[Ord. No. 16 §§1
— 2,4,7; Ord. No. 190 §1; Ord. No. 235 §5; Ord. No. 253 §1; Ord. No.
00-028 §1, 11-27-2000; Ord. No. 56-2014 §1, 12-8-2014]
A.
The
Board of Aldermen shall convene in regular session for the purpose
of conducting such business as may come before it, on the first and
third Monday of each month of the calendar year. The Board of Aldermen
shall convene in regular session at the meeting room of the City Hall
located in the City of Herculaneum, Missouri.
B.
The
time of opening regular sessions for the purpose of conducting business
shall be 7:00 P.M. (Central or Daylight Saving Time).
C.
Special
meetings shall be called for the consideration of business whenever
the urgency of the business to be considered warrants immediate action
by the Board of Aldermen or whenever the Mayor, in his discretion,
determines that the matter is of such importance as to warrant the
call of a special meeting. Special meetings shall be called by the
City Mayor at his discretion, or by the Mayor Pro Tem in unavoidable
absence of the City Mayor, or by a majority of the Board of Aldermen
petitioning the Mayor to call a Special Meeting of the Board. Notice
of special meetings shall be directed to each Alderman in written
form and shall contain the business to be considered, the time and
location of the meeting. Oral notice may be given by the Mayor during
a regular session. Special meetings shall conduct or consider only
such business as stated in written notification or Waiver of Consent
form of such meetings.
D.
The
Mayor or any Alderperson may be reimbursed for the use of his or her
private automobile while engaged in authorized business or duties
of his or her office. Such compensation, upon the submission of a
travel voucher, shall be in an amount set as the standard amount by
the Internal Revenue Service for business operation of an automobile.
E.
Whenever
there shall be a vacancy in the office of Mayor by reason of death,
resignation, removal from office or for any other cause, the Alderman
elected as acting president of the Board of Aldermen shall have as
his salary, in addition to his salary as an Alderman, a sum as set
by ordinance. This Section of this Chapter shall not apply to any
acting president of the Board of Aldermen performing the duties of
the Mayor during the Mayor's temporary absence.
F.
Any
Alderperson may waive the receipt of his/her salary by filing a letter
with the City Clerk waiving receipt of the salary by not taking control
of said amount and by suggesting that the City use that salary amount
for the general benefit of the City. Such declaration of waiver letter
would not necessarily preclude the Alderperson from thereafter filing
a letter with the City Clerk revoking the waiver of the salary or
from being reimbursed for certain expenses incurred on behalf of the
City upon presentation of proper support invoices and documentation
of those expenses.
[Ord. No. 18-2018, 5-7-2018]
G.
Code
Of Conduct. The Code of Conduct is designed to describe how Aldermen
should act while representing the City of Herculaneum. It defines
more clearly the behavior that are suitable for certain occasions.
The constant and consistent themes through this Subsection are dignity,
honesty, and respect. This document is intended to provide general
guidance for Aldermen, it is not an exhaustive list of all situations.
[Ord. No. 43-2022, 11-21-2022]
1.
Aldermen Conduct With City Staff.
a.
Governing the City requires the cooperation of the elected officials
who set policy, and City staff who implement and administer the policy.
The City's organizational structure, or Chain of Command should be
followed and respected.
b.
Treat City Staff As Professionals. Clear and honest communication
that respects the abilities, dignity and experience of staff members
is expected.
c.
Chain Of Command. Questions and requests of City staff should be
directed to the City Administrator and/or Department Directors. Information
given to an Aldermen in response to a question or request will be
given to all Aldermen to ensure equal access to information.
d.
Be Mindful Of Productivity. City staff is accessible to Aldermen,
but Aldermen should be mindful that City staff have assignments/duties
to accomplish.
e.
Never Publicly Criticize An Individual Employee. Aldermen should
not be critical of a City employee in public, to the employee directly,
or to the employee's manager. Staff performance should be discussed
with the City Administrator.
2.
Aldermen Conduct With The Public.
a.
In Public Meetings. The City's business is conducted at Board of
Aldermen meetings by the elected officials of the City. All Aldermen
meetings are open to the public, but the public's participation is
permitted only at formal Aldermen business meetings during the time
and in the manner set forth in these rules. Public participation is
generally not permitted during work sessions and other informal meetings,
although the public is encouraged to express comments in writing or
other communication prior to those meetings. For the Board of Aldermen
to conduct its business in a manner completely open to the public,
the Board of Aldermen should act in accordance with the Rules of Decorum
and the by the State law and City ordinances applicable to public
meetings.
b.
In Unofficial Settings.
(1)
Make No Promise On Behalf Of The Board Of Aldermen. Aldermen
will be asked to explain a Board action and/or for their opinion about
an issue. It is appropriate to discuss City policy and to refer questions
to City staff for more information. Do not promise Board action or
promise that the City will do something specific.
(2)
Our Community Is Watching. Aldermen are observed by our community
every day in office. Honesty and respect for all should be demonstrated
every day.
3.
Aldermen Conduct With Other Public Agencies.
a.
Be Clear About Representing The City Or Personal Interests. Aldermen
may appear before agencies and organizations to give a statement on
an issue, at which time they should state:
b.
Correspondence Also Should Be Equally Clear About Representation.
City letterhead may be used when the Alderman is representing the
City and the City's official position. All official correspondence
should be given to the City Clerk.
4.
Aldermen Conduct With The Media: Choose Words Carefully And Cautiously.
Aldermen may be contacted by the media for background and quotes.
Be careful and cautious when talking with the media.
5.
Violation. Aldermen who violate this Code of Conduct may be reprimanded,
formally censured, or removed from office. The Mayor may, with the
consent of a majority of all the members elected to the Board of Aldermen,
remove from office, for cause shown, an Alderman, such Alderman being
first given opportunity, together with his/her witnesses, to be heard
before the Board, sitting as a court of impeachment. Any Alderman
may, in like manner, for cause shown, be removed from office by a
two-thirds (2/3) vote of all the members elected to the Board of Aldermen,
independently of the Mayor's approval or recommendation. The Board
may pass ordinances regulating the manner of impeachment and removals.
[Ord. No. 379 §1, 2-13-1989]
No ordinance shall be passed except by a bill, and no bill shall
become an ordinance unless on its final passage a majority of the
members elected to the Board of Aldermen vote for it and the "ayes"
and "nayes" entered on the journal; and all bills shall be read by
title or in full, two times prior to passage, both of which readings
may occur at a single meeting of the Board of Aldermen. If the proposed
ordinance is read by title only, copies of the proposed ordinance
shall be made available for public inspection prior to the time the
bill is under consideration by the Board of Aldermen. No bill shall
become an ordinance until it shall have been signed by the Mayor or
person exercising the duties of the Mayor's office or shall have been
passed over the Mayor's veto as provided.
[Ord. No. 528 §1, 12-14-1992; Ord. No. 558, 1-10-1994]
A.
The
members of the Board of Aldermen shall forfeit an amount equal to
fifty percent (50%) of the salary as set forth by ordinance for non-attendance
at a regular scheduled meeting of the Board of Aldermen.
B.
The
Board of Aldermen may by resolution authorize payment to any member
of the Board of Aldermen of any compensation which would otherwise
be forfeited pursuant to this Section, and further that the Board
of Aldermen may by resolution authorize back pay for amounts withheld
pursuant to this Section.
