[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:
(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.
