[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township of Lopatcong 6-6-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-10. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Members of the Township Council shall observe order and decorum during the Township Council meeting. A member of the Township Council shall neither, by conversation or otherwise, delay nor interrupt the proceedings of the Council nor disturb any member while speaking nor refuse to obey the orders of the Chairman.
Members of the Township staff shall observe the same rules of order and decorum applicable to the Township Council in § 167-1 above.
Any person(s) making personal, defamatory or profane remarks or who willfully utters loud, threatening or abusive language or engages in any disorderly conduct which disturbs or disrupts the orderly conduct of any meeting shall be called to other by the Chairman. If such continues, the Chairman of the Township Council, at his discretion, may order such person removed from that meeting by the Sergeant at Arms.
Persons addressing the Township Council shall be allowed a maximum of five minutes for their presentation.
No person in the audience shall engage in disorderly conduct such as hand clapping, stamping of feet, whistling, using profane language, shouting or other similar demonstration which may disturb the peace and order of the Township Council meeting.
A. 
General. There shall be no video recording, audio taping or photography of any Township Council meeting by any means whatsoever without the express prior approval of the Township Clerk.
B. 
Videotaping.
(1) 
No more than two video recording devices at a time shall be permitted at a Township Council meeting.
(2) 
The video recording device shall not make noise that could disrupt the meeting and must have its own power source. Additional light sources are not permitted.
(3) 
Video recording devices must be positioned in the back of the meeting room behind the audience seating; the operator of the video record must remain with the equipment at all times.
(4) 
Video recording equipment must be set up prior to the start of the meeting and may not be repositioned during the meeting.
(5) 
Video recording equipment may not be broken down and/or put away until the meeting has been adjourned or is in recess.
All persons shall, at the request of the Chairman, be silent. If, after receiving a warning from the Chairman, a person persists in disturbing the meeting and/or violating any of the provisions of this chapter, the Chairman may order that person to leave the meeting. If he or she does not remove himself or herself, the Chairman may order the Sergeant at Arms to remove him or her.
The Chief of Police, or such member of the Department of Police as the Chairman may designate, shall be Sergeant of Arms at the Township Council meetings. The Sergeant at Arms shall carry out all orders given by the Chairman for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the Township Council meeting. On instruction of the Chairman, the Sergeant at Arms shall remove from the meeting any person who disturbs the proceedings of the Council.
Any person who resists removal by the Sergeant at Arms shall be charged with violating N.J.S.A. 2C:33-8, Disrupting meetings and processions.
Township Council meetings shall be conducted pursuant to Robert's Rules of Order.