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 first meeting on the first
Wednesday of the month commencing to 9:00 a.m. and the second meeting
on the third Wednesday of the month commencing at 6:30 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.
[Amended by Ord. No. 67-2023, passed 10-18-2023]
(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; Ord. No. 67-2023, passed 10-18-2023]
(a)
All
meetings of Council shall be 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; Ord. No. 67-2023, passed 10-18-2023]
All regular, caucus 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)
Silent Meditation and Pledge of Allegiance.
[Amended by Ord. No. 67-2023, passed 10-18-2023]
(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/they name and municipality
and, unless further time is granted by Council, shall limit his/her/they
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.
[Amended by Ord. No. 67-2023, passed 10-18-2023]
(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 provide 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.
[Amended by Ord. No. 67-2023, passed 10-18-2023]
(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; Ord. No. 67-2023, passed 10-18-2023]
The President of Council shall be presiding officer of Council.
He/she/they shall be elected annually at the first meeting in January
of each year and shall be eligible for reelection. The President of
Council shall assume the duties of the Chair immediately after his/her/their
election. He/she/they shall preserve strict order and decorum at all
meetings of Council. He/she/they 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/they acting
as a presiding officer. A Vice President of Council shall also be
elected annually at the first meeting in January of each year, whose
duties include to preside over the meetings of City Council in the
absence of the President of Council and to assist the President of
Council in executing the duties of the President of Council or other
duties as delegated by the President of Council.
[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 Departments 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 Departments of the City include the Department of Public Safety,
Department of Business Administration and Finance, Department of Public
Works, Property and Parks, Department of Economic and Community Development
and Department of Planning and Neighborhood Resources. 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/they
may be assigned so that he/she/they may be able to make proper recommendations
and furnish detailed information to Council when so requested.
[Amended by Ord. No. 67-2023, passed 10-18-2023]
(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; Ord. No. 67-2023, passed 10-18-2023]
Council shall be required to review all City budgets on a semiannual
basis, in July and December of each year, and to include in this review
the budgets for water, sewer, stormwater and/or any other enterprise
funds. 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.
