[CC 1997 §2.15; Ord. No. 810, 8-19-1970; Ord. No.
863, 9-1-1971; Ord. No. 1237-77, 8-17-1977; Ord. No. 1841-85, 11-6-1985; Ord. No. 2430-92, 11-18-1992; Ord. No. 2976-98 §1, 6-17-1998; Ord. No. 3011-98 §1, 10-21-1998; Ord. No. 3220-00 §1, 12-20-2000; Ord. No. 3253-01 §1, 5-2-2001; Ord. No. 4934-23, 1-4-2023]
A. Regular
Meetings. The regular meetings of the Council shall be held on the
first (1st) and third (3rd) Wednesdays of each month at the hour of
6:30 P.M. The Council, by majority vote, may cancel or change a regular
meeting date if it so desires by making a public announcement at a
regular meeting preceding the meeting to be cancelled or changed.
B. Special
Meetings. Special meetings may be called by any two (2) Members of
the Council by requesting such with the City Clerk who shall prepare
a notice of such meeting. It shall state the date and hour of the
meeting and the purpose for which the meeting is called, and no business
shall be transacted thereat except such as is stated in the notice.
Said notice of the time and object of the special meeting shall be
given to each Member of the Council by the City Clerk causing such
notice to be delivered at the usual place of abode of said Members
twenty-four (24) hours before stated special meeting. By unanimous
consent a special meeting may be held at any time.
C. Quorum.
A majority of all the Members elected to the Council shall constitute
a quorum at any regular or special meeting of the Council, but a lesser
number may adjourn from day-to-day. In case that a lesser number than
a quorum shall convene at a regular or special meeting, the majority
of the Members present are authorized to direct the Chief of Police
to send for and compel the attendance of any or all absent Members
upon such terms and conditions and at such time as such majority of
Members shall agree.
D. Chairman.
The Mayor shall preside at all meetings of the Council. In the absence
of the Mayor, a Mayor Pro Tempore shall act as Chairman. In the absence
of both, the Council shall elect one (1) of its Members as temporary
Chairman.
E. Order
Of Business. Upon a quorum being present, the Council shall convene
its business which shall be conducted in the following order:
1. Call to order.
a. Invocation and pledge of allegiance.
2. Amendment and/or adoption of agenda.
3. Amendment and/or adoption of consent agenda (all items marked with
an *).
5. Special order of business.
6. Proclamations and resolutions.
Citizens' comments and discussion will be heard at this time
and shall be limited to a total of fifteen (15) minutes, which may
be increased at the discretion of the Chair or by motion approved
by a majority of the members of the Council present at the meeting.
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7. Citizen hearings and presentation of petitions.
11. Mayor and Council reports.
15. * Commission and Board reports.
17. Introduction and first (1st) reading of bills.
18. Second (2nd) reading of bills and action on bills.
19. Miscellaneous business and announcements.
20. Adjournment.
The order of business may be altered at any time upon request
of the Mayor or any other Member of the Council, unless a majority
of the Council Members object thereto.
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F. Notices.
The City Clerk shall post copies of all ordinances, resolutions and
public hearings pending before the Council on a bulletin board placed
in a conspicuous place in the lobby of the City Hall, together with
notices of all other meetings or matters deemed to be of interest
to the Council or the public.
G. Rules
Of Debate.
1. The Presiding Officer may debate and vote. The Mayor of the City,
or such other Member of the Council as may be presiding, may move,
second and debate from the Chair, subject only to such limitations
of debate as are by these rules imposed on all Members and shall not
be deprived of any of the rights and privileges of a Council Member
by reason of acting as the Presiding Officer.
2. Every Member shall address the Chair and shall not proceed until
recognized by the Chair. Members shall indulge in no personalities
and confine remarks to the matters under debate.
If, while speaking, a Member is called to order, the Member
shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined, and,
if in order, shall be permitted to proceed.
3. Any Member may appeal to the Council from a ruling of the Presiding
Officer upon a question of order. If the motion for the appeal is
seconded, the member making the appeal may briefly state the reason
for the same and the Presiding Officer may briefly express the ruling,
but there shall be no debate on the appeal and no other Member shall
participate in the discussion. The Presiding Officer shall then put
the question to a vote as to whether the decision of the Chair shall
be sustained. If a majority of the Members present vote "aye," the
ruling of the Chair is sustained; otherwise, it is overruled.
4. Any Member shall have the right to express dissent from or protest
against any ordinance or resolution of the Council and have the reason
therefor entered upon the journal. Dissent or protest may also be
registered in writing at the next meeting by any member of the Council.
5. Any Member may request a recess not to exceed five (5) minutes for
the purpose of obtaining records, etc. Any recess in excess of five
(5) minutes must be approved by the majority of the Members present.
6. Robert's Rules of Order, revised, shall prevail in all points of
order, except as otherwise provided.
7. The foregoing rules are adopted to facilitate the transaction of
the Council business and functions. They should not be permitted to
defeat or hinder the plainly expressed intent and desire of the Council.
Informal compliance and substantial performance shall be sufficient
under the foregoing rules in the absence of objections reasonably
taken. Objection is hereby declared not to have been reasonably taken
as to the procedural matters provided for herein if a Council Member
present at a meeting fails to object during the meeting and requests
compliance with these rules, and such objection shall not be reasonably
taken if taken by an absent Member later than the next regular meeting
after the proceedings to which objection is made.
8. Amendment Or Suspension Of Rules. Any rule of the Council may be
repealed, altered or amended by a majority vote of the Members. Every
amendment offered shall lie on the table until the next meeting of
the Council before being voted upon except by the unanimous consent
of all Members. Any rule may be suspended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote
of the Members of the Council.
9. Committees. All committees, advisory or comprised of Council Members,
shall be appointed by a majority of the Council. Each committee shall
meet on the call of the committee Chair or any two (2) of its Members
or as provided by its rules.
10. Abstaining From Voting. Any Member of the Council on any issue on
which a vote is called may abstain from voting therein as the Member
so desires and the Member’s abstention shall not be counted
on either side of the issue but is deemed to be a nullity insofar
as the count relative to the vote is concerned; provided, however,
that abstention(s) shall not reduce or change the number of votes
required for passage or adoption of the measure by the Council.
H. Legislative
Proceedings.
1. In the transaction of legislative business, whenever the Council
shall act by Ordinance, the following procedure shall be followed:
Every Ordinance shall be by Bill which shall be in written or printed
form and the enacting clause shall be: "BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF HAZELWOOD, MISSOURI." No Bill, except those making
appropriations and those codifying or rearranging existing Ordinances,
shall relate to more than one (1) subject, which shall be clearly
expressed in the title. Ordinances making appropriations shall be
confined to the subject matter of the appropriations.
2. All Bills shall have two (2) readings before final passage, which
readings may be by title only. Copies of all Bills shall be available
prior to second reading. Upon the request of three (3) Members of
the City Council that a Bill be read in its entirety, the Bill shall,
upon its second reading, be read in its entirety. Except in the case
of emergency Bills, not more than one (1) reading shall be at the
same legislative meeting, and at least one (1) week shall lapse between
the introduction and final passage of any Bill.
3. Except as otherwise provided herein or in the Charter, the affirmative
vote of a majority of the entire Council shall be necessary to adopt
any Ordinance or resolution. The vote of each Member of the Council
on the final passage of every Ordinance and Resolution shall be recorded
in the journal. The vote of each Member on any question shall, at
the request of any Member, be entered in the journal.
4. Any Ordinance may be passed as an emergency measure on the day the
Bill is introduced, provided it contains the statement that an emergency
exists and specifies distinctly the facts and reasons constituting
an emergency. No Ordinance granting, enlarging or affecting any franchise
shall be passed as an emergency measure. Emergency Ordinances shall be
restricted to Bills concerning the immediate preservation of public
peace, property, health, safety, welfare or morals; appropriations
for current expenses, payments on principal or interest on a public
debt and Bills providing for issuance of bonds pursuant to an election.
The affirmative vote of at least six (6) Members of the Council shall
be required to pass an emergency Ordinance.
5. Every Bill introduced shall be filed with the City Clerk on the day
of its first reading and shall remain on file in his/her office for
public inspection until it is finally adopted or fails to pass. Prior
to the final passage of any Bill, other than an emergency Bill, all
persons interested therein shall be given the opportunity to be heard
before the Council, in accordance with such rules and regulations
as the Council may adopt. After the second reading of any Bill and
after compliance with the other provisions herein, the Council may
finally pass the Bill with or without amendments; except that if the
Council shall make an amendment which constitutes a change in substance,
the Bill so amended shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk
for one (1) additional week and an opportunity afforded interested
persons to be heard as hereinabove provided, after which final action
may be taken.
6. An Ordinance, when passed by the Council, shall be signed by the
Mayor and attested by the City Clerk and be immediately filed and
preserved in his/her office; and except as otherwise provided in the
Charter, shall be subject to a referendum as provided in the Charter.
Unless otherwise specified, every Ordinance shall become effective
immediately upon final passage.
[CC 1997 §2.16; Ord. No. 2697-95, 11-15-1995; Ord. No.
2807-96, 11-6-1996]
A. Expenses
actually and necessarily incurred by Council members in the performance
of the official business of the governmental entity while attending
any authorized function on behalf of the City shall be paid or reimbursed
by the City as follows:
1. All tuition and registration fees.
2. All required books, supplies and incidental expenses.
3. All actual meal costs to a maximum of seventy-five dollars ($75.00)
per day of function, plus one (1) day travel time, if out of town.
4. All lodging expenses for Council members only.
5. Coach air fare to destinations, plus transportation to and from hotel,
for Council member only.
6. Reimbursement at approved City rate for actual mileage.
8. Cost for spouse or guest of Council member to attend banquet at conference.
9. All telephone charges for City business, plus a maximum of two (2)
brief calls home when out of town on business.
10. If Council members, traveling on City business, incur lodging expenses,
they shall be reimbursed for one (1) night's lodging expenses, for
the Council member only, for each four hundred fifty (450) miles traveled,
and actually incurred.
B. Each
Council member shall be reimbursed by the City, to a maximum of one
hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) per day as compensation for loss due
to his required presence in court, or other appearances, in matters
of City litigation.
C. All
itemization, in detail of every particular expense actually incurred,
shall be set forth in writing on a voucher furnished by the City of
Hazelwood. Said voucher, certified by the employee as being true and
correct, shall be filed with the City Clerk within forty-five (45)
days of the date the expenses are incurred, except when an advance
has been paid by the City and a refund is due the City from the advance,
said voucher shall be filed within ten (10) days following the termination
of the activity. Vouchers with receipts attached shall be circulated
among the Council members and must be approved by at least four (4)
members of the Council before being processed for payment.