[R.O. 2013 §2-36; Ord. No. 3.1 (Bill No. 38) §7, 1-16-1973; Ord. No. 5.6 (Bill No. 1811) §1, 5-18-2000; Ord. No. 3.1 (Bill No. 2427) §1, 9-16-2010]
All questions of parliamentary procedure not provided for in this Article shall be governed by most current edition of Robert's Rules of Order.
[R.O. 2013 §2-37; Ord. No. 3.1 (Bill No. 38) §4, 1-16-1973; Ord. No. 5.6 (Bill No. 1811) §1, 5-18-2000; Ord. No. 1.225 (Bill. No. 2584) §1, 5-15-2014]
Five (5) Councilpersons elected shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If at any meeting of the Council a quorum is not physically present or participating via videoconferencing, the meeting shall stand adjourned until the next regular or special meeting; however, any two (2) members of the Council, or the Mayor, may have a call of the Council and require the Chief of Police to serve upon absent Council members, anywhere in the State of Missouri, notice that the Council is having a meeting and requesting their attendance; and should any one Council member or more of them fail to appear, the two (2) members making the call or the Mayor may make and enter an order into the records of the City Council stating which Council member failed to appear although duly noticed to do so.
[R.O. 2013 §2-38; Ord. No. 3.1 (Bill No. 38) §5, 1-16-1973; Ord. No. 5.6 (Bill No. 1811) §1, 5-18-2000]
At the time prescribed for a meeting of the Council, or to which it may have been adjourned, the Mayor or the Presiding Officer of the Council shall call the members of the Council to order and, a quorum being present, shall proceed with the order of business.
[R.O. 2013 §2-40; Ord. No. 3.1 (Bill No. 38) §7, 1-16-1973; Ord. No. 5.6 (Bill No. 1811) §1, 5-18-2000]
The Presiding Officer of the City Council shall preserve decorum and order, may speak to points of order in preference to other members of the Council and shall decide all questions of order.
[R.O. 2013 §2-43; Ord. No. 3.1 (Bill No. 38) §10, 1-16-1973; Ord. No. 5.6 (Bill No. 1811) §1, 5-18-2000]
Each Council member present when a question is put, when not excluded by private interest, shall give his/her vote, unless the Council shall by vote excuse said member, but no member shall be permitted to vote on any question or serve on any committee where his/her private interest is immediately concerned, distinct from that of the public.
[R.O. 2013 §2-46; Ord. No. 3.1 (Bill No. 38) §13, 1-16-1973; Ord. No. 3.1 (Bill No. 1637) §1, 11-6-1997; Ord. No. 5.6 (Bill No. 1811) §1, 5-18-2000]
No ordinance shall be passed except by bill, and every bill shall be numbered consecutively. No bill shall become an ordinance unless on its final passage a majority of the members elected to the City Council shall vote therefore, and the "yeas" and "nays" be entered onto the journal. Every proposed ordinance shall be introduced to the Council in writing and shall be read by title or in full two (2) times prior to its passage. Both readings may occur at a single meeting of the Council. If the proposed ordinance is to be 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 City Council. No bill shall become an ordinance until it shall have been signed by the officer presiding at the meeting of the Council at which it shall have been passed. When so signed, it shall be delivered to the Mayor for his/her approval and signature, or his/her veto.
[Ord. No. 1.225 (Bill No. 2584) §1, 5-15-2014]
A. 
Definitions. For the purposes of this Section "Video conference" or Videoconferencing" shall refer to a means of communication where at least one member of City council participates in the public meeting via an electronic connection made up of three (3) components:
1. 
A live video transmission of the member of the City Council not in physical attendance;
2. 
A live audio transmission allowing the member of the City Council not in physical attendance to be heard by those in physical attendance; and
3. 
A live audio transmission allowing the members of the City Council not in physical attendance to hear those in physical attendance at a meeting. If at any time during a meeting one or more of the elements of a video conference becomes compromised (e.g. if any participants are unable to see, hear or fully communicate), then the video conference participant is deemed immediately absent and this absence should be reflected in the minutes. A video conference participant's absence may compromise a quorum in which case the applicable City ordinance shall take effect regarding a broken quorum.
B. 
Attendance via video conference should only occur sparingly and for good cause. Such good cause shall be at the discretion of the member seeking to attend by video conference. A City Councilperson shall not attend more than six (6) meetings via video conference in a rolling twelve-month period.
C. 
Members of the public may not participate in a public meeting of the City Council via video conference. The public wishing to attend a meeting, and elected officials not participating via videoconferencing of a meeting, shall participate at the physical location where meetings of the City Council are typically held, or as provided in a notice provided in accordance with the Sunshine Law. The City Council shall cause there to be provided at the physical location communication equipment consisting of an audio and visual display, and a camera and microphone so that the member(s) of the City Council participating via videoconferencing, the members of the City Council in physical attendance, and the public in physical attendance may actively participate in the meeting in accordance with rules of meeting decorum. The communication equipment at the physical location of the meeting must allow for all meeting attendees to see, hear, and fully communicate with the videoconferencing participant.
D. 
Elected members of the City Council attending a public meeting via video conference are deemed present for purposes of participating in a roll call vote to the same effect elected members of the City Council in physical attendance at a public meeting of the City Council are deemed present. As indicated in Subsection (A) above, if any component of the video conference communication fails during the meeting, the member attending the meeting by video conference whose connection failed shall be deemed absent immediately upon such failure, and if the City Council was in the act of voting, the voting shall stop until all of the components of video conference attendance are again restored and the video conference participant's presence is again noted in the minutes.
E. 
In a meeting where a member of the City Council is participating via videoconferencing and the meeting goes into a closed session, all provisions of Missouri law and the City ordinances relating to closed sessions apply. Upon the City Council's vote to close the meeting, all members of the general public shall not be present. Likewise, any City Councilperson participating via videoconferencing must ensure there are no members of the public present at their location to see, hear, or otherwise communicate during the closed session. The member must also take all reasonable precautions to guard against interception of communication by others. Failure to ensure the requirements of this Subsection may result in corrective action by the full public governmental body in accordance with City regulations.
F. 
In the meeting, whether in open or in closed session, the minutes taken should reflect the members, if any, participating via video conference; the members in physical attendance; and members, if any, absent.
G. 
In the event that emergency circumstances create impossibility for the members of the City Council to physically attend the body as a whole may meet, and if necessary, vote by video conference. Examples of such emergency circumstances include, but are not limited to, war, riot, terrorism, widespread fire, or natural disaster such as earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flood or blizzard. To the extent possible in such circumstances the City Council shall use reasonable efforts to cause a physical location to be provided for public attendance and participation.
[1]
State Law Reference — For similar provisions, §610.105, RSMo.