[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Old
Tappan 5-26-1975 as Sec. 2-4 of the 1975 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The Mayor and Councilmen of the borough shall constitute the Borough
Council.
The Council shall hold an annual meeting on January 1, at 12:00 noon,
or during the first seven days of January in any year, and such other meetings
or adjourned meetings at such time and place as it may by resolution direct,
but all regular meetings shall be held within the borough. The Mayor shall,
when necessary, call special meetings of the Council; in case of his neglect
or refusal, any four members of the Council may call such meeting at such
time and place in the borough as they may designate, and in all cases of special
meetings, written notice shall be given to all the members of the Council
left at their places of residence, or by actual contact with the members by
telephone or otherwise.
Three Councilmen and the Mayor or, in the absence of the Mayor, four
Councilmen, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but
a smaller number may meet and adjourn from time to time.
The Council at its annual meeting shall, by the vote of a majority of
the Council, elect from its number a President of the Council, who shall preside
at all its meetings when the Mayor does not preside. He shall hold office
for one year and until the next annual meeting. He shall have the right to
debate and vote on all questions before the Council. If the Council at its
annual meeting fails to elect a President, the Mayor shall appoint the President
from the Council, and in that case no confirmation by the Council shall be
necessary.
If the Mayor is absent from the borough for a period of three days or
for any reason is unable to act, the President of the Council shall perform
all the duties of the Mayor during such absence or inability. In case of his
intended absence from the borough for more than three days at any one time,
the Mayor shall notify the President in writing of the intended absence, whereupon
the President shall be and become acting Mayor from the receipt of the notice
and continue to act until the Mayor's return. In case of the temporary inability
of the President of Council to so act, the member of Council having the longest
term of service may act temporarily for the President of Council.
The Council shall possess all the powers granted by or permissible under
the laws of the State of New Jersey.
The Council shall provide rules of procedure by resolution. These rules
shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter. Except where
the Council provides otherwise by resolution, the proceedings at all meetings
shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, revised. The
Borough Attorney shall be ex officio parliamentarian and shall be prepared,
at the request of any member of the Council, to give his opinion on any question
of procedure.
All regular and special meetings of the Council shall be open to the
public. The Borough Attorney, the Clerk, and any other borough officer or
employee whose presence is required by resolution of the Council shall attend
such meetings.
The Council may convene at any time in informal conference for the study
of municipal business or to plan for the agendas of its future meetings. No
persons other than those specifically invited by the Council to attend shall
be permitted to be present at such conference.