[Code 1993, § 2.01; amended 9-22-2014 by Ord. No. 13-2014; 7-13-2015 by Charter Ord. No. 04-2015]
The Village Board shall consist of six Trustees and the Village President, who shall be, by virtue of the office, a Trustee. Three trustees shall be elected at each annual spring election for a term of two years, commencing on the third Tuesday of April in the year of their election. Effective with the Village's Spring 2016 Primary Election and the 2016 Regular Spring Election, Village Trustees shall be nominated and elected for non-partisan primaries and elections at large by numbered seats. Prior to the nomination period for the 2016 election, the Village Board shall assign seats numbered two, four, and six to the offices up for election in 2016 and seats numbered one, three, and five to the offices up for election in 2017. The Village Board shall determine the manner in which the three even-numbered seats and the three odd-numbered seats are assigned to particular Trustees. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no person shall be eligible to be nominated, elected or to serve in more than one of the numbered seats for the office of Trustee of the Village of Mount Pleasant at the same time. The Village President shall be elected in odd-numbered years to a term of two years.
[Code 1993, § 1.10]
The Village Board shall have all powers of the Village not specifically given to some other body or officer. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Village Board has power over property, finances, highways, streets, utilities and the public service and may act for the government and good order of the Village, for its commercial benefit and for the health, safety, welfare and convenience of the public, and may carry its powers into effect by license, regulations, suppression, borrowing, taxation, special assessment, appropriation, imposition of forfeitures and other necessary or convenient means. The Village Board may appoint such officials from time to time as may be deemed necessary for the benefit of the community. In addition, the Village Board shall have the powers enumerated in Wis. Stats. § 61.34. The powers hereby conferred shall be in addition to all other grants and shall be limited only by express language.
[Code 1993, § 2.02; Ord. No. 7-2003, 7-28-2003; Ord. No. 8-2008, 7-14-2008; amended 11-11-2013 by Ord. No. 05-2013; 9-22-2014 by Ord. No. 13-2014; 3-13-2017 by Ord. No. 03-2017]
(a) 
Regular meetings. Regular meetings of the Village Board shall be held on the second and fourth Mondays of each calendar month, immediately following the adjournment of a Committee of the Whole meeting, but no earlier than 6:00 p.m. or such other time as may be established by the Village Board providing appropriate notice is given in advance of the meeting. Any regular meeting falling on a legal holiday shall be held on such date as designated by the Village Board at the same hour and place. Unless otherwise specified, all meetings of the Board, including special and adjourned meetings, shall be held in the Village Hall. The following protocol is adopted for the conduct of Village Board meetings:
[Amended 5-24-2021 by Ord. No. 16-2021]
(1) 
These rules shall remain in effect until repealed or amended by the Village Board and may be amended from time to time by the Village Board in accordance with § 2-48.
(2) 
Whenever a majority vote is required hereinafter, the same shall mean a majority vote of the Village Board present at a meeting of the Village Board.
(3) 
The Village Administrator, in consultation with the Village President, shall administratively prepare the written agenda for meetings of the Village Board.
(4) 
Any member of the Village Board may request an item to be placed on the agenda by contacting the Village President. Any two members of the Village Board may compel an item to be placed on the agenda.
(5) 
Oral communications by the public to the Village Board at the meeting of the Board are encouraged, and shall be permitted only in the following manner:
a. 
Public Comment Agenda Item.
1. 
Under the agenda item "Public Comment," speakers recognized by the President or presiding officer may address any item. Speakers addressing the Village Board shall try to limit their remarks to three minutes. It shall be the prerogative of the President or presiding officer to allow additional time if circumstances warrant. Speakers shall state their name and address before addressing the Village Board.
2. 
The overall length of the Public Comment agenda item shall not exceed 30 minutes per meeting.
3. 
Comments shall be directed to topics subject to Board action and relating to the Village.
4. 
All comments allowed are for the purpose of granting citizens the opportunity to be heard, to express their views and to inform the Village Board. In no case shall the same be in the nature of engaging others in public debate.
5. 
Decorum shall be maintained by using mutually respectful language, behavior and non-abusive criticism. Foul language is not permitted.
6. 
Comments shall not deal in personalities or personal attacks on others, but focus on issues of broad concern to the Village.
7. 
All remarks shall be addressed to the body through the President or presiding officer; at the discretion of the President or presiding officer, individual Village Board members may question a speaker during the Public Comment section. The Village Board shall take no action and make no decision on any item presented during the "Public Comment" section. Instead, the Village Board may direct appropriate staff to gather additional information on the item, or may schedule the matter for Board discussion at a later date.
b. 
Discussions Relating to Specific Agenda Items. After the Village Board's discussion of any agenda item, the President or presiding officer, at his or her discretion, may recognize any speaker having pertinent information relating to the agenda item and allow the speaker to address the Village Board. Speakers shall state their name and address before addressing the Village Board. Speakers shall try to limit their remarks to three minutes. It shall also be the prerogative of the President or presiding officer to allow additional time if circumstances warrant, and to permit individual Village Board members to question the speaker regarding the particular agenda item being discussed.
(6) 
All meetings of the Village Board shall be transacted as far as practical in the following order subject to the rules of the Village Board:
a. 
Roll Call;
b. 
Pledge of Allegiance;
c. 
Community Project Updates;
d. 
Public Comment and Input;
e. 
Consent Agenda;
f. 
New Business;
g. 
Administrator/Staff Reports;
h. 
Trustees' and President's Reports;
i. 
Executive/Closed Session (if necessary);
j. 
Adjournment. The Village Board may adjourn from time to time to a specific date and hour, upon a majority vote of the members present, but not less than three affirmative votes.
k. 
The Village Board may, by motion, second and majority vote waive any of the above.
(7) 
No new item shall be considered by the Village Board after 10:00 p.m., unless a majority of the Village Board votes to consider said item.
(b) 
Open meetings; public notice. All meetings of the Village Board, committees, boards, and commissions shall be open to the public and preceded by public notice as provided in Wis. Stats. § 19.84.
(c) 
Closed meetings. Whenever the Village Board or any other commission or entity subject to the open meeting laws of the state shall lawfully declare the necessity of holding a closed meeting pursuant to Wis. Stats. § 19.85, each member and all others present at such meeting shall keep confidential and not reveal the substance of the meeting until such time that the matter has been reported out by the Village Board or other commission or entity acting in open session. For the purposes of this subsection, the term "confidential" means the release of any information to unauthorized third persons concerning the subject matter of the meeting.
[Code 1993, § 2.03]
(a) 
Designated. At the stated hour, the president shall call the meeting to order. If the president is absent at the designated time of any meeting, the senior trustee present, based on the date of original election, shall serve as acting president for that meeting.
(b) 
Duties. The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum, decide all questions of order and conduct the proceedings of the meeting.
(c) 
Appeals of decisions. Any member may appeal from a decision of the presiding officer. An appeal shall be sustained by a two-thirds vote of the members, excluding the presiding officer.
[Code 1993, § 2.04]
A majority of the members of the Village Board shall constitute a quorum.
[Code 1993, § 2.05; amended 1-24-2011 by Ord. No. 02-2011; 9-22-2014 by Ord. No. 13-2014]
(a) 
Deliberations of the Village Board shall be conducted in the following manner:
(1) 
Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all Village Board meetings as far as such rules are not inconsistent with other rules of the Village or statute.
(2) 
An agenda for each meeting shall be prepared not less than 72 hours before such regular meeting of the Village Board, and notice of the meeting and the agenda shall be given to the public in accordance with law. The agenda shall provide for a time during the Village Board meeting when the public may be heard concerning any matter which is relevant to the conduct of Village business.
(3) 
Trustees shall not address the Village Board until they have been recognized by the President or presiding officer. Trustees shall then address the President or presiding officer and confine their remarks to the question under discussion.
(4) 
When two or more members simultaneously seek recognition, the President or presiding officer shall name the member who is to speak first.
(5) 
No motion shall be discussed or acted upon until it has been seconded, unless the rules permit one Trustee to initiate action. No motion shall be withdrawn without the consent of the person making the motion and the person seconding it.
(6) 
When a question is under discussion, no action shall be in order, except the following motions, which shall have precedence in the order listed:
a. 
To adjourn;
b. 
To lay on the table;
c. 
To move the previous question;
d. 
To postpone to a certain day;
e. 
To refer to a committee;
f. 
To amend; or
g. 
To postpone indefinitely.
(7) 
Any Trustee may demand a roll call vote on any matter, and such vote shall be entered in the proceedings. A majority vote of all members of the Village Board in favor of any proposed ordinance, resolution or appointment shall be necessary for passage or approval, unless a larger number is required by law. A majority vote of the members present shall prevail in other cases.
(8) 
No Trustee shall withdraw from any Village Board meeting before adjournment without permission of the presiding officer.
(9) 
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.
[Code 1993, § 2.06]
Any member voting with the majority may move for a reconsideration of the vote on any question at that meeting or the immediately succeeding meeting. A motion to reconsider being put and lost shall not be renewed.
[Code 1993, § 2.08]
The rules set forth in this article shall not be rescinded or amended unless the proposed amendment or motion to rescind has laid over from a regular meeting, and then it shall require a vote of two-thirds of all the members of the Village Board.
[Code 1993, § 2.09]
The rules set forth in this article, or any part thereof, may be temporarily suspended in connection with any matter under consideration by a recorded vote of two-thirds of the members present.