A majority of all the members elected to the
Council shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special meeting
of the Council, but a number less than a quorum may adjourn any meeting.
If no member of the Council is present 1/2 hour after the appointed
time for any meeting, the Clerk shall adjourn the meeting.
[Amended 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 5-2021]
A.
The agenda for each regular and special meeting of Council shall
be prepared by the Clerk. The agenda for each regular meeting of the
Council shall include only such matters of Council business as have
been presented or delivered to the Clerk by the Manager or a member
of the Council not later than the end of business on the Thursday
preceding the meeting. As soon as the agenda for each meeting has
been prepared, the Clerk shall deliver a copy to each member of Council
and the Manager. The Clerk shall also promptly distribute copies to
the press and to interested citizens upon request.
[Amended 7-25-2022 by Ord. No. 20-2022]
B.
Two general exemptions shall exist to this deadline as follows: 1)
matters and items which affect the health, safety, and welfare of
the public-at-large; and 2) matters affecting the financial operation
of Township.
[Amended 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 5-2021]
The business of the Council at regular meetings, and so far
as applicable at special meetings, shall be taken up for consideration
and disposed of in the following order:
A.
Reading of the Sunshine statement;
B.
Quorum roll call;
C.
Moment of silence;
D.
Pledge of Allegiance;
E.
Communications;
F.
Proclamations and presentations;
G.
Approval of meeting minutes, pending any corrections;
H.
Legal fees;
I.
Public portion (agenda items only, four-minute limit);
J.
Passage of ordinances;
K.
Consent agenda for resolutions:
(1)
The consent agenda shall include all resolutions which have the unanimous
support of the entire Council, and a vote to approve the consent agenda
shall be deemed to be a vote approving all of the resolutions and
matters contained therein. Any member of Council may, if they so choose
prior to the adoption of the consent agenda, request that an item
contained therein be removed for independent consideration. Under
such a circumstance, the requested item shall be removed from the
consent agenda and shall be voted upon separately after adoption of
the consent agenda.
(2)
The following shall appear on the consent agenda:
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"ALL MATTER LISTED WITH AN ASTERISK (*) ARE CONSIDERED TO BE
ROUTINE AND NON- CONTROVERSIAL BY THE COUNCIL AND WILL BE APPROVED
BY ONE MOTION. THERE WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION ON THESE ITEMS
UNLESS A MEMBER OF COUNCIL SO REQUESTS, IN WHICH CASE THE ITEM WILL
BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CONSIDERED IN ITS NORMAL SEQUENCE
ON THE AGENDA AS PART OF THE GENERAL ORDERS."
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L.
Reports of departments. This will include any of: the Township Manager,
Deputy Township Manager, Township Clerk, Deputy Clerk, Engineer, Township
Attorney, and any other department heads, or designees, which may
be present at the meeting and/or at the request of the Township Manager
or Council (three-minute limit, extension of time may be granted by
Chair);
M.
Unfinished business;
N.
New business;
O.
Council reports (seven-minute limit, extension of time may be granted
by Chair);
P.
Mayor's report (seven-minute limit);
Q.
Public portion (on any subject, three-minute limit);
R.
Executive (closed) session, only if appropriate; and
S.
Adjournment.
[Amended 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 5-2021]
A.
Robert's Rules of Order. Meetings of the Council shall, except as
herein otherwise provided, be conducted according to Robert's Rules
of Order, current edition.
B.
Reading of the minutes. The minutes of the previous meeting of the
Council may be approved without reading if the Clerk has previously
furnished each member of the Council with a copy thereof, but upon
request of any member of the Council, the minutes or any part thereof
shall be read prior to approval.
C.
The Chair may debate, vote, etc. The Mayor or such other member of
the Council as may be acting as Chair may move, second and debate
from the chair, and may vote on any question, subject only to such
limitations of debate as are by these rules imposed on all members,
and the Chair shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges
of a member of the Council by reason of the member acting as the Chair.
D.
The Chair shall close the debate and request that the Clerk call
the roll on any motion, resolution, or adoption of an ordinance.
E.
Roll call of the members of the Council shall be determined by the
Mayor as part of the reorganizational meeting except that the Deputy
Mayor and Mayor shall vote last, respectively.
F.
Motion to reconsider. A motion to reconsider any action taken by
the Council may be made only at the meeting at which such action was
taken. It may be made either immediately during the same session,
or at a recessed or adjourned session of such meeting. Such motion
may be made only by one of the prevailing side, but may be seconded
by any member, and may be made at any time and have precedence over
all other motions, and it shall be debatable. Nothing herein shall
be construed to prevent any member of the Council from making or remaking
at a subsequent meeting of the Council any motion previously made
or considered.
G.
A Council member may be called to order for conduct violative of
the Rules of Procedure. A Council member called to order shall immediately
cease speaking, unless the Chair permits the member to explain their
actions. The decision of the Chair shall be final, subject to an appeal
by Council requiring 2/3 vote to veto the Chair's decision. A member
of Council shall be called to order for certain actions, including
but not limited to: interruptions other than calls to order, calls
to order made in bad faith or lacking merit, discussion of any issue
beyond the scope of the question under consideration, discussion not
germane to the question under consideration, discussion primarily
intended to cause undue delay, or other violations as the Chair deems
appropriate.
H.
Every member of the Council shall address all statements, motions,
and comments to the Chair. The member of Council, upon addressing
the statement, motion, or comment to the Chair, shall await recognition
before speaking. Upon recognition, the speaking member of Council
shall confine themselves to the issue under consideration addressed
by the statement, motion, or comment.
I.
No member of Council shall speak a second time on the same question
until every other member of Council desiring to speak shall have spoken
at least once.
J.
The Chair shall decide all questions of order without debate and
may call upon the Township Attorney upon any questions of order who
will resolve any disputes or issues related to the Rules and Procedures.
[Amended 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 5-2021]
A.
Recognition to speak. Any person desiring to address
the Council shall first seek to be recognized by the Chair, and such
person, upon recognition, shall confine any statement to the order
of business prescribed by this article.
B.
Written communications. Under the heading of "Written
Communications," parties affected or their authorized representatives
may address the Council in regard to matters then under discussion
which are the subject of such communication.
C.
Manner of
addressing Council; time limit.
(1)
Each person addressing the Council shall, upon recognition by the
Chair, proceed to the front of the rail, and give the speaker's name
and address in an audible tone of voice for the record. A member of
the Council shall not direct a question to any speaker addressing
the Council except through the Chair.
(2)
There will be two public portions consisting of four minutes for
the first public portion and three for the second public portion.
Any response made by the Council shall be included in the speaker's
four-minute and three-minute allotted time period. All statements,
comments, questions and/or dialogue from a speaker shall be directed
to the Chair.
(3)
A member of the public may only speak once at each of the public
portions. The initial public portion will be limited to agenda items
only. During the second public portion, the public will be able to
speak on any topic.
(4)
A member of public shall be called to order and given a warning for
certain actions, including but not limited to: speaking without first
being recognized, vulgarity or obscenity, hostile gestures or threatening
or intimidating language, interruptions other than calls to order,
or other violations as the Chair or Township Attorney deems appropriate.
After receiving a warning, the member of the public will be subject
to removal by the Chair or Township Attorney for any subsequent violations.
[Amended 4-12-2021 by Ord. No. 5-2021]
A.
The Chief of Police, or such member or members of the Police Department
as the Chief may designate, shall be Sergeant at Arms of the Council
meetings and shall be in attendance at Council meetings when requested
by the Mayor. The Sergeant at Arms shall carry out all orders and
instructions given by the Chair or Township Attorney for the purpose
of maintaining order and decorum at the meeting.
B.
Any person who violates the order and decorum of the meeting shall be guilty of an offense punishable as provided in § 1-7 hereof. Upon instructions of the Chair, it shall be the duty of the Sergeant at Arms to place any such person under arrest and cause the person to be prosecuted pursuant to law, the complaint to be signed by the Chair.
