[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Rome as
Secs. 2.01(1) and (2); 2.03 of the prior Code. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
The Town of Rome is a body corporate and politic, with those
powers granted by law. The Town shall be designated in all actions
and proceedings by its name, the Town of Rome.
The Town Meeting having, by resolution, directed the Town Board
to exercise all powers relating to villages and conferred on village
boards by Chapter 61, Wis. Stats., the Town shall have said powers
through its Board. This is a continuing grant of powers.
[Amended 10-4-2018 by Ord. No. 18-12]
Regular meetings of the Town Board shall be as scheduled and
noticed by the Town Board. All meetings of the Town Board shall be
held at the Municipal Building of the Town of Rome unless specified
otherwise in the minutes of the preceding meeting or by written notice
posted at the regular meeting place at least three hours prior to
any meeting. Pursuant to § 60.24(1)(a), Wis. Stats., the
presiding officer at meetings of the Town Board is the Town Chairperson.
If the Town Chairperson is not present at the time for the call to
order, the senior member of the Town Board present, based on date
of original election as a member of the Town Board, shall call the
meeting of the Town Board to order, and call the initial roll call.
The Town Board shall then, by motion, elect an acting Town Chair for
the meeting.
A.
At all meetings, the following order may be observed in conducting
the business of the Town Board:
(1)
Call to order by presiding officer;
(2)
Roll call;
(3)
Reading and correcting the financial report and the minutes of the
last preceding meeting or meetings;
(4)
Presentation of petitions, memorials, remonstrances, and communications;
(5)
Reports from officials of the Town;
(6)
Reports from committees;
(7)
Unfinished business remaining from preceding sessions in the order
in which it was introduced;
(8)
New business; ordinances and resolutions may be introduced and considered;
(9)
Business may be presented by the Chairperson and Supervisors;
(10)
Establish next agenda.
(11)
Adjournment.
B.
Agenda preparation. The Town Administrator shall provide oversight
to the Town Clerk/Treasurer in the preparation of an agenda incorporating
the matters comprising the order of business, with final approval
of the agenda by the Town Chairperson.
C.
No business shall be taken out of order unless by majority consent
of all Supervisors and in the absence of any debate whatsoever. The
Chairperson or presiding officer may impose a time limit on the length
of time citizens may address the Town Board.
D.
As soon as the Town Board meeting is called to order roll call shall
be taken, noting who are present and who are absent, and the same
shall be recorded in the proceedings of the Board. If it shall appear
that there is not a quorum present, the fact shall be entered on the
journal and the Town Board shall adjourn.
A.
Ordinances, including amendments to existing ordinances, shall be adopted pursuant to §§ 60.80 and 66.0103, Wis. Stats., and as provided for in Subsection B herein.
B.
The procedure for adoption of an ordinance or an amendment to an
existing ordinance shall be as follows:
(1)
An ordinance or amendment may be submitted to the Town Clerk/Treasurer
by any Town Board member, the Town Administrator or department head.
(2)
Proposed ordinances or amendments shall either be drafted by the
Town Attorney or submitted to the Town Attorney for review prior to
submission to the Town Clerk/Treasurer. In order to ensure this requirement
is met, the Town Clerk/Treasurer shall forward all submitted ordinances
and amendments to the Town Attorney for review unless the proposed
ordinance or amendment includes verification that the Town Attorney
has already reviewed the same.
(3)
Upon receipt of the proposed ordinance or amendment, the Town Clerk/Treasurer
shall provide a copy of the same to each Town Board member as well
as the Town Administrator. The Town Clerk/Treasurer shall further
consult with the Town Administrator and Town Chairperson about placement
of the proposal on the agenda for a future Town Board meeting.
(4)
Upon being placed on the agenda, a proposed ordinance or amendment
shall be considered and acted upon according to the standards and
procedures outlined in this section.
C.
Every petition or other writing of any kind, addressed to the Town
Board, Town Administrator, Clerk/Treasurer or other Town officer/employee
for reference to the Town Board, shall be delivered to the Chairperson
as soon as convenient after receipt of same and, in any event, prior
to or at the opening of the next meeting of the Town Board following
the receipt of same.
B.
All aye and nay votes, when taken, shall be recorded in the official
minutes.
C.
The Town Board shall, determine the rules of its procedure, which
shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, which is hereby incorporated
by reference, unless otherwise provided by state statute and except
when otherwise limited or modified by the Town Code.
(1)
No person other than a member shall address the Town Board except
under public comment time, if any. Provided, however, citizens may
address the Town Board with the permission of the presiding officer
as to matters, which are being considered by the Board at the time.
(2)
No motion shall be discussed or acted upon unless and until it has
been seconded. No motion shall be withdrawn or amended without the
consent of the person making the same and the person seconding it.
A.
The Chairperson shall call on those persons who wish to speak for
the proposition. Each person wishing to speak for the proposition
shall give his or her name and address.
B.
Each person speaking on behalf of the proposition shall be limited
in time to five minutes.
C.
The Chairperson shall then call on those persons who wish to oppose
the proposition. Each person wishing to speak in opposition to the
proposition shall give his or her name and address.
D.
Each such person wishing to speak in opposition to the proposition
shall be limited to five minutes.
E.
Any person wishing to speak in rebuttal to any statements made may
do so, with the permission of the Chairperson, provided such rebuttal
statement shall be limited to three individuals and not more than
three minutes per person.
F.
When the Chairperson, in his or her discretion, is satisfied that
the proposition has been heard, he or she shall entertain a motion
from the Town Board to close the public hearing.
A.
An ordinance or amendment shall take effect as follows:
(1)
If the ordinance or amendment does not impose forfeiture, it may
either be posted in three public places or published pursuant to § 60.80(1),
Wis. Stats. After posting, the Town Clerk/Treasurer shall complete and file an
affidavit of posting as required in § 60.80(4), Wis. Stats.
(2)
If the ordinance or amendment imposes forfeiture, it shall be published
as a Class 1 notice pursuant to § 60.80(1) and (2), Wis.
Stats. In lieu of publication of the ordinance or amendment in its
entirety, a summary may be published pursuant to § 60.80(1)
and (5), Wis. Stats.
(3)
Unless a later date is set forth therein, the ordinance or amendment
shall take effect the day after it is posted or published. An ordinance
or amendment, after publication or posting, shall be inserted into
the Town Codes.
B.
All resolutions shall be posted and shall take effect the day after
posting unless a different date is stated in the resolution. The Town
Clerk/Treasurer shall sign an affidavit attesting that the item was
posted as required by this section and stating the date and place
of posting. The affidavit shall be filed with other records under
the jurisdiction of the Town Clerk/Treasurer.
[Amended 10-4-2018 by Ord. No. 18-13; 5-16-2019 by Ord. No. 19-07; 4-16-2020 by Ord. No. 20-05; 8-20-2020 by Ord. No. 20-15]
Contacting the Town Attorney shall be limited to the following
authorized persons: the Town Clerk/Treasurer, Town Administrator,
Town Chairperson, Police Chief, Fire Chief, Director of Public Works,
Water Utility Director, Town Assessor, Building Inspector, Zoning
Administrator, President of the Lester Public Library Board of Trustees
and the Chairperson of the Police and Fire Commission.
A.
Consistent with the spirit and intent of Wisconsin's open meetings
law (§ 19.85, Wis. Stats.), each member of the Town Board
and the members of all other Town bodies (hereinafter, "member"),
including, without limitation, the Plan Commission, Board of Appeals,
Police and Fire Commission, Library Board and Community Development
Authority, shall refrain from engaging in communication, regardless
of form, that would involve, directly or indirectly, a quorum of the
membership of such body.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms, phrases,
words, and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein.
If not defined herein, the word, term or phrase shall have the definition
commonly accepted including a relevant definition contained in the
Wisconsin Statutes. When not inconsistent with the context, the words
used in the present tense include the future, words in the plural
number include the singular number and words in the singular number
include the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and
not merely directory:
Includes a corporation, firm partnership, association, organization
and any other group acting as a unit as well as individuals, including
a personal representative, receiver or other representative appointed
according to law. Whenever the term "person" is used in any section
of this chapter prescribing a penalty or fine, as to partnerships
or associations, the work shall include the partners or members thereof,
and as to corporations, shall include the officers, agents or members
thereof who are responsible for any violation of such section.
The Town of Rome, Adams County, Wisconsin, or any duly appointed
designate thereof, including, but not limited to, the Town Board and
Town committees.
The present governing body of the Town or any successors
to the legislative power of said body, or any duly appointed designate
thereof.
