[Code 1991, § 2-26; Ord. No. 97-24, 5-26-1998; amended 6-22-2021 by Ord. No. 21-18[1]]
Each member of the City Council, excluding the Mayor, shall be allowed and paid out of the City levy an annual salary of $12,000, payable in equal monthly installments, for services in attending the meetings of the City Council and in discharging the duties imposed by law upon the City Council member.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance provided an effective date of 7-1-2022, unless amended to provide an earlier date.
[Code 1991, § 2-50]
While serving as City Council members, each member may individually elect to participate in the City's medical insurance program and shall be extended public official's liability insurance coverage as well as workers' compensation insurance coverage while performing his duties as a public official.
[Code 1991, § 2-27]
The clerk of the City Council shall prepare written notices to the Mayor and all other City Council members, the City Manager, and the City Attorney to attend all regular and special City Council meetings. The clerk may serve notices of regular meetings either personally, by delivery to previously designated places, or by mail, but notices of special meetings shall be by personal service.
[Code 1991, § 2-28]
The City Council shall meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays in every month, at 7:30 p.m. The meeting shall adjourn at 11:00 p.m. unless a simple majority of the City Council members present at that time vote to suspend the rule and extend the time of adjournment. There shall be no meeting on the fourth Tuesday in December. The City Council shall also meet at any other time to which it may adjourn or be regularly called or convened. If four members shall fail to attend within 15 minutes after the time appointed for a meeting, the clerk shall enter on the journal the names of those attending and the members shall adjourn for want of a quorum.
[Code 1991, § 2-29]
All spectators at City Council meetings shall remain behind the bar, where they shall conduct themselves in a quiet and orderly manner throughout all meetings.
[Code 1991, § 2-30]
The presiding officer of the City Council shall not allow anyone to speak longer or more frequently than the rules, as set forth in this article, permit. He shall, in this and all other matters, preserve order and decide any question raised concerning the rules of procedure. Any member may appeal a ruling of the presiding officer to the City Council, which may affirm or reverse such decision.
[Code 1991, § 2-31]
Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern all questions of parliamentary procedure in regular and special meetings of the City Council, except where such rules conflict or are inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter, in which case the provisions of this chapter shall govern.
[Code 1991, § 2-32]
Except as otherwise provided by law, any procedural rule contained in this article may at any time be suspended for a special purpose, by a roll-call vote of 2/3 of the members of the City Council present.
[Code 1991, § 2-33]
A. 
City Council may establish an agenda format to reflect its order of proceedings by resolution. Any such resolution to change the agenda format shall not be effective until the next regularly scheduled or adjourned meeting of the City Council.
B. 
Any such agenda format established by the City Council shall include a consent agenda, which shall include, by way of illustration, but not by limitation, the following:
(1) 
Approval of minutes.
(2) 
First readings of proposed ordinances and scheduling of public hearings and second readings thereof.
(3) 
Requests for permits which have been determined by the appropriate City staff as meeting the requirements of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, or ordinance of the City.
(4) 
Resolutions and/or motions appointing persons to boards, committees, posts, or commissions.
(5) 
Resolutions authorizing interdepartmental budget transfers.
(6) 
Acceptance of reports and petitions and scheduling of public hearings thereon.
(7) 
Resolutions accepting dedication of streets and/or utilities.
(8) 
Any item believed by the City Manager to be routine and not controversial in nature.
C. 
Any member of the City Council may, by request, have any item removed from the consent agenda, which item shall then be discussed at the end of the meeting.
D. 
A single motion and roll call vote in favor thereof shall approve all items remaining on the consent agenda.
[Code 1991, § 2-33]
Variations from the approved meeting agenda of the City Council shall be permitted only upon the vote of a simple majority of the City Councilmembers present. Meeting agendas and priorities of the agenda are to be set by the City Manager and the Mayor. Priority is to be given to items for which staff members or concerned citizens are present.
[Code 1991, § 2-33]
The City Council may, if it so desires, promulgate further procedures for the conduct of its meetings and its relationship with the City Manager and the City Manager's staff. These rules of procedures are to be passed, amended, or deleted at any time by a simple majority of the members of the City Council present.
[Code 1991, § 2-34]
The proceedings of the previous regular meeting of the City Council and any subsequently called special meeting shall be read at the opening of the next regular session, provided that by a vote of a majority of the members present a reading shall be dispensed with if a full copy of such minutes is mailed or delivered to each member of the City Council at least three days prior to the next regular session. After the errors appearing therein, if any, are corrected, the proceedings shall be signed by the person presiding at such meeting.
[Code 1991, § 2-35]
Every resolution or proposition moved at a City Council meeting shall be in writing, and shall be seconded before the question is taken. If carried, the name of the mover shall be entered on the journal. For each committee report or recommendation to the City Council, there shall be a brief and concise memorandum, giving background information, which shall include comments from the City Manager's staff.
[Code 1991, § 2-36; Ord. No. 07-05, 2-27-2007; Ord. No. 10-20, 6-22-2010]
A. 
No ordinance or resolution appropriating money, imposing taxes, or authorizing the borrowing of money shall be passed except by record affirmative vote of a majority of all members elected to the City Council. All ordinances and resolutions appropriating funds in excess of $100,000 shall be adopted by the City Council on two readings. No such ordinance or resolution shall be adopted on second reading on the same day as its introduction unless five members elected to the City Council have voted to suspend the rules and then to place the matter on second reading.
B. 
All ordinances other than those specified in Subsection B of this section shall first be adopted on first reading by vote of the City Council. Such ordinance shall thereupon be adopted by a majority by electronic vote of members present on second reading. No such ordinance shall be considered on second reading until the next regular meeting after approval on first reading, unless the rules have been suspended for its immediate consideration.
C. 
All resolutions other than those specified in Subsection B of this section may be adopted on one reading.
[Code 1991, § 2-38]
Before addressing a City Council meeting, the member desiring to speak shall address himself to the presiding officer, and shall be recognized by him as entitled to speak before he proceeds. After being so recognized, the member, except when called to order by the presiding officer or another member, shall not be interrupted during the time allowed him. No member shall speak more than 10 minutes at any one time without permission of the City Council, unless he is a chair of a committee, in explanation of a report or ordinance, when he shall be allowed, if he desires it, 15 minutes. No member shall speak more than twice upon the same question without permission of the City Council.
[Code 1991, § 2-37]
Unless requested by a member of the City Council, no proposed ordinance need be read in total, but may be read by title only if a copy thereof has been delivered to each member of the City Council prior to the commencement of the City Council meeting in which it is first introduced.
[Code 1991, § 2-39]
Debate at City Council meetings shall be confined to the merits of the pending question. Speakers shall address their remarks to the chair, maintain a courteous tone, and, especially in reference to any divergence of opinion, shall avoid injecting personal invective into debate. To this end, they shall never attack or make any derogatory allusion to the motives of members.
[Code 1991, § 2-42]
On the decision of any question voted on at a City Council meeting, the yeas and nays shall be entered in the journal, if requested by any member.
[Code 1991, § 2-44]
Any question decided by the City Council shall not be again brought forward until a year has elapsed unless, upon a motion for reconsideration, there are in favor of such reconsideration votes equal to or greater than the majority of the members present when the question was before decided. Any motion for the reconsideration of an ordinance which has taken effect prior to such motion shall not be considered.
[Code 1991, § 2-46]
All petitions or requests for action by the City Council shall be in writing, except where otherwise allowed by the presiding officer, and delivered to the presiding officer prior to the time of meeting. The presiding officer shall inquire as to the nature of the petition or request and ensure that other appropriate avenues have been explored before the matter is to be brought to the floor of the City Council.
[Code 1991, § 2-49]
The officer presiding at the City Council shall have the authority to name members of all special committees; and appointment shall be conclusive, unless objection is made by any member present, in which case the City Council, if it so determines by vote, shall make the appointment.