[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the
Town of Grand Chute 1-7-1997 as
§§ 2.02 to 2.08 of the 1997 Code. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
A.
Adoption of village powers. The Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Grand Chute having previously hereto adopted a resolution pursuant to § 60.22(3), Wis. Stats., allowing the Town Board to exercise village powers, said resolution remaining unchanged and not rescinded by this Code, now therefore the Town Board shall exercise power as follows: the Town Board shall exercise all powers relating to villages and conferred on village boards by Ch. 61, Wis. Stats., except such power the exercise of which would conflict with the statutes relating to towns and town boards.
[Amended 12-20-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-30]
B.
Meeting time and date.
(1)
Regular meetings. Regular meetings of the Town Board
shall be held on the first and third Tuesdays of each calendar month.
Any regular meeting falling on a legal holiday shall be held at the
pleasure of the Town Board.
[Amended 12-20-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-30]
(2)
Place of meetings. Meetings of the Board, including
special and adjourned meetings, shall be held at the Grand Chute Town
Hall, 1900 Grand Chute Boulevard. Place of meeting may be changed
to accommodate large groups of citizens.
[Amended 12-20-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-30]
(3)
Quorum. Three Supervisors, including the Town Chairperson,
shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number may adjourn from time
to time or compel the attendance of absent members. Any Supervisor
who shall without good cause fail to attend a regular or adjourned
meeting or special meeting called in accordance with these rules shall
be subject to a fine as prescribed in the Uniform Forfeiture and Bond
Schedules by vote of all members present at such meeting, whether
or not such members constitute a quorum.
(4)
Rescheduled meetings. Any regular meeting may be rescheduled
or changed by action of the Board at the next preceding meeting. The
vote shall be by 2/3 of the members of the Board, and the Clerk shall
be directed to post notice at the Town Hall 10 days before the time
when the regular meeting would have been held if not rescheduled.
The notice shall include the newly scheduled date.
(5)
Withdrawal from meetings. No member at any meeting
of the Board shall withdraw therefrom without permission from the
presiding officer, and any member so withdrawing without such permission
may be compelled to return and may be punished by forfeiture as prescribed
in the Uniform Forfeiture and Bond Schedules.
[Amended 12-20-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-30]
The business of the Town Board shall be conducted
in the following order:
A.
Call to order by presiding officer.
B.
Roll call. (If a quorum is not present, the meeting
shall adjourn, which may be to a specified date.)
C.
Public input.
D.
Minutes of the previous meeting.
E.
Reports of officers and committee reports.
F.
Financial report.
G.
Auditing and passing upon claims and bills.
H.
Communications and miscellaneous business.
I.
Unfinished business from previous meetings.
J.
New business, including introduction of ordinances
and resolutions.
K.
Licenses and permits.
L.
Resolutions.
M.
Ordinances.
A.
Control of meeting. The Town Chairperson shall preserve
order and conduct the proceedings of the meeting. A member may appeal
from the decision of the presiding officer. Such appeal is not debatable
and must be sustained by a majority of the members present, exclusive
of the presiding officer.
B.
Absence of Chairperson. If the Chairperson is absent
at any meeting, the Clerk shall call the meeting to order and preside
until the Board selects a Supervisor to preside for that meeting.
C.
Participation in debate. The presiding officer may,
from the Chair, speak upon any question, may make motions, and may
second motions. The presiding officer may make nominations for committee
membership and for other official positions.
Special meetings of the Board may be called
by filing a written request with the Town Clerk signed by 2/3 of the
members of the Town Board at least 48 hours prior to the time specified
for such meeting. The Clerk shall immediately notify each member of
the Town Board of the time and purpose of such meeting. Said notice
shall be via phone communication at least 24 hours prior to the time
set for the meeting.
Ordinances, resolutions, bylaws, communications
and other matters submitted to the Board shall be read by title and
author and referred to the appropriate committee by the Chairperson.
No ordinance or bylaw shall be considered unless presented in writing
by a Supervisor or Town Administrator. Unless requested by a Supervisor
before final vote is taken, no ordinance, resolution or bylaw need
be read in full.
A.
The deliberations of the Board shall be conducted
in accordance with the parliamentary rules contained in Robert's Rules
of Order Revised, as amended and updated from time to time, which
is hereby incorporated in this section by reference. No person other
than a member shall address the Board except by majority vote of the
members present.
B.
No ordinance, resolution or other motion shall be
discussed or acted upon unless it has been seconded. No motion shall
be withdrawn or amended without the consent of the person making the
same and the person seconding it.
These rules or any part thereof may be temporarily
suspended in connection with any matter under consideration by a recorded
vote of 2/3 of the members present, but in no event shall the rules
be suspended when there are fewer than three Supervisors present.
[Added 3-20-2012 by Ord.
No. 2012-05]
Every elected officer shall hold the office for two years. The
regular term of elected Town officers, other than the Town Assessor,
commences on the third Tuesday of April in the year of their election
pursuant to § 60.30, Wis. Stats. The regular term of an
elected Assessor commences on June 1 in the year of the Assessor’s
election.
[Added 9-20-2022 by Ord.
No. 2022-17]
A.
Remote attendance.
(1)
Remote attendance permitted. Only in special circumstances, when
authorized by the Town Chair or designee, may members of the Town
Board appear by telephone, video, or other remote method of participation.
Remote attendance may not be authorized solely for convenience, or
due to vacation, travel, or seasonal relocation, but may be authorized
if the Chair or designee determines that health, safety, welfare,
family, or work circumstances warrant remote attendance.
(2)
Notice. A member of the Board requesting to attend a Town Board meeting
remotely must do so no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting
start time. Exceptions may be made in emergency situations as determined
by the Town Chair or designee. The Board member shall make a request
to the Town Chair. If authorized, the Town Chair shall notify the
Town Clerk no later than 24 hours before the meeting so that applicable
accommodations can be made.
(3)
Quorum. Members of the Board attending remotely shall have all powers
of participation, including being counted as part of a quorum and
the opportunity to vote.
(4)
Proper equipment. Such attendance is only permitted if systems allow
the remote member to hear the proceedings and be heard in the meeting
room.
(5)
Technical malfunctions. Each person attending remotely is responsible
for his or her audio, visual, and internet connection; no action shall
be invalidated on the grounds that the loss of, or poor quality of,
a member's individual connection prevented participation in the
meeting so long as a quorum necessary to take action is present.
(6)
Nonmembers attending remotely. The Town Chair or designee may authorize
the remote attendance and participation of any Town employee, consultant,
contractor, or other applicable person for the purpose of presenting
information or data to the Board.
B.
Exceptions.
(1)
Visual inspection. No member of the Board shall participate or vote
on any matter that requires visual assessment of physical evidence
or exhibits that have not been previously reviewed by the Town Board
member.
(2)
Closed session. No member of the Board shall attend a closed session
by electronic means. Town legal counsel is authorized to attend closed
session by electronic means. An authorized consultant or other representative
may be authorized to attend closed session by electronic means at
the discretion of the Town Chair in consultation with the Town Attorney.
C.
Public access.
(1)
Remote access. The public shall be given access to attend and monitor
Town Board meetings remotely when remote capabilities are available
and notice has been provided thereof via the meeting agenda. Notice
of remote access shall be provided timely as part of the agenda notice.
In the event of a technical malfunction that would prevent the public
from attending remotely, the agenda should also include the physical
location of the meeting as another means of public attendance and
monitoring.
(2)
Notice. If attending by telephonic or other remote means, members
of the public will not be allowed to provide public input without
providing at least forty-eight-hour notice prior to the start of the
meeting to the Town Clerk in writing and providing information as
required, including: name, address, phone number, and agenda item
topic.
D.
Open Meetings Law.
(1)
Open meetings violations. In no event shall remote attendance be
permitted where a violation of the Wisconsin Open Meetings Law would
result.
E.
Joint Sanitary District. The provisions of this section also apply
to the Joint Sanitary District Commission members and meetings.
