Except as hereinafter otherwise provided, every legislative
act of the council shall be by ordinance and shall begin with the
words "Be it ordained by the City of Pawtucket."
[Amended Ref. of 11-6-1990, Sec. 2]
(1)
Every ordinance and resolution shall be introduced only in written
or printed form.
(2)
Every ordinance except annual budget ordinances and general
codifications and revisions of the city ordinances shall contain not
more than one subject which shall be clearly and adequately expressed
in its title.
(3)
Ordinances making annual or supplemental appropriations shall
be confined to the subject of appropriations.
(4)
No ordinance or resolution shall be so amended on this passage
as to change its original purpose.
(5)
No ordinance, other than an emergency ordinance, shall be acted
upon at the meeting at which it shall be introduced. Any ordinance,
except general and supplemental budget ordinances may be referred
to a committee for study and recommendations. Every ordinance referred
to a committee shall be reported back to the council for action thereon,
with or without recommendations, not later than the regular or special
meeting of the council occurring next after fourteen days from the
date of such reference. The council may order such ordinance referred
back to committee for further study and investigation upon the affirmative
vote of two-thirds of the members of the council then present and
voting, but said ordinance shall again be reported back to the council
for action thereon within fourteen days as aforesaid.
(6)
No ordinance shall be passed until it has been read on two separate
days, nor until at least seventy-two hours have elapsed between such
two readings; provided, however, that the above requirement for a
second reading may be dispensed with in the case of emergency ordinances
by a vote of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the council.
(7)
Written or printed copies of every ordinance shall be furnished
by the city clerk to each member of the council and to the mayor not
later than forty-eight hours after its introduction.
(8)
After the introduction of any ordinance or resolution, the city
clerk shall keep available a copy of such proposed ordinance or resolution,
together with all amendments thereto, which copy shall be available
for inspection by members of the public at all reasonable times.
[Amended Ref. of 11-2-2010]
(9)
After the introduction of any budget ordinance, the city clerk
shall cause a copy thereof to be published in a newspaper having a
substantial circulation in the city.
(10)
The council shall hold at least one public hearing on the annual
operating budget ordinance before taking action thereon, and another
hearing for consideration of any modifications voted by the council
to any line item, either for expenditures or revenue, said additional
public hearing shall be held prior to second passage of the budget
ordinance to allow for public discussion of only such modifications.
All such hearings shall be held in accordance with rules established
by the council, but not earlier than forty-eight hours after publication
thereof.
(11)
The council, or a committee thereof, shall hold at least one
public hearing on all ordinances and resolutions, except emergency
ordinances, if a petition shall be presented to the city clerk at
least twenty-four hours before the final passage thereof, but not
later than seven days after the first passage thereof, signed by at
least twenty-five qualified electors of the city requesting such hearing.
Such hearings shall be held in accordance with the rules established
by the council or its designated committee.
(12)
Except as herein otherwise provided for the passage of emergency
ordinances and ordinances returned to the council with the disapproval
of the mayor, every ordinance and resolution shall be passed or adopted
at each reading by the affirmative vote of a majority of all the members
of the council, and the vote of each member shall be recorded.
An emergency ordinance is an ordinance to provide for the immediate
preservation of public peace, property, health or safety in which
the emergency claimed is set forth and defined in the preamble thereto.
No situation shall be declared to be an emergency by the council except
as defined in this section, and it is hereby declared to be the policy
of this Charter that such definition shall be strictly construed by
the courts.
[Amended Ref. of 11-6-1990, Sec. 2]
Every ordinance shall, before it takes effect, be certified
to the mayor for his approval. The mayor shall sign the ordinance
if he approves it, whereupon it shall become law. If he disapproves
it, he shall return it to the council with the reasons for his disapproval
at the first regular meeting thereof held not less than ten days after
he receives it. If the mayor shall fail or refuse to sign or return
the ordinance as aforesaid, the ordinance shall be deemed to have
been disapproved by him and to have been returned to the council with
his disapproval at the first regular meeting of the council occurring
next after ten days after it shall have been submitted to him. If
the council shall pass the ordinance by an affirmative vote of not
less than three-fourths of all of its members not later than the regular
meeting next following the meeting at which it has been returned with
the mayor's disapproval, it shall become law without his approval.
The mayor may disapprove any revenue or expenditure line item modification
of any ordinance making appropriations, which shall have been made
by the council. The part or parts of any such ordinance approved by
the mayor shall become law, and the modification or modifications
made thereto by the council shall not become law unless passed by
the council over the mayor's veto as provided herein. If the council
shall fail to reenact the modification or modifications following
the veto of the mayor by the required vote, said line items as originally
proposed to the council shall be deemed to have been approved.
The heads of departments or divisions thereof and members of
boards and commissions, in matters relating to the functions of their
offices, and the mayor and any other elected officials, shall have
the right to appear before the council or any of its committees for
the purpose of expressing their views on matters pending before it.
Any citizen or group of citizens shall have the right to petition
the council with regard to any matter within the jurisdiction of the
council, setting forth specifically the purpose of the petition and
the relief desired.
[Amended 7-31-1991 by Ch. No. 2202 (Ref. of 11-6-1990, Sec. 1)]
The meetings of the council shall at all times be open and accessible
to the public, as required by the state open meetings law. Closed
meetings may be called and held only in the manner and for the purposes
specified in said open meetings law. No final action shall be taken
on any matter by the council in a closed meeting.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also Secs. 4-1806 and 9-1001 of this Charter.
The council shall establish regular meeting dates which shall
be at least twice in each calendar month, and there shall be an interval
of at least seven days between successive regular meeting dates.
[Amended 7-31-1991 by Ch. No. 2203 (Ref. of 11-6-1990, Sec. 1)]
Notice of all council meetings shall be given no less than forty-eight
hours in advance, with specification of the nature of the business
to be discussed, and pursuant to all other pertinent provisions of
the state open meetings law, and the exceptions allowed therein. Special
council meetings may be held at the call of the mayor, the president
of the council, or one-third of the members of the council.
A quorum shall consist of five members of the council; provided,
however, that a majority of the members of the council present and
voting, whether or not a quorum shall be present, may vote to adjourn
a meeting to any other definite time.
