Town of Rock Hall, MD Chapter 25 Meetings, Public

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Town of Rock Hall as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]

Article I Rules of Order

[Adopted 6-20-2013 by Res. No. 2013-07]

§ 25-1 Governing policy; effect on other provisions.

Roberts Rules of Order, as revised from time to time, shall govern the open meetings of the Mayor and Council of the Town of Rock Hall (the "Mayor and Council"), except as any such rule may conflict with this article or any state or local law, in which case this article or the state or local law shall govern.

§ 25-2 Presiding Officer.

A. As President of the Council, the Mayor shall serve as Presiding Officer at all open meetings of the Mayor and Council. The Vice President of the Council shall serve as the Presiding Officer in the Mayor's absence.

B. The Presiding Officer shall maintain order and decorum and decide all questions of procedure, subject to appeal by any Councilmember. If such an appeal is made, a vote shall be required, and the Presiding Officer's decision may be overruled by a majority vote of the Councilmembers present.

§ 25-3 Public conduct.

A. The general public is invited to attend and observe any open meeting of the Mayor and Council.

B. Persons attending any open meeting of the Mayor and Council shall not participate in or comment during the meeting except when expressly invited to do so by the Mayor and Council, or when such participation or comment is otherwise authorized by law.

C. The "Good of the Town" section of the Mayor and Council's open meeting agenda provides an opportunity for the public to be heard in regard to any municipal question.

D. All persons desiring to participate in or comment during any open meeting of the Mayor and Council shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to do so, subject to the following:

(1) Any person who desires to comment or participate at an appropriate time (i.e., as set forth in Subsections B and C herein) shall raise his or her hand and wait to be recognized by the Presiding Officer.

(2) Upon being recognized by the Presiding Officer, the person speaking shall keep his or her comments brief and relevant to the matter(s) under discussion. Unless otherwise authorized by the Presiding Officer, speaking time shall be limited to three minutes or less.

(3) No person other than the Mayor and Council and the person having the floor shall participate in the discussion.

E. Any conduct during an open meeting of the Mayor and Council that disrupts the Mayor and Council's deliberations or interferes with the right of other members of the public to attend and observe the meeting, including but not limited to the making of personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks, speaking without having first been recognized by the Presiding Officer, or visual demonstrations, such as the waving of placards, signs, or banners, is expressly prohibited.

F. The Presiding Officer may order that any person who persists in conduct prohibited by this article be removed from the meeting and may request police assistance to restore order.

G. The Presiding Officer may temporarily adjourn the meeting while order is restored.

§ 25-4 Recording, photographing, and broadcasting of open session.

A. Any member of the public, including any representative of the news media, may record an open meeting of the Mayor and Council by means of a tape recorder or any other recording device if the device does not create an excessive noise that disturbs the Mayor and Council or other persons attending the meeting.

B. A member of the public, including any representative of the news media, may photograph or videotape the Mayor and Council during an open meeting, provided that the camera or recording device:

(1) Is operated without excessively bright artificial light that disturbs the Mayor and Council or other persons attending the meeting; and

(2) Does not create an excessive noise that disturbs the Mayor and Council or other persons attending the meeting.

C. A representative of the news media may broadcast or televise an open meeting of the Mayor and Council if the equipment used:

(1) Is operated without excessively bright artificial light that disturbs the Mayor and Council or other persons attending the meeting; and

(2) Does not create an excessive noise that disturbs the Mayor and Council or other persons attending the meeting.

D. The Presiding Officer may restrict the movement of a person who is using a recording device, camera, or broadcasting or television equipment if such restriction is necessary to maintain the orderly conduct of the session.

§ 25-5 Recording not part of record.

A recording of an open meeting made by a member of the public, or any transcript derived therefrom, shall not be deemed a part of the record of any proceeding or hearing conducted by the Mayor and Council during an open meeting.