[Amended 7-1-1963 by Ord. No. 706; 6-10-2013 by Ord. No. 2026]
A minimum of two regularly scheduled meetings
of City Council shall be held monthly as publicly advertised annually.
[Amended 7-1-1963 by Ord. No. 706]
The standing rules of order for conducting the
business of the Council shall be as follows:
A. Precisely at the hour fixed by rule or adjournment,
three members being present, the President shall take the Chair, call
the meeting to order and proceed to business.
B. Should three or more members be present at the hour
fixed and the President be absent, the Director of Accounts and Finance
shall preside over the meeting or until the President shall appear.
C. Should a quorum not assemble at the hour fixed or
within a reasonable time thereafter, the members present shall be
competent to adjourn from time to time until a quorum may be obtained.
D. The order of transacting business shall be as follows:
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Call of the roll of members
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Hearing of visitors
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Reading and correction of minutes
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Reading of correspondence
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Unfinished business
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Reports of departments
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Reports of special committees
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E. A motion must be seconded and then repeated distinctly
by the President or read aloud by the Clerk before it is debated and
every motion shall be reduced to writing.
F. A member having made a motion shall have liberty to
withdraw it, with leave of his second, before any debate has been
had, but not after debate without consent of the Council.
G. Consideration of any question may be postponed to
a fixed time or the question may be suppressed altogether by an indefinite
postponement.
H. A motion once voted down cannot be renewed at the
same meeting.
I. An amendment may be moved on any motion or previous
amendment, but no more than one amendment to an amendment shall be
entertained. The question shall be first taken on the latest amendment
and on the original motion last.
J. When a motion under debate is composed of two or more
parts, constituting independent questions, any two members may require
it to be divided and have a vote taken on each part.
K. When any business is brought regularly before the
Council, the consideration thereof shall not be interrupted except
by a motion for adjournment, to lie on the table, for the previous
questions, for postponement, for commitment or for amendment, which
shall have preference in the order stated.
L. A motion for adjournment shall always be in order
(except when a vote is being taken or a member is addressing the Council)
and shall be decided without debate.
M. Two or more members may move the previous question,
rising for that purpose, when all debate shall be precluded. Yet the
call for the previous question shall not cut off any pending amendment,
but the vote shall be taken, without debate, on the amendments in
their order and finally on the main question.
N. A motion for reconsideration can only be entertained
when made and seconded by members who voted with the majority on the
original question.
O. When a blank is to be filled, the question shall be
first taken on the largest sum, the greatest number and the most remote
day.
P. On questions of order, adjournment, postponement,
commitment or of the previous question, no member shall speak more
than once. On all other questions, each member may speak twice, but
not oftener without express leave granted by the Council.
Q. No member shall be interrupted while speaking, unless
he is out of order or for the purpose of correcting mistakes.
R. No member shall be allowed to indulge in personal
reflections.
S. When a member acts in any respect in a disorderly
manner, it shall be the privilege of any member and the duty of the
President to call him to order.
T. When a member considers himself aggrieved by a decision
of the President, it shall be his privilege to appeal to the Council,
and the vote on such appeal shall be taken without debate.
U. No member should decline voting without weighty reason;
yet silent members must be considered as acquiescing with the majority
of those who vote on any question.
V. When the President has commenced taking a vote, no
further debate or remark shall be admitted unless there has evidently
been some mistake, in which case the mistake shall be rectified, and
the President shall recommence taking the vote.
W. The first member recognized by the President as desiring
to speak has the right to the floor.