[Res. 1/5/1976, § 1; as amended by Ord. 1117, 2/1/2006,
§ III]
The Borough Council shall organize on the first Monday of January
of each even-numbered year, by electing one of their number as President
and one of their number as Vice President, who shall hold such offices
at the pleasure of Council. If the members shall be unable, within
five roll call votes, to elect a President and/or Vice President,
then the member who received the greatest number of votes shall be
the President or Vice President. If this process cannot determine
who is president or vice president, then the Vacancy Board Chairman
(who shall be required to attend the reorganization meeting) shall
cast the deciding vote. If the first Monday is a legal holiday, the
meeting and organization shall take place the first day following.
Any action taken by any Borough Council at any time between 12:01
a.m. on January 1 of an even-numbered year and the organization of
Council in that year shall be subject to reconsideration by the new
council at any time within 10 days after such organization. The Council
may at the organization meeting elect such other officers as may be
provided for by law or ordinance, or as may be deemed necessary for
the conduct of affairs of the Borough and may transact such other
business as may come before the meeting. The President, and during
his absence or incapacity, the Vice President, shall preside over
the meetings of Council and perform such other duties as are prescribed
by this section.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 2]
Council shall meet regularly on the first Wednesday of each
month at 7:30 p.m. at the Council chamber in the Borough Hall. Provided,
however, that when the day fixed for any regular meeting of Council
falls upon a day designated by law as a legal or national holiday,
the meeting shall be held at the same hour on the next succeeding
day not a holiday.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 3]
The President of Council shall call special meetings of Council
whenever in his opinion the public business may require it, or upon
written request of at least three of the members of Council. Whenever
a special meeting is called, notice thereof shall be served at least
24 hours in advance on all the members of Council. Service shall be
either in person or by notice mailed to the member's place of
residence, stating the time and the place of the meeting, and the
nature of the business to be transacted. No business other than that
stated in the notice shall be considered. Presence by any member of
Council at the meeting shall constitute waiver of this notice. Public
notice of regular and special meetings shall be given as required
by law.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 4]
All reports, communications, ordinances, resolutions, documents,
contracts and other matters to be submitted to Council shall, at least
16 business hours prior to each Council meeting, be delivered to the
Secretary, whereupon, he shall immediately arrange a list of such
matters according to the order of business and furnish each member
of Council and the Solicitor with a copy of the same at the time of
the Council meeting.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 5]
1.
The President of Council shall preside at all meetings of Council.
The Vice President of Council shall preside at all meetings of Council
from which the President of Council is absent.
2.
In the absence of both the President and Vice President of Council
from any Council meeting, one of the members of Council present shall
be chosen by the members then present to preside over the meeting.
If the President or Vice President should then appear, the temporary
chairman shall immediately relinquish the chair upon conclusion of
the business under discussion.
3.
The presiding officer shall preserve strict order and decorum at
all Council meetings. He shall state orally every question coming
before Council, announce the decision of Council upon all subjects
and decide all questions of order, subject, however, to an appeal
of Council, in which event a majority vote of Council shall govern
and conclusively determine that question of order. He shall vote on
all questions, his name being called last. He shall sign all ordinances
and resolutions adopted by Council during his presence. In the event
of the absence of the President of Council, the presiding officer
shall sign ordinances or resolutions as then adopted.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 6]
The President of Council, or in his absence the Vice President
of Council, shall take the chair at the hour appointed for the meeting
and shall immediately call Council to order.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 7]
Before proceeding with the business of Council, the clerk shall
call the roll of the members, and the names of those present shall
be entered by him in the minutes.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 8]
A majority of all the members elected to Council shall constitute
a quorum at any meeting of Council. If no quorum is present at a meeting,
the majority of those who do meet may agree upon another date for
like business.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 9]
All meetings of Council shall be open to the public except for
such executive sessions as are lawfully permitted. Every executive
session shall be held behind closed doors, with no one in attendance
other than members of Council, and, when requested by a majority of
the members of Council, the Manager, the Solicitor and/or any other
specifically invited individuals.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 10; as amended by Ord. 1004,
7/6/1994]
1.
At the hour set for convening a meeting, a quorum of Council being
present, the business of Council shall be taken upon for consideration
and disposition in the following order:
2.
Provided, however, the presiding officer may, at his discretion or
upon request of any member of Council, at any meeting, change the
order of business by so announcing the change to the members of Council,
and, unless objection is taken by majority vote, the change shall
be considered to have been properly made.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 11; as amended by Res. 6/2/1976]
1.
The only standing committee of Council shall be the committee of
the whole, which shall consist of all members of Council. At the organizational
meeting Council shall establish by resolution the number of chairmen
for the committee of the whole and the area of responsibility of each
chairman. Thereafter, the President of Council shall appoint the chairmen.
2.
Special committees, unless otherwise directed by Council, shall be
appointed by the presiding officer of Council.
3.
No formal action including the taking of any vote on any resolution,
rule, order, motion, regulation or ordinance or the setting of any
official policy shall take place at any committee meeting. Any interested
party may request to meet with any committee to discuss any business
such person may have with that committee, and the Manager shall schedule
the appearance of the interested parties at the appropriate committee
meeting. All committee meetings shall be work sessions for discussion
only.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 12]
1.
The minutes of each meeting of Council shall be signed by the officer
presiding at the meeting and by the Secretary.
2.
Unless a reading of the minutes of a Council meeting shall be requested
by a member of Council present at the next meeting, the minutes may
be approved without reading, if the clerk shall have, at least three
days before the second meeting, furnished each member of Council with
a copy of the minutes.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 13]
1.
The President of Council, or such other member of Council who may
be presiding, may move, second and debate from the chair, subject
only to those limitations of debate that are, by these rules of procedure,
imposed on all members, and shall not be deprived of any of the rights
and privileges of a member of Council by reason of his acting as the
presiding officer.
2.
Every member desiring to speak shall address the chair and, upon
recognition by the presiding officer, he may speak, confining himself
to the question under debate.
3.
Interruptions. A member once recognized shall not be interrupted
while speaking except to call him to order, or as otherwise provided
in these rules of procedure. If a member, while speaking, is called
to order, he shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined,
and, if in order, he shall be permitted to proceed.
4.
Motion to Reconsider. A motion to reconsider any action taken by
Council may be made at the meeting when the action was taken. It may
be made either immediately, at the same session, or at a recessed
or adjourned session of the meeting. The motion shall be made by one
of the prevailing side, but may be seconded by any member of Council.
The motion may be made at any time and shall have precedence over
all other motions while a member has the floor; it shall be debatable.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent any member
of Council from making or remaking the same or any other motion at
a subsequent meeting of Council.
5.
Entry of Statement in Minutes. Through the presiding officer, any
member of Council, the Manager, or the Solicitor may request the privilege
of having an abstract of his statement on any subject under consideration
by Council entered in the minutes. If Council consents, the abstract
of his statement shall be entered in the minutes.
6.
Filing of Protests. Any member of Council shall have the right to
have the reasons for his dissent from, or protest against, any action
of Council entered in the minutes.
7.
Synopsis of Debate. With consent of Council, the presiding officer
may direct the clerk to enter in the minutes a synopsis of the discussion
on any question coming before Council.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 14]
1.
No person, not a member of Council, shall address Council without
having secured the permission of the presiding officer to do so.
2.
Each person addressing Council shall step in front of the rail, shall
give his name and address in an audible tone of voice for the records,
and unless further time is granted by the Council, shall limit his
address to five minutes. No persons other than Council and the person
having the floor shall be permitted to enter into any discussion without
the permission of the presiding officer.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 15]
1.
By Council Members. While Council is in session, the members shall
preserve order and decorum. No member shall, either by conversation
or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings, or disturb the peace
of Council, or disturb any member who is speaking, or refuse to obey
the orders of Council or its presiding officer, except as otherwise
provided in these rules of procedure.
2.
By Persons Other Than Council Members. Any person who shall make
any personal, impertinent or slanderous remark, or who shall become
boisterous while addressing Council shall be forthwith, by the presiding
officer, barred from further audience before Council, unless permission
to continue shall be granted by majority vote of Council.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 16]
The presiding officer may designate any member of the Police
Department to serve as sergeant at arms at any Council meeting. The
office of sergeant at arms shall be filled only when, in the judgement
of the presiding officer, it shall be necessary. The sergeant at arms
shall carry out all orders and instructions given by the presiding
officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the meeting.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 17]
No person except Borough officials, or their representatives,
shall be permitted within the rail in front of the Council chamber
without the express consent of the presiding officer.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 18]
The vote upon every motion, resolution or ordinance shall be
taken by roll call and the yeas and nays shall be entered on the minutes.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 19]
1.
Preparation of Ordinances. All ordinances shall be prepared by, under
the direction of, or with the approval of the Solicitor. No ordinance
shall be prepared for presentation to Council without prior authorization
by the appropriate committee or the Manager.
2.
Prior Approval and Examination of Ordinances, Resolutions and Contracts.
No ordinance, resolution or contract shall be presented to Council
until it has been approved as to form and legality by the Solicitor
and has been examined by the Manager.
3.
Every ordinance shall be introduced in Council in printed or written
form. Before passage by Council, every proposed ordinance shall be
read in full one time unless by unanimous vote Council waives the
reading of the ordinance, after which it shall be open for debate
and amendment. After debate and amendment, the ordinance shall be
considered for final passage. No ordinance shall be passed finally
at the meeting at which it was introduced without unanimous vote of
the members present. An ordinance which is not passed finally at the
meeting at which it was introduced shall not be considered for final
passage until the next regular meeting, at which meeting it may be
passed finally by majority vote of all the members of Council. No
amendment to an ordinance thus carried over to a successive meeting
shall be entertained or considered by the chair.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 20]
All reports and resolutions shall be filed with the clerk and
entered on the minutes.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 21]
A motion to adjourn shall always be in order and shall be decided
without debate.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 22]
Unless otherwise provided for in these rules of procedure set
out in §§ 301 through 324, questions of parliamentary
procedure shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, which
shall be interpreted by the Solicitor.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 23]
These rules of procedure, comprising §§ 301 through
324, may be amended at any Council meeting by resolution passed by
a majority of the members present.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 24]
By general consent, that is, if no member of Council objects,
these rules of procedure, comprising §§ 301 through
324, can be ignored without the formality of a motion to suspend the
rules.
[Res. 1/5/1976]
The committee of the whole shall have six chairmen, each of
whom shall be responsible for the areas stated, as follows:
A.
Revenue and Finance Chairman: general administration, budget and
financing, employee relations, and public buildings.
B.
Health, Safety and Welfare Chairman: Fire Department, Police Department,
civil defense, sanitation and health, and Civil Service Commission.
C.
Public Utility Chairman: Electric Department, Water Department, and
Sewer Department.
D.
Planning and Zoning: Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board, Zoning
Ordinance, and Comprehensive Plan.
E.
Public Works Chairman: roadway system, solid waste problems, and
Borough equipment.
F.
Parks and Recreation: summer recreation program, winter recreation
program, and park system.
