[G.O. No. 994, § 1; G.O. No. 1069, § 1;
G.O. No. 1076, § 1.1; G.O. No. 1700, § 1]
(a) Regular meetings. The Town Council shall meet annually for organization
within the first seven days of January, the date to be established
by resolution of the Town Council during the preceding month. The
Council shall meet regularly thereafter on two Tuesdays of each month
at 8:00 p.m., which days shall be scheduled by resolution. When the
time for any regular meeting of the Council falls on a legal or major
religious holiday, such a meeting shall be held at the same hour on
the day preceding and succeeding such holiday which is not a major
or religious holiday.
(b) Special meetings. The Mayor may at any time and shall upon written
request of any four councilmen, call a special meeting. The request
and call for such a special meeting shall specify the purpose of the
meeting and no business shall be transacted at any special meeting
other than that specified. The call for a special meeting shall be
filed with the Town Clerk and served upon each councilman as hereinafter
provided at least 24 hours prior to the time for which the meeting
is called. The Mayor may determine whether an emergency exists affecting
the health or safety of the people which requires consideration by
the Council within a shorter period of time, and upon such determination
by the Mayor, the call may be filed with the Town Clerk at any time
not less than three hours prior to the time set for the meeting. Upon
the filing of any call for a special meeting, the Town Clerk shall
immediately give notice by telephone or telegraph to each councilman
at such place as each shall have previously designated for that purpose
and shall also serve or cause to be served, a written copy of the
call upon each councilman by delivery of a copy to him personally
or by leaving a copy at his usual place of abode. Upon written waiver
of notice executed by all the members of the Council, a special meeting
may be held without prior notice notwithstanding the above provisions
of this section.
(c) Meetings open to the public. All regular and special meetings of
the Council shall be open to the general public.
(d) Informal conference. The Council may meet at any time at informal
conference for consideration of any Town business and may meet with
any officer or employee of the Town or any other person on Town business.
No person other than those specifically invited by the Council to
attend shall be authorized to be present at any such conference.
[G.O. No. 994, § 1; G.O. No. 1269, § 1;
G.O. No. 1544, § I; G.O. No. 1828, § I]
(a) Standing committees. The standing committees of the Council shall
each consist of four Council members, and shall have a chairperson
and vice chairperson, who shall be appointed by the Mayor annually
at the organization meeting. The committees shall be as follows:
Finance policy committee
Public safety, transportation and parking committee
Code review and Town property committee
Public works committee
(b) Duties and responsibilities of standing committees.
(1) Finance policy committee: Provide oversight for all financial policies
of the Town of Westfield. Responsibilities also include recommendations
concerning all budgetary matters and personnel matters.
(2) Public safety, transportation and parking committee: Provide oversight
for all public safety, transportation, parking and traffic issues
in the Town of Westfield.
(3) Code review and Town property committee: Provide oversight for all
legislative matters including but not limited to amendments to the
Town Code, Land Use Ordinance, and advice regarding contracts, agreements,
and sales and transfers of property owned by the Town.
(4) Public works committee: Provide oversight for all public works matters
including but not limited to engineering services, construction and
maintenance issues, and waste disposal issues.
(c) Ad hoc committees. The Mayor may appoint additional Council committees
from time to time.
[G.O. No. 994, § 1]
The business of the Council at regular meetings and so far as
applicable at special meetings shall be considered and disposed of
in the following order:
1.
|
Quorum — roll call.
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2.
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Invocation.
|
3.
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Salute to the flag.
|
4.
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Approval of minutes of previous meeting.
|
5.
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Advertised hearings.
|
|
(a)
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Ordinances.
|
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(b)
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Resolutions (when required).
|
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(c)
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Recording of results of advertised bids.
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6.
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General information to citizens.
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7.
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Petitions and communications.
|
8.
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Open discussion by citizens.
|
9.
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Approval of bills and claims.
|
10.
|
Pending business.
|
|
(a)
|
Adoption of ordinances.
|
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(b)
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Adoption of resolutions (when required).
|
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(c)
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Award of bids.
|
11.
|
Other unfinished business.
|
12.
|
New business. Reports, resolutions and introduction of proposed
ordinances.
|
13.
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Miscellaneous.
|
14.
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Adjournment.
|
[G.O. No. 994, § 1]
An agenda for each public meeting of the Council shall be prepared
by the Town Clerk not later than 4:00 p.m. on the Friday preceding
each meeting of the Council. Such agenda shall consist of the matters
to come before the Council. The agenda is for the information of the
Council and is not necessarily to be complete or in full detail. The
Council may, at its discretion, add or delete any item to or from
the agenda. The Town Clerk shall organize the agenda according to
the same classification and order as prescribed above for the Council's
order of business. The Clerk shall cause a copy of the agenda for
each meeting to be delivered to the Mayor, each councilman, Town Administrator
and to each department head, not less than 24 hours prior to the date
and time of the meeting. He shall also post a copy of the agenda on
the bulletin board of the Municipal Building.
[G.O. No. 994, § 1]
The Mayor shall preside at all meetings of the Town Council
at which he is present. In the absence of the Mayor, the acting Mayor
or in his absence the alternate shall call the Council to order. On
the arrival of the Mayor, the acting Mayor or alternate shall immediately
relinquish the chair upon the conclusion of the business immediately
before the Council.
[G.O. No. 994, § 1]
The majority of all the members of the Council shall constitute
a quorum at any regular or special meeting of the Council, but a lesser
number than a quorum may adjourn a meeting and if no member is present
one-half hour after the appointed time for any meeting, the Town Clerk
shall adjourn the meeting.
[G.O. No. 994, § 1]
The minutes of the previous meeting of the Council may be approved
without reading if the Town Clerk has previously furnished each councilman
with a copy thereof.
[G.O. No. 994, § 1]
The presiding officer shall rule on any point of order, which
ruling shall stand unless overruled by a majority vote of the Council.
(a) The presiding officer may debate and vote. The Mayor or such other
member of the Council as may be presiding, may move, second and debate
from the chair and may vote on any question subject only to such limitations
of debate as are by these rules imposed on all members, and he shall
not be deprived of any rights or privileges of a councilman by reason
of his acting as presiding officer.
(b) Obtaining the floor. Every member desiring to speak shall address
the chair and upon recognition by the presiding officer, shall confine
himself to the question under debate.
(c) Interruptions. A member once recognized, shall not be interrupted
when speaking unless it be to call into order or as otherwise provided.
If a member while speaking, be called into order, he shall cease speaking
until the question of order be determined; and if in order, he shall
be permitted to proceed.
(d) Motions to reconsider. A motion to reconsider any action taken by
the Council may be made only at the meeting at which such action was
taken. It may be made either during the same session or at a recessed
or adjourned session of such meeting. Such motion may be made only
by one of the prevailing side, but may be seconded by any member and
may be made at any time. Such motion shall be acted upon and have
precedence over all other motions and shall be debatable. Nothing
herein shall be construed to prevent any member of the Council from
making or re-making at a subsequent meeting of the Council, any motion
previously made or considered.
[G.O. No. 994, § 1]
The minutes of the public meetings of the Council shall record
the official actions taken by the Council.
[G.O. No. 994, § 1; amended 2-8-2022 by G.O. No. 2022-02]
Taxpayers or residents of the Town, or their legal representatives,
may address the Council during the period of open discussion by citizens
on any matter over which the Council has jurisdiction. Any person
desiring to address the Council shall first seek to be recognized
by the presiding officer, and such person, upon recognition, shall
give his or her name and address. Unless additional time is granted
by the presiding officer, each person shall limit his or her statement
to five minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the presiding officer.
[G.O. No. 994, § 1]
All ordinances may be introduced, read on first and second reading
and final passage by reading the title only. Upon the adoption of
any amendment following the second reading, the adoption of the ordinance
as amended shall take the course prescribed by law.
The vote of the Council upon every ordinance shall be taken by the Clerk by roll call and he shall record in the minutes, the ayes, nays and not voting as the case may be on each question put to a vote. The vote of the Council on resolutions may be taken by voice vote. Any member refraining from voting shall be recorded as voting in the affirmative, except as provided in the conflict of interest provisions set out in Section
2-12.20.
Whenever an ordinance or resolution shall take effect without
the Mayor's signature by reason of his failure to return and file
it with the Clerk within 10 days after receiving, the Clerk shall
append to such ordinance or resolution, a certificate in substantially
the following form:
"I hereby certify that the above (ordinance or resolution) was
adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Westfield on the _____
day of __________, 19_____, and upon his failure to sign it or return
it and file it with the Clerk within 10 days thereof, the said (ordinance
or resolution) took effect in like manner as if the Mayor had signed
it."
[G.O. No. 994, § 1]
Whenever an ordinance or resolution has been vetoed by the Mayor,
and is passed by the Council notwithstanding such veto in the manner
provided by the Charter, the Clerk shall append to such ordinance
or resolution a certificate in substantially the following form:
"I hereby certify that the above (ordinance or resolution) adopted
by the Town Council of the Town of Westfield on the _____ day of __________,
19_____ was vetoed by the Mayor of the Town and was passed over said
veto on the _____ day of __________, 19_____,
(Dated: __________)"