City of New Rochelle, NY Chapter 16 City Council

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City of New Rochelle as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]

Article I Rules and Regulations

[Adopted 1-1-1932; last amended 5-18-1982 by Res. No. 101]

§ 16-1 Meetings.

[Amended 4-20-2006 by Ord. No. 97-2006]

A. The Council shall meet on the second and third Tuesdays of each month in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 515 North Avenue, New Rochelle, New York, or at such other place as the Council may designate.

B. The second Tuesday of the month shall be a Committee-of-the-Whole meeting for the purpose of reviewing the Council calendar and discussion items on the Council agenda and voting on legislative items which cannot wait until the next regular Council meeting. Such meeting shall commence at 3:45 p.m. on said day or at such other hour as a majority of the Council may designate. Citizens shall be heard and petitions and communications received at 7:00 p.m. on said days.

[Amended 3-16-2010 by Ord. No. 41-2010; 2-9-2016 by Ord. No. 29-2016]

C. The third Tuesday shall be the regular Council meeting for the purpose of conducting regular legislative business and to vote on the legislative items previously discussed at the Committee-of-the-Whole session on the second Tuesday of the month. Such regular Council meeting shall commence at 6:15 p.m.

[Amended 7-9-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-132]

D. The Mayor or majority of the members of the Council may call a special meeting by causing a written notice therefor, specifying the objects of the meeting, to be delivered by the City Clerk or his or her designee to each and every member at their places of business or places of residence 24 hours before the time fixed for such meeting. Such meeting shall commence at the time set forth in the written Notice therefor.

E. The Council may, at any time, on approval of a majority of its members, hold a Committee-of-the-Whole meeting or an executive session at such other times and places as it may designate.

§ 16-2 Order of business.

A. The first business of each regular legislative meeting to be held on the third Tuesday of each month shall be the call of the roll.

B. The order of business, which shall not be departed from except by a majority vote of the Council, shall be as follows:

(1) Submission and approval of minutes.

(2) Public hearings as required.

(3) Receipt of reports of boards, committees and commissions.

(4) Recess.

(5) Voting:

[Amended 6-15-2004 by Ord. No. 135-2004]

(a) Consent agenda pursuant to § 16-15 herein.

(b) Resolutions.

(c) Ordinances.

(d) Local laws.

(6) Adjournment of legislative session.

(7) Convening of meeting in Council Chambers following adjournment of the legislative session for the purpose of conferences and hearings with boards, committees or commissions or upon citizen request consented to by Council.

§ 16-3 Minutes.

A. It shall be the duty of the City Clerk to forward to each member of the City Council copies of the minutes of the preceding meetings of the Council, whether regular or special, which minutes may, however, omit the text of reports, communications, resolutions, etc., provided that a summary thereof is inserted sufficient for identification.

B. Minutes of any meeting of the Council shall not be adopted or approved unless a copy of the same shall have been furnished to each member of the City Council on or before the regular meeting at which the minutes are moved for adoption or approval.

§ 16-4 Form and review of legislation.

Every main motion, resolution or ordinance shall be first stated by the Chairman or by the Clerk and shall be reduced to writing. Upon being seconded, it shall be deemed in the possession of the Council, but it may be withdrawn at any time before it shall be decided or amended. Every resolution, ordinance or local law, before being deemed in the possession of the City Council, shall be approved as to form by the Corporation Counsel or, during his absence or disability, by an Assistant Corporation Counsel by affixing his signature.

§ 16-5 Motion to reconsider vote.

A motion to reconsider any vote must be made at the same meeting at which the vote proposed to be reconsidered was taken or at the next meeting next succeeding and by a member who voted in the majority. Such motion may be made under any order of business but shall be considered only under the business in which the vote proposed to be reconsidered occurred.

§ 16-6 Effect of motion to reconsider being put and lost.

A motion of reconsideration being put and lost shall not be renewed, nor shall any vote be a second time considered without unanimous consent.

§ 16-7 Roll call vote.

[Amended 11-17-1992 by Res. No. 269; 12-14-1993 by Res. No. 272]

The yeas and nays may be taken on any question if required by any member and shall be taken when required by the provisions of Section 15 of the City Charter. Upon any call of the roll of members, the same shall be called in Council district order, calling the name of the Mayor last, and when taken shall be entered on the minutes.

§ 16-8 Suspension of rules.

Any of the foregoing rules may be suspended for a special purpose by a unanimous vote of the members present, except as provided for special meetings in § 16-1 above.

§ 16-9 Questions of order not otherwise covered.

Any question of order not governed by the foregoing rules shall be decided in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order Revised.

§ 16-10 Construal of rules.

These rules are not to be construed as abridging in any manner any powers given to any member of the Council, or the Mayor, by the City Charter.

Article II Legislative Agenda

[Adopted 10-24-1989 by Res. No. 242]

§ 16-11 Time limit for delivery to Mayor and Council members.

The written agenda for each session of City Council shall be delivered, where possible, to the Mayor and Council members no later than seven days prior to each session.

§ 16-12 Categorization of agenda items.

Each item included in the agenda shall be categorized under topic headings, e.g., development, zoning, contracts, etc.

§ 16-13 Required information.

Each agenda item shall include the following information:

A. Whether a Council member, the City Manager or department head or other employee shall have brought the item to the attention of Council.

B. A summary description and synopsis of the item.

C. A statement, if practicable, of alternatives to any item proposed by the City Manager.

D. A statement of whether there are any deadlines, legal statutes of limitation or other time periods requiring Council or other action by a certain date.

E. A statement as to whether the services of outside consultants may be required and the reasons for such services and the estimated cost thereof.

§ 16-14 Setting of goals and objectives; meeting with City Manager.

A. The City Council shall meet to set yearly goals and objectives as well as to review:

(1) Local problems.

(2) City operations.

(3) Policy implementation.

(4) The City's financial condition.

B. The City Manager shall, on a regular basis, meet with the City Council in association with each department head for the purpose of a discussion of the activities, goals, financial status and recommendations of each department. The City Manager and each department head shall present to the Mayor and Council at each such meeting a statement concerning the manner in which that department is meeting the policy objectives established by the Council.

§ 16-15 Consent agenda.

[Added 6-15-2004 by Ord. No. 135-2004]

A consent agenda may be presented by the Mayor at the beginning of voting at a regular Council meeting. Any item shall be removed from the consent agenda on the request of any one Council Member. Items not removed shall be adopted by single motion without debate. Removed items shall be taken up in the regular voting order.