[Res. 1/5/1976, § 1; as amended by Ord. 1117, 2/1/2006, § III]
The Borough Council shall organize on the first Monday of January of each even-numbered year, by electing one of their number as President and one of their number as Vice President, who shall hold such offices at the pleasure of Council. If the members shall be unable, within five roll call votes, to elect a President and/or Vice President, then the member who received the greatest number of votes shall be the President or Vice President. If this process cannot determine who is president or vice president, then the Vacancy Board Chairman (who shall be required to attend the reorganization meeting) shall cast the deciding vote. If the first Monday is a legal holiday, the meeting and organization shall take place the first day following. Any action taken by any Borough Council at any time between 12:01 a.m. on January 1 of an even-numbered year and the organization of Council in that year shall be subject to reconsideration by the new council at any time within 10 days after such organization. The Council may at the organization meeting elect such other officers as may be provided for by law or ordinance, or as may be deemed necessary for the conduct of affairs of the Borough and may transact such other business as may come before the meeting. The President, and during his absence or incapacity, the Vice President, shall preside over the meetings of Council and perform such other duties as are prescribed by this section.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 2]
Council shall meet regularly on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Council chamber in the Borough Hall. Provided, however, that when the day fixed for any regular meeting of Council falls upon a day designated by law as a legal or national holiday, the meeting shall be held at the same hour on the next succeeding day not a holiday.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 3]
The President of Council shall call special meetings of Council whenever in his opinion the public business may require it, or upon written request of at least three of the members of Council. Whenever a special meeting is called, notice thereof shall be served at least 24 hours in advance on all the members of Council. Service shall be either in person or by notice mailed to the member's place of residence, stating the time and the place of the meeting, and the nature of the business to be transacted. No business other than that stated in the notice shall be considered. Presence by any member of Council at the meeting shall constitute waiver of this notice. Public notice of regular and special meetings shall be given as required by law.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 4]
All reports, communications, ordinances, resolutions, documents, contracts and other matters to be submitted to Council shall, at least 16 business hours prior to each Council meeting, be delivered to the Secretary, whereupon, he shall immediately arrange a list of such matters according to the order of business and furnish each member of Council and the Solicitor with a copy of the same at the time of the Council meeting.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 5]
1. 
The President of Council shall preside at all meetings of Council. The Vice President of Council shall preside at all meetings of Council from which the President of Council is absent.
2. 
In the absence of both the President and Vice President of Council from any Council meeting, one of the members of Council present shall be chosen by the members then present to preside over the meeting. If the President or Vice President should then appear, the temporary chairman shall immediately relinquish the chair upon conclusion of the business under discussion.
3. 
The presiding officer shall preserve strict order and decorum at all Council meetings. He shall state orally every question coming before Council, announce the decision of Council upon all subjects and decide all questions of order, subject, however, to an appeal of Council, in which event a majority vote of Council shall govern and conclusively determine that question of order. He shall vote on all questions, his name being called last. He shall sign all ordinances and resolutions adopted by Council during his presence. In the event of the absence of the President of Council, the presiding officer shall sign ordinances or resolutions as then adopted.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 6]
The President of Council, or in his absence the Vice President of Council, shall take the chair at the hour appointed for the meeting and shall immediately call Council to order.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 7]
Before proceeding with the business of Council, the clerk shall call the roll of the members, and the names of those present shall be entered by him in the minutes.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 8]
A majority of all the members elected to Council shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of Council. If no quorum is present at a meeting, the majority of those who do meet may agree upon another date for like business.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 9]
All meetings of Council shall be open to the public except for such executive sessions as are lawfully permitted. Every executive session shall be held behind closed doors, with no one in attendance other than members of Council, and, when requested by a majority of the members of Council, the Manager, the Solicitor and/or any other specifically invited individuals.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 10; as amended by Ord. 1004, 7/6/1994]
1. 
At the hour set for convening a meeting, a quorum of Council being present, the business of Council shall be taken upon for consideration and disposition in the following order:
A. 
Pledge to Allegiance
B. 
Invocation.
C. 
Roll Call.
D. 
Approval of Minutes.
E. 
Approval of Vouchers.
F. 
Treasurer's Report.
G. 
Departmental Reports.
H. 
Visitors.
I. 
Committee Reports.
2. 
Provided, however, the presiding officer may, at his discretion or upon request of any member of Council, at any meeting, change the order of business by so announcing the change to the members of Council, and, unless objection is taken by majority vote, the change shall be considered to have been properly made.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 11; as amended by Res. 6/2/1976]
1. 
The only standing committee of Council shall be the committee of the whole, which shall consist of all members of Council. At the organizational meeting Council shall establish by resolution the number of chairmen for the committee of the whole and the area of responsibility of each chairman. Thereafter, the President of Council shall appoint the chairmen.
2. 
Special committees, unless otherwise directed by Council, shall be appointed by the presiding officer of Council.
3. 
No formal action including the taking of any vote on any resolution, rule, order, motion, regulation or ordinance or the setting of any official policy shall take place at any committee meeting. Any interested party may request to meet with any committee to discuss any business such person may have with that committee, and the Manager shall schedule the appearance of the interested parties at the appropriate committee meeting. All committee meetings shall be work sessions for discussion only.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 12]
1. 
The minutes of each meeting of Council shall be signed by the officer presiding at the meeting and by the Secretary.
2. 
Unless a reading of the minutes of a Council meeting shall be requested by a member of Council present at the next meeting, the minutes may be approved without reading, if the clerk shall have, at least three days before the second meeting, furnished each member of Council with a copy of the minutes.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 13]
1. 
The President of Council, or such other member of Council who may be presiding, may move, second and debate from the chair, subject only to those limitations of debate that are, by these rules of procedure, imposed on all members, and shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges of a member of Council by reason of his acting as the presiding officer.
2. 
Every member desiring to speak shall address the chair and, upon recognition by the presiding officer, he may speak, confining himself to the question under debate.
3. 
Interruptions. A member once recognized shall not be interrupted while speaking except to call him to order, or as otherwise provided in these rules of procedure. If a member, while speaking, is called to order, he shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined, and, if in order, he shall be permitted to proceed.
4. 
Motion to Reconsider. A motion to reconsider any action taken by Council may be made at the meeting when the action was taken. It may be made either immediately, at the same session, or at a recessed or adjourned session of the meeting. The motion shall be made by one of the prevailing side, but may be seconded by any member of Council. The motion may be made at any time and shall have precedence over all other motions while a member has the floor; it shall be debatable. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent any member of Council from making or remaking the same or any other motion at a subsequent meeting of Council.
5. 
Entry of Statement in Minutes. Through the presiding officer, any member of Council, the Manager, or the Solicitor may request the privilege of having an abstract of his statement on any subject under consideration by Council entered in the minutes. If Council consents, the abstract of his statement shall be entered in the minutes.
6. 
Filing of Protests. Any member of Council shall have the right to have the reasons for his dissent from, or protest against, any action of Council entered in the minutes.
7. 
Synopsis of Debate. With consent of Council, the presiding officer may direct the clerk to enter in the minutes a synopsis of the discussion on any question coming before Council.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 14]
1. 
No person, not a member of Council, shall address Council without having secured the permission of the presiding officer to do so.
2. 
Each person addressing Council shall step in front of the rail, shall give his name and address in an audible tone of voice for the records, and unless further time is granted by the Council, shall limit his address to five minutes. No persons other than Council and the person having the floor shall be permitted to enter into any discussion without the permission of the presiding officer.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 15]
1. 
By Council Members. While Council is in session, the members shall preserve order and decorum. No member shall, either by conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings, or disturb the peace of Council, or disturb any member who is speaking, or refuse to obey the orders of Council or its presiding officer, except as otherwise provided in these rules of procedure.
2. 
By Persons Other Than Council Members. Any person who shall make any personal, impertinent or slanderous remark, or who shall become boisterous while addressing Council shall be forthwith, by the presiding officer, barred from further audience before Council, unless permission to continue shall be granted by majority vote of Council.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 16]
The presiding officer may designate any member of the Police Department to serve as sergeant at arms at any Council meeting. The office of sergeant at arms shall be filled only when, in the judgement of the presiding officer, it shall be necessary. The sergeant at arms shall carry out all orders and instructions given by the presiding officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the meeting.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 17]
No person except Borough officials, or their representatives, shall be permitted within the rail in front of the Council chamber without the express consent of the presiding officer.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 18]
The vote upon every motion, resolution or ordinance shall be taken by roll call and the yeas and nays shall be entered on the minutes.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 19]
1. 
Preparation of Ordinances. All ordinances shall be prepared by, under the direction of, or with the approval of the Solicitor. No ordinance shall be prepared for presentation to Council without prior authorization by the appropriate committee or the Manager.
2. 
Prior Approval and Examination of Ordinances, Resolutions and Contracts. No ordinance, resolution or contract shall be presented to Council until it has been approved as to form and legality by the Solicitor and has been examined by the Manager.
3. 
Every ordinance shall be introduced in Council in printed or written form. Before passage by Council, every proposed ordinance shall be read in full one time unless by unanimous vote Council waives the reading of the ordinance, after which it shall be open for debate and amendment. After debate and amendment, the ordinance shall be considered for final passage. No ordinance shall be passed finally at the meeting at which it was introduced without unanimous vote of the members present. An ordinance which is not passed finally at the meeting at which it was introduced shall not be considered for final passage until the next regular meeting, at which meeting it may be passed finally by majority vote of all the members of Council. No amendment to an ordinance thus carried over to a successive meeting shall be entertained or considered by the chair.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 21]
A motion to adjourn shall always be in order and shall be decided without debate.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 22]
Unless otherwise provided for in these rules of procedure set out in §§ 301 through 324, questions of parliamentary procedure shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, which shall be interpreted by the Solicitor.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 23]
These rules of procedure, comprising §§ 301 through 324, may be amended at any Council meeting by resolution passed by a majority of the members present.
[Res. 1/5/1976, § 24]
By general consent, that is, if no member of Council objects, these rules of procedure, comprising §§ 301 through 324, can be ignored without the formality of a motion to suspend the rules.
[Res. 1/5/1976]
The committee of the whole shall have six chairmen, each of whom shall be responsible for the areas stated, as follows:
A. 
Revenue and Finance Chairman: general administration, budget and financing, employee relations, and public buildings.
B. 
Health, Safety and Welfare Chairman: Fire Department, Police Department, civil defense, sanitation and health, and Civil Service Commission.
C. 
Public Utility Chairman: Electric Department, Water Department, and Sewer Department.
D. 
Planning and Zoning: Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board, Zoning Ordinance, and Comprehensive Plan.
E. 
Public Works Chairman: roadway system, solid waste problems, and Borough equipment.
F. 
Parks and Recreation: summer recreation program, winter recreation program, and park system.