[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City
of Easton 3-13-2013 by Ord. No. 5402.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
City Council — See Home Rule
Charter, Art. II.
Officers, departments and agencies — See Home
Rule Charter, Art. IV.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 39,
Council Rules and Regulations, adopted as Sec. 107.01 of the 1965
Codified Ordinances, as amended.
The purpose of these rules and regulations is to establish the
internal organization of the Council to provide for an orderly and
efficient procedure of operation.
A.
The Council shall determine its own rules or order of business and
shall set its own agenda which shall be made public. Quorum for meetings
of Council shall require participation by at least four members.
B.
Section C-4.04 of the Home Rule Charter provides as follows: "City Council shall adopt and may amend an Administrative Code, which shall set forth the organization and administrative structures and procedures of the City. This Code shall establish departments, offices and agencies, in addition to those created by this Charter and may prescribe the functions of all departments, offices, and agencies. The Administrative Code may:
The Charter of the City of Easton, Pennsylvania, provides for
open meetings of the City Council at which reasonable opportunity
shall be given for citizens to be heard. The Rules of Conduct establish
guidelines to be followed by all persons attending a City Council
meeting, Council committee meetings or Council public hearing, including
members of the City Council, administrative staff, news media and
the public. The rules of parliamentary procedure comprised in Robert's
Rules of Order, as amended, shall govern in all cases in which they
are applicable and not inconsistent with the standing rules of the
Council.
[Amended 10-14-2015 by Ord. No. 5520]
Pursuant to the provisions of § C-2.11B of the City Charter of Easton, the City Council shall meet twice a month at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers located at 123 South Third Street, Easton, Pennsylvania, except as required by the City Charter for the annual meetings to be held in each of the three Council Districts. The City Council shall meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. Council may, by resolution, cancel a meeting in the event it is deemed not necessary due to the lack of business or holiday.
A.
Special
meetings of the Council may be called by the Mayor and also may be
called upon written request of a majority of the members of Council.
Written notice including the time, place and purpose of any special
meeting shall be filed with the City Clerk at least 24 hours prior
to the time for which the meeting is called. The City Clerk shall
forthwith effect public notice and notify all Council members of the
proposed special meeting either personally, by telephone or by electronic
means.
B.
At
any time the Mayor determines that a state of emergency exists which
affects the health or safety of the people and which requires consideration
by the Council, the Mayor may call a special meeting by filing written
notice thereof with the City Clerk at any time not less than three
hours prior to the time set for such meeting. The notice shall contain
the time, place and purpose of the meeting. The City Clerk shall forthwith
notify each Council member by telephone, electronically or personally
of the time, place and purpose of each special meeting.
A.
The
City Council shall establish a schedule of Council committee meetings
to be held the Tuesday prior to the second and fourth Wednesday of
the month.
B.
The
City Council will schedule public hearings as necessary to solicit
public comment. Announcements of these hearings will take place with
public notice 72 hours prior to the hearing.
Four members of the Council constitute a quorum. A quorum of
the Council must be present to conduct a City Council meeting, except
a quorum is not required to hear proclamations, special recognitions,
Council committee meetings or public hearings.
The City Administrator shall make recommendations to the City
Council and shall have the right to participate in all discussions,
but shall have no vote.
The City Solicitor, or designated Assistant City Solicitor,
shall attend all meetings and upon request give an opinion, either
written or oral, on questions of law. The City Solicitor shall act
as the City Council's Parliamentarian.
The City Clerk or designee shall attend all meetings of the
City Council, attendance at Council committee meetings and at public
hearings shall be required at the direction of the Chair, and shall
keep accurate records of all actions taken by the City Council and
as provided by law. The City Clerk shall provide each Council member
with a copy of the minutes.
The City Council may meet in executive session under rules allowed
by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania when it is scheduled by the Mayor
upon request by the City Solicitor, City Administrator or any member
of the City Council when it is in compliance with Pennsylvania Open
Meetings Law.[1] No vote shall be taken in an executive session on any
matter under consideration, nor shall any Council member enter into
a commitment with another respecting a vote to be taken subsequently
in a public meeting of the City Council. Closed executive sessions
shall be kept to a minimum.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 65 Pa.C.S.A. § 701 et seq.
City Council members shall arrive at City Council, committee
meetings and public hearings at or before the scheduled time for the
meetings or hearings are to begin. If a quorum for a City Council
meeting has not arrived within 15 minutes after the scheduled starting
time of the meeting, the Chair will cancel the meeting. For committee
meetings or public hearings, the Chair may decide if the meeting is
to be held.
A.
City Council members.
(1)
City Council may appoint the City Solicitor to implement and enforce
the order of the meeting. During City Council meetings, City Council
members shall assist in preserving order and decorum.
(2)
A City Council member desiring to speak shall request to be recognized
by the Chair and, upon recognition by the Chair, shall confine discussion
to the question under debate.
(3)
A City Council member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted
while speaking unless called to order by the Chair.
(4)
City Council members shall confine their questions to the particular
matters before the Council and in debate shall confine their remarks
to the issues before the City Council.
B.
Administrative staff. City of Easton department directors will be
available to answer City Council questions or perform projects as
directed by the Council as a whole under the facilitation of the City
Administrator.
C.
Citizens and other visitors.
(1)
Citizens and others are welcome and encouraged to attend all public
meetings of the City Council. While attending the meeting, everyone
is to refrain from private conversations while City Council is in
session.
(2)
The public will be offered the opportunity to speak to all matters
on the agenda during the "Public comment on agenda items only" prior
to all committee reports and public action by the Council. At the
end of the meeting, the public will again be invited to speak to the
Council on any matter during the "Public comment" before any meeting
of the City Council is adjourned.
[Amended 8-10-2022 by Ord. No. 5787]
(3)
Citizens and visitors attending City Council meetings shall observe
the same rules of propriety, decorum and good conduct applicable to
all members of the City Council. Any person making personal, impertinent,
profane or slanderous remarks, including but not limited to a member
of City Council and any City employee , or who becomes boisterous
while addressing the City Council or while in attendance shall be
removed from the meeting upon request by a majority of Council in
attendance, or initiated by the Chair, subject to the override by
a majority of City Council.
[Amended 8-10-2022 by Ord. No. 5787]
B.
Absence. If a City Council member is absent from an entire City meeting,
or an entire meeting of a City Council committee, to which the person
is assigned, because the person is on official City business, the
member shall request that the City Clerk record in the minutes, for
that meeting, that the member was absent because of official City
business.
A.
The Mayor shall be the Presiding Officer at all meetings of the City
Council. In the absence of the Mayor, the Vice Mayor shall preside.
In the absence of the Mayor and Vice Mayor, the presiding person shall
be appointed pursuant to the Robert's Rules of Order, as amended.
B.
The Presiding Officer may move, second, debate, and vote.
C.
Preservation of order.
(1)
The Chair shall preserve order and decorum. The Chair shall confine
members in debate to the question under discussion.
(2)
The Chair shall state all questions submitted for a vote. A roll
call vote shall be taken by the City Clerk with results announced
by the Chair.
(3)
The Chair shall limit public comment to five minutes per person.
The Council may set aside those requirements by a majority vote of
the Council at each meeting.
The business of the City Council shall be conducted in the following
order of business:
A.
Call to order.
B.
Invocation.
C.
Pledge of Allegiance.
D.
Roll call.
E.
Approval of agenda.
F.
Action on minutes.
G.
Public comment on agenda items only.
H.
Consent agenda.
I.
Reports received by Council.
K.
Correspondence.
L.
Unfinished business.
M.
New business.
N.
Public comment.
O.
Adjournment.
The City Clerk, or his/her designee, shall have exclusive responsibility
for the preparation of the minutes of the City Council and their approval
must be made by a majority vote of the City Council.
A.
All ordinances and resolutions shall be presented to the City Council
in written form.
B.
All ordinances and resolutions shall be approved as to form by the
City Solicitor. The City Clerk shall prepare copies of all proposed
ordinances. The City Clerk shall circulate proposed ordinances by
posting a summary of the ordinance in the newspaper, and in their
entirety on the City website and at the City Clerk's office. In addition
to other acts required by law or by specific provisions of the Home
Rule Charter of the City of Easton, the following actions of the City
Council shall be by ordinance:
(1)
Adopting or amending the Administrative Code or establish, alter,
or abolish any City department, office or agency;
(2)
Provide for a fine or other penalty, or establish a rule or regulation
for violation of which a fine or other penalty is imposed;
(3)
Levy taxes;
(4)
Grant, renew or extend a franchise;
(5)
Regulate the rate charged for its services by a public utility;
(6)
Authorize the borrowing or lending of money;
(7)
Convey or lease or authorize the conveyance or lease of any lands
of the City, except in renting or leasing of floors within the Alpha
Building which may be approved by resolution for up to one year only
with a minimum rent equal to or higher than existing rent for the
same or similar leased area.
(8)
Regulate land use and development;
(9)
Amend or repeal any ordinance previously adopted;
(10)
Acts other than those referred to above may be done either by
ordinance or resolution.
Committees established.
B.
Each standing committee shall review matters in its area of responsibility
that are referred to it by the City Council, the Mayor, or an individual
Council member.
C.
Appointment.
(1)
A standing committee shall consist of not less than three members
of the City Council appointed by the Mayor. The Mayor shall also appoint
a Chair and Vice Chair of each committee. The City Administrator shall
appoint staff members to assist the committees in their work. City
staff may participate in discussions but City staff shall have no
vote.
(2)
Committees shall meet once a month in accordance with the schedule
adopted by the City Council. The Chair may also schedule additional
meetings, but additional meetings shall not exceed twice a month.
D.
Ad hoc committees. The City Council or Mayor may appoint ad hoc committees
from time to time to study and review specific issues. The Mayor shall
determine the number of members and appoint a Chair of Ad Hoc Committees.
The ad hoc committee shall be established for a designated period
of time.
