CROSS REFERENCES
Legislation by Council — See 3rd Class Charter
Law § 606 et seq. (53 P.S. § 41606 et seq.).
Rules of Procedure — See ADM. 111.04.
Contracts; minimum wage rates, working conditions and printed
matter — See ADM. 113.07.
[Ord. 52-2007, passed 9-19-2007; Ord. 16-2009, passed 4-1-2009]
(a)
Regular meetings. Council shall hold regular meetings on the first
and third Wednesdays of each month with the meetings on the first
Wednesday of the month commencing to 9:00 a.m. and the second meetings
on the third Wednesday of the month commencing at 7:30 p.m.
However, when the day for any regular meeting of Council falls
upon a designated holiday, such regular meeting shall be held at the
same hour at the next succeeding day not a holiday. Council may, however,
upon a majority vote of the whole Council, reschedule such regular
meeting so that the meeting scheduled may occur on the next regularly
scheduled meeting date. However, the regular Wednesday meeting before
Thanksgiving Day shall commence at 9:00 a.m. and also the Wednesday
meeting before Christmas Day.
(b)
Caucus meetings. Meetings will be held at least 30 minutes before
all City Council meetings. Administrative personnel and individuals
approved by the City Council President can attend to make presentations
and answer questions concerning Agenda items.
[Ord. 16-2009, passed 4-1-2009]
All meetings of Council, except in the case of emergencies shall
be held in the Council Chambers on the first floor of the Municipal
Building. The display of placards and/or signs in the Council Chambers
during such times as Council is in session is hereby banned; there
shall be no political endorsements of individuals or candidates during
City Council Meetings and/or Public Hearings.
[Ord. 16-2009, passed 4-1-2009]
City Council shall hold executive sessions as per Pennsylvania
Sunshine Law requirements.
[Ord. 8-1966 § 4, passed 3-9-1966]
The Mayor or President of Council may, and upon written request
of the majority of Council shall, call a special meeting of Council.
In such call, the business to be considered at the special meeting
shall be designated and no other business shall be considered at such
special meeting. Any such call for a special meeting shall be delivered
to the members of Council not less than 24 hours prior to the time
stated for such special meeting unless all of the members of Council
execute a written waiver of such twenty-four hour notice prior to
the commencement of such meeting.
[Ord. 8-1966 § 5, passed 3-9-1966]
All regular and special meetings of Council shall be open to
the public.
[Ord. 68-1985 § 1, passed 11-13-1985; Ord. 32-1992 § 1, passed 6-17-1992; Ord. 49-2000, passed 9-6-2000]
Each ordinance and resolution shall be introduced in printed,
typewritten or written form and shall be read and considered as provided
by general law. All ordinances and resolutions shall be properly introduced
by a member of Council and seconded by a member of Council. In the
event that a member of Council introduces an ordinance or resolution
requested by the Administrative Department of the City, the City Clerk
shall, at the request of such member, note on the minutes of Council
that such ordinance or resolution has been requested by the administrative
branch of the City government. All resolutions submitted to Council
and prepared by any individual(s), group(s) and/or organization(s)
that have not been reviewed by Council and its Solicitor shall be
automatically tabled for at least one meeting prior to any vote being
taken on such resolution(s).
[Ord. 8-1966 § 7, passed 3-9-1966]
The vote upon every motion, resolution or ordinance shall be
taken by roll call and the yeas and nays shall be entered on the minutes.
Each member of Council shall vote on every matter presented to Council
unless specifically excused or prevented therefrom by provisions of
general law. Unless a member of Council is excused or prevented from
voting, his failure to vote nay shall be recorded as an affirmative
vote.
[Ord. 8-1966 § 8, passed 3-9-1966]
The minutes of every meeting of Council shall be signed by the
President or the Acting President of Council and attested by the City
Clerk.
[Ord. 55-1987 § 1, passed 8-26-1987; Ord. 26-1988 § 1, passed 4-6-1988; Ord. 16-2009, passed 4-1-2009]
All reports, communications, ordinances, resolutions, contract
documents or other matters to be submitted to Council shall be filed
in the office of City Clerk not later than Thursday at Noon preceding
the regular bi-monthly meetings of Council, whereupon the City Clerk,
with the approval of the Council President, shall immediately arrange
an agenda or such matters according to the order of business. The
City Clerk shall furnish each member of Council, the Mayor and Solicitor
with a copy of the agenda as soon as possible after it is prepared.
Any ordinance or resolution which does not appear on the agenda
may only be considered by Council upon the affirmative vote of five
members of Council to so waive the rules.
[Ord. 16-2009, passed 4-1-2009]
The Order of Business of Council, in the consideration and disposition
of matters coming before it, shall be as follows:
(a)
Roll Call.
(b)
Pledge of Allegiance and Silent Meditation.
(c)
Approval of Minutes and Payment of Bills.
(d)
Citizens to be heard. Any such person addressing Council shall step
up to the front of the podium, shall give his/her name and address
and, unless further time is granted by Council, shall limit his/her
address to five minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to Council
as a body and not to any member thereof. No person, other than a member
of Council and the person having the floor, shall be permitted to
enter into any discussion, either directly or through a member of
Council, without the permission of the presiding officer. No question
shall be asked a Councilperson except through the presiding officer.
Reports from officials, boards, commissions and other bodies may be
received, and also reading of written communications to Council on
any matter concerning the City's business or any matter over
which Council has control.
(e)
Ordinances in strict order of Council file numbers, including action
upon vetoed ordinances, starting with the lowest Council file number
and proceeding forward in consecutive order through and including
newly introduced ordinances.
(f)
Old Business-resolutions or ordinances that have been addressed or
acted on at previous City Council meetings.
(g)
New Business-resolutions, transfers, contracts and purchase orders
on the agenda of Council.
(h)
Committee reports of Council. At the conclusion of the regularly
scheduled meetings of Council, each member shall be permitted to give
a report on matters pertaining to the Councilperson's Committee
assignment and such report shall not exceed five minutes. The City
Clerk shall be assigned the responsibility of monitoring each Councilperson's
time usage.
(i)
Adjournment. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order and shall
be decided without debate.
[Ord. 16-2009, passed 4-1-2009; Ord. 9-2011, passed 2-16-2011]
The President of Council shall be presiding officer of Council.
He/she shall be elected annually at the first meeting in January of
each year and shall be eligible for re-election. The President of
Council shall assume the duties of the chair immediately after his/her
election. He/she shall preserve strict order and decorum at all meetings
of Council. He/she shall summarize every ordinance coming to vote
and shall likewise announce the decision of Council on every final
vote on the passage of ordinances and resolutions by signifying that
Council adopts or fails to adopt the same. The presiding officer may
move, second and debate measures from the chair and shall not be deprived
of any of the rights and privileges of a member of Council by reason
of his/her acting as a presiding officer. A Vice President of Council
shall also be elected annually at the 1st meeting in January of each
year, whose only duty shall be to preside over the meetings of City
Council in the absence of the Council President.
[Ord. 8-1966 § 12, passed 3-9-1966; Ord. 16-2009, passed 4-1-2009]
(a)
The Committee of the Whole shall be a permanent standing committee
of Council. The President of Council shall be the presiding officer
of the Committee of the Whole and the Rules of Procedure in Council
shall be observed in the Committee of the Whole as far as the same
may be applicable. The Committee of the Whole shall make its reports
in writing and shall return the petition, resolution, account, ordinance
or other papers submitted to it for consideration to Council.
(b)
Liaison Chairpersons between Council and the various departments,
bureaus, authorities, commissions and other offices of the City shall
be appointed by the President of Council and shall have such duties
and jurisdiction as designated by the President of Council. The bureaus
and other offices of the City include, but are not limited to, Department
of Public Works, Parks and Property, Finance Department, Department
of Economic and Community Development, Bureau of Police, Bureau of
Fire. The Liaison Chairperson shall study and become familiar with
the work and operation of the respective spheres of the municipal
government to which he/she may be assigned so that he/she may be able
to make proper recommendations and furnish detailed information to
Council when so requested.
(c)
The proper Liaison Chairperson, together with the Council President,
shall review the official agenda prior to the caucus session meeting
and notify the Office of the Mayor, in writing, of any department
directors or bureau chiefs or other employees of the City whose presence
is requested at the caucus session meeting.
(Repealed)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 112.13 was repealed by
Ordinance 16-2009, passed April 1, 2009.
[Ord. 78-1970 § 6, passed 12-16-1970]
Robert's Rules of Order shall apply in any situation not
otherwise covered by these Rules of Procedure and the City Solicitor
is hereby designated as the official parliamentarian of Council.
[Ord. 16-1979 § 1, passed 1-31-1979]
Council shall be required to review all City Budgets on a semi-annual
basis and to include in this review in July and December of each year,
the water and sewer budgets. This section shall be added to and made
mandatory upon the duties of Council and the City Administration.
[Ord. 19-1994 § 1, passed 3-2-1994]
The City Administration shall file a detailed written report,
within one week of returning from any and all seminars and conferences
attended by Administrative staff which are held outside the City.
