The standing rules for the government of the Council shall be
as follows:
A. Presiding officer. The Mayor, at the stated hour, shall call the
meeting to order. He shall preserve order and decorum, decide all
questions of order and conduct the proceedings of the meeting in accordance
with the parliamentary rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order,
Revised, unless otherwise provided by statute or these rules. Any
member shall have the right to appeal from a decision of the presiding
officer. No appeal shall be debatable, and the appeal may be sustained
by a majority of the members present, exclusive of the Mayor.
B. Absence of Mayor. If the Mayor is absent at the designated time for
any meeting, the President of the Council or, in his absence, the
Clerk-Treasurer shall call the meeting to order and preside.
C. Presiding officer may vacate Chair. Whenever the presiding officer
shall desire to speak upon any question or to make any motion, he
shall vacate the Chair and designate an Alderperson to preside temporarily.
D. Quorum; voting.
(1) Five members of the Council shall be a quorum. A lesser number than
a quorum may compel the attendance of absent members and may adjourn.
A majority of all the members present shall be necessary to a confirmation
on all questions. In case of a tie, the Mayor shall have a vote. When
the Mayor does vote in case of a tie, his vote shall be counted in
determining whether a sufficient number of the Council has voted favorably
or unfavorably on any measure. The Mayor shall not be counted in determining
whether a quorum is present at a meeting. (See § 62.11,
Wis. Stats.)
(2) Unless approved by unanimous consent of the members, the ayes and
noes shall be taken and recorded by roll call upon all questions before
the Council. It shall not be in order for any member to explain his
vote during such call. On confirmation and on the adoption of any
measure assessing or levying taxes, appropriating or disbursing money,
or creating any liability or charge against the City, or any fund
thereof, the vote shall be by ayes and noes.
(3) All ordinances, rules, resolutions and motions shall be passed by
an affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Council present
unless an extraordinary vote is otherwise required.
(4) The Mayor shall have the veto power as to all acts of the Council,
except such as to which it is expressly or by necessary implication
otherwise provided by Wisconsin law. All acts of the Council shall
be submitted to the Mayor by the Clerk-Treasurer and shall be enforced
upon approval evidenced by the Mayor's signature or upon failing to
approve or disapprove within five days, which fact shall be certified
thereon by the Clerk-Treasurer. If the Mayor disapproves, the Mayor's
objection shall be filed with the Clerk-Treasurer, who shall present
it to the Council at the next meeting. A two-thirds vote of all the
members of the Council shall then be required to make the act effective
notwithstanding the objections of the Mayor. If the last day for exercising
a veto falls on a Sunday or a holiday, the Mayor may exercise a veto
on the next succeeding secular day.
E. Ordinances and resolutions referred to committee. All ordinances,
resolutions, communications and other matters submitted to the Council
shall be read by title and author and may be referred to the appropriate
committee by the Mayor. The Clerk-Treasurer shall read and record
each such reference by title. Any Alderperson may require the reading
in full of any matter at any time it is before the Council. All bills
and other financial claims against the City shall, upon receipt thereof,
be immediately referred by the Clerk-Treasurer to the Finance, Insurance
and Personnel Committee for report thereon at the ensuing meeting
of the Council.
F. Committee reports. Each committee may, at the next regular meeting,
submit a written or oral report on all matters referred to it, unless
a longer time is granted by vote of the Council, and such report shall
be entered in the proceedings. Such report shall recommend a definite
action by the Council on each item, shall be signed by a majority
of the committee, and shall be filed with the Clerk-Treasurer prior
to each meeting. Minority reports may be submitted. Previous notice
of each committee meeting shall be filed with the Clerk-Treasurer,
and each meeting shall be open to the public. Any committee may require
any City officer to confer with it and supply information needed in
connection with any matter pending before the committee.
G. Vote on committee reports. An aye and nay vote shall be taken on
each committee report immediately following its submission, provided
that any Alderperson may require a separate vote on any ordinance,
resolution or other matter in any report. Action upon a specific matter
included in any committee report shall be deferred until the next
regular meeting following the submission of the report upon the request
of any two Alderpersons. The approval of a committee report in which
the adoption of an ordinance or resolution is recommended shall comprise
final action on such ordinance or resolution, and likewise for other
actions recommended by the committee on any matter.
H. Appropriations. All ordinances or resolutions appropriating money
or creating any charge against the City other than the payment of
claims for purchases or work previously authorized by the Council
shall only be acted upon by the Council at the next regular meeting,
provided that this provision may be suspended by affirmative action
by 3/4 of all members of the Council. A roll call vote shall be taken
and recorded on all appropriations.
I. Reconsideration of question. Any member voting in the majority may
move for a reconsideration of the vote of any question at that meeting
or at the succeeding regular meeting. A motion to reconsider being
put and lost shall not be renewed. An Alderperson may not change his
vote on any question after the result has been announced.
J. Robert's Rules of Order to govern. In the absence of a special ordinance
or state statute, the Council shall be governed by Robert's Rules
of Order, Revised.
K. Suspension of rules. These rules or any part thereof may be temporarily
suspended in connection with any matter under consideration by a recorded
vote of 2/3 of the members present.
L. Council and committee agendas. Items shall be placed on the agenda
of any Council or standing committee meeting if requested by: the
Mayor, any Alderperson, the City Clerk/Treasurer or any department
head. Items may be placed on the agenda of any Council or standing
committee meeting if requested by any other person, subject to the
approval of the Mayor and/or the Committee Chairperson. The Council
shall receive notice of any denial of a request to place an item on
the Council or a standing committee agenda. Requests to place items
on the agenda should comply with the notice requirements of the Wisconsin
Open Meetings Law (§ 19.84, Wis. Stats.) and the policies
and procedures of the Clerk/Treasurer's office.
The deliberations of the Council shall be conducted in the following
manner:
A. No Alderperson shall address the Council until he has been recognized
by the presiding officer. He shall thereupon address himself to the
presiding officer and confine his remarks to the question under discussion
and avoid all personalities.
B. When two or more members simultaneously seek recognition, the presiding
officer shall name the member who is to speak first.
C. No person other than a member shall address the Council, except by
vote of a majority of the members present.
D. No motion shall be discussed or acted upon unless and until it has
been seconded unless the rules permit one Alderperson to initiate
action. No motion shall be withdrawn or amended without the consent
of the person making the same and the person seconding it.
E. When a question is under discussion, no action shall be in order
except the following, and these motions shall have precedence in the
order listed:
(4) To postpone to a certain day.
(7) To postpone indefinitely.
F. Any member desirous of terminating the debate may move the previous
question, in which event the presiding officer shall announce the
question as "Shall the main question now be put?" If a majority of
the members present vote in the affirmative, the main question shall
be taken without further debate, its effect being to put an end to
all debate and bring the Council to a direct vote, first upon any
pending amendments and then upon the main question.
G. Any Alderperson may demand an aye and nay vote on any matter, and
such vote shall be entered in the proceedings.
H. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order, and a motion to adjourn,
to lay on the table, and a call for the previous question shall be
decided without debate.
In addition to the standing committees, special committees may
be appointed, from time to time, to deal with special matters of interest
to the City. All such committees shall be appointed by the Mayor unless
otherwise directed by the Council.