set up in the order of business.
(1)
A citizen addressing the Council shall be entitled
to speak for five minutes. No person addressing the Council shall
speak for more than five minutes or more than one time on a given
topic on the same evening without the further consent of the Council.
(2)
Any person having special interest in any business
taken up by the Council may address the Council at the time the business
is being discussed, provided that arrangement to do so has been made
with the President of the Council before the meeting.
(3)
In view of the larger amount of public business requiring
the attention of the City Council under the Charter and the growth
of the City, department officials and citizens will be expected to
formulate their particular proposals with precision.
F.
Resolutions shall be prefiled no later than 11:00
a.m. on the Thursday preceding the regular Monday Council Meeting.
The City Clerk/Treasurer shall mail or e-mail a copy of each such
resolution and an agenda of all matters to be dealt with at each such
regular meeting of the Council no later than 5:00 p.m. on the same
day resolutions are prefiled. He/she also shall make copies of the
agenda available to the news media no later than 5:00 p.m. on the
day following the mailing of the agenda to Council members.
[Amended 12-21-2005; 2-10-2006 by L.L. No. 2-2006; 8-28-2017; 11-25-2019 by L.L. No. 1-2020]
G.
The City Council shall hold regular meetings at least
once in each month. Such regular meeting shall be held on Monday beginning
at 7:30 p.m. The Mayor, the President of the Council or any three
Councilpersons may call a special meeting by notice thereof, in writing,
to be served personally or by mail on all other members thereof. All
meetings of the City Council shall be public except when, in the judgment
of the City Council, the Mayor or the Corporation Counsel, a conference
is necessary. No record need be made of such conferences, nor shall
any action be taken except in open meetings.
[Amended 1-20-2004]
H.
In addition to the powers vested in the Mayor under
the Charter to convene the City Council in session, the President
of the Council is hereby authorized to convene the Council in special
session by a notice published in the official paper at least 12 hours
prior to the hour fixed for meeting. The President of the Council
is likewise authorized to convene the Council in special session for
the consideration of important public business by a written notice
delivered to each Council person by an officer of the City or left
at the home address of the particular Council person at least three
hours prior to the hour fixed for the meeting. Three Council persons
are hereby authorized to file in the office of the City Clerk/Treasurer
a notice requiring a special session of the City Council, which notice
shall be filed and delivered personally to each Council person at
least 12 hours prior to the hour fixed for the meeting. A notice thus
filed in the office of the City Clerk/Treasurer shall state the special
business to be presented to the meeting, and no business other than
that specified in the notice shall be considered at the special meeting
unless the entire membership of the City Council is present and consents
thereto.
[Amended 2-10-2006 by L.L. No. 2-2006; 8-28-2017; 11-25-2019 by L.L. No. 1-2020]
I.
Any radio or television station may broadcast or telecast
only public proceedings of the Council.
The order of business of the Council at its
meetings shall be as follows:
A.
Roll call.
B.
Pledge of allegiance to the flag.
C.
Invocation.
D.
Approval of minutes of preceding meetings.
E.
Messages from the Mayor.
F.
Opportunities for persons present to address the Council.
G.
Presentation of petitions and communications.
H.
Report of standing committees.
I.
Report of special committees.
J.
Report of City officers.
K.
Report from Council persons on administrative boards.
L.
Unfinished business.
M.
New business.
N.
Adjournment.
