[1]
State Law References: Composition, term and vacancies, § 78.460,
RSMo.; organization of City Council, § 78.560, RSMo.
[CC 1990 § 2-41; Ord. No. 13 § 1, 6-1-1988; Ord. No. 199 § 2, 10-17-1988; Ord. No. 350 § 2, 9-18-1989]
The compensation of members of the City Council shall be the
sum of six thousand dollars ($6,000.00) per year payable in equal
monthly payments. The first payment being on May first of each year
with the following payments being made in arrears for the preceding
month. Should a member assume office during any month, such member
shall be paid at the same rate per month on a pro rata basis of two
hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per regular meeting attended, with
a maximum compensation for two (2) regular meetings per month. Should
any member resign or be removed from office during any month, such
member shall be paid at the same rate per month on a pro rata basis.
[CC 1990 § 2-42; Ord. No. 12 § 1, 6-1-1988]
The City Council, consisting of eight (8) members, shall be
elected to office for two-year terms as provided by State Statute.
The Council shall be the legislative branch of the City Government
and shall perform such duties and have such powers as may be delegated
to it by State Statute.
[CC 1990 § 2-43; Ord. No. 12 § 2, 6-1-1988]
The Council shall by ordinance divide the City into four (4)
wards and two (2) Council members shall be elected from each ward.
At the first election, the candidate receiving the highest number
of votes in each ward shall hold his/her office for two (2) years
and the candidate receiving the next highest number of votes shall
hold his/her office for one (1) year, but thereafter each ward shall
elect annually one (1) Council member, who shall hold his/her office
for two (2) years.
[CC 1990 § 2-44; Ord. No. 12 § 3, 6-1-1988]
No person shall be Council member unless he/she is at least
twenty-one (21) years of age prior to taking office, a citizen of
the United States and a resident of Chesterfield for one (1) year
preceding his/her election and a resident of the ward from which he/she
is elected, six (6) months preceding his/her election. Whenever there
is a tie in the election of a Council member, the matter shall be
determined by the Council.
[1]
State Law Reference: Similar provisions, § 77.060,
RSMo.
[CC 1990 § 2-45; Ord. No. 12 § 4, 6-1-1988]
The members of the City Council shall take the oath of office
prescribed by Statute and shall receive as compensation the sum established
by ordinance.
[CC 1990 § 2-46; Ord. No. 12 § 5, 6-1-1988; Ord. No. 3030, 1-23-2019]
At the first regular meeting of the Council after the election
in each year, which meeting shall occur at the time fixed by ordinance,
but shall not be later than the fourth Tuesday in April, the Council
shall elect one of its members President Pro Tem who shall hold his/her
office for the term of one (1) year, and who, in the absence of the
Mayor, shall preside at the meetings of the Council; provided that
in the absence of the Mayor and the President Pro Tem, the Council
may select one of its members present to preside at such meetings,
who shall be styled "Acting President Pro Tem."
[CC 1990 § 2-47; Ord. No. 12 § 6, 6-1-1988; Ord. No. 528 § 1, 12-3-1990; Ord. No. 2965, 7-17-2017]
Regular meetings of the Chesterfield City Council shall be on
the first and third Mondays of each month beginning at 7:00 P.M. The
meeting place of the City Council shall be at the City Hall unless
otherwise ordered by the City Council. The City Council may cancel
or reschedule meetings if City Council determines it to be in the
best interests of the general public. Notice for all meetings shall
be provided in accordance with Chapter 610, RSMo.
[CC 1990 § 2-48; Ord. No. 12 § 7, 6-1-1988]
Special meetings may be called by the Mayor or by any four (4)
members of the Council upon at least twenty-four (24) hours prior
to written notice to all members and the Mayor in accordance with
the provisions of the State Sunshine Act as may be amended from time
to time.
[CC 1990 § 2-49; Ord. No. 12, § 8, 6-1-1988; Ord. No. 601, § 1, 8-19-1991; Ord.
No. 1437, § 1, 8-17-1998; Ord. No. 3029, 1-23-2019]
The order of business shall be as follows:
(1)
Call to order.
(2)
Pledge of Allegiance.
(3)
Moment of silent prayer.
(4)
Roll call.
(5)
Approval of minutes.
(6)
Introductory remarks of Mayor (items not requiring action by City
Council).
(7)
Communications and petitions.
(8)
Appointments.
(9)
Standing Committee of Council reports and associated legislation.
(10)
Report of City Administrator and other items requiring action
by City Council.
(11)
Other legislation.
(12)
Unfinished business.
(13)
New business.
(14)
Adjournment.
[CC 1990 § 2-50; Ord. No. 12 § 9, 6-1-1988; Ord. No. 3265, 11-6-2023]
A.
The following rules of procedure shall govern the conduct of regular
meetings of the City Council, although these rules, other than those
prescribed by Statute, may be suspended at any time by the consent
of a majority of the Council present at any meeting.
1.
The Mayor shall decide all questions of order.
2.
A member of Council discussing a question shall address the
Mayor and no member of Council has the floor until recognized by the
Mayor.
3.
A roll call vote of "yeas" and "nays" shall be taken and recorded
on the journal of proceedings for all ordinances or propositions which
create any liability against or obligation on the part of the City
or for the expenditure or appropriation of its money and in all other
instances where request therefor is made by any member of Council.
4.
No vote or action of the City Council shall be rescinded at
any special meeting unless there be present at such meeting as many
members of the Council as were present when such vote or action was
taken.
5.
All meetings of the Council shall be open to the public, except
as to portions of such meetings from which the Council may, by majority
vote of the members present and voting, exclude the public as permitted
under the Sunshine Act as amended.
6.
Any person in attendance at an executive session is honor-bound
not to violate the confidentiality of the discussion taking place
during the session, except as to any portions thereof which may clearly
transgress the Sunshine Act. Violation of this Subsection may be cause
for removal pursuant to Section 77.340, RSMo.
7.
The City Administrator shall set the agenda for each regular
meeting and each special meeting and shall make the same known to
the Council and to the press as far in advance of such meeting as
may be practicable, at least twenty-four (24) hours, exclusive of
weekends and holidays, in advance of such meeting.
8.
The general public shall be afforded an opportunity to address
the Council during the portion of the order of business set aside
for communications and petitions. Any person desiring to address the
Council shall be required to identify himself/herself, stating his/her
home address or place of business and to address his/her remarks to
the Mayor. Council members desiring further information or comment
from the speaker or from any other person in the audience should request
the same through the Mayor. Protracted, repetitive, irrelevant or
abusive remarks from the public may be closed off at any time by direction
of the Mayor.
9.
A member of the City Council may make a subsidiary motion to postpone
for consideration by which action on a pending question or item can
be put off, within the current term of the Council, without selecting
a definite session, day, meeting, hour, or event to postpone consideration
until. This motion can be moved regardless of how much debate there
has been on the motion or item it proposes to postpone for consideration.
A question or item may be postponed either so that it may be considered
at a more convenient time, or because debate has shown reasons for
holding off a decision until a later, undetermined meeting of the
City Council. This motion should not be confused with a motion to
postpone to a certain time or a motion to postpone indefinitely as
set forth in Section 14 and Section 11 of Robert's Rules of Order,
respectively.
a.
The motion to postpone for consideration, enables the City Council
to lay the pending question aside for an indefinite amount of time,
not to exceed the current term of the City Council, in such a way
that:
[CC 1990 § 2-51; Ord. No. 12 § 10, 6-1-1988]
The rules contained in the current edition of "Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised" shall be the parliamentary authority and shall govern the conduct of all meetings of the Council in all cases where they are not inconsistent with Statute or with the rules of procedure (Section 110.380) herein or hereafter adopted.
[CC 1990 § 2-52; Ord. No. 12 § 11, 6-1-1988]
It shall be unlawful for any person to disturb any meeting of
the City Council or of any committee thereof. Violation of the provisions
of this Section shall be an ordinance violation, punishable by a fine
of not less than five dollars ($5.00) and not more than five hundred
dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment for a period not to exceed three
(3) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
If a vacancy occurs in any elective office other than the office
of Mayor, a successor to the vacant office shall be selected by appointment
by the Mayor with the advice and consent of a majority of the remaining
members of the Council. The Council may adopt procedures to fill vacancies
consistent with this Section. The successor shall serve until the
next available regular municipal April election. If a vacancy occurs
in any office not elective, the Mayor shall appoint a suitable person
to discharge the duties of the same until the first regular meeting
of the Council thereafter, at which time the vacancy shall be permanently
filled.
[CC 1990 § 2-54; Ord. No. 12 § 13, 6-1-1988; Ord. No. 467 §§ 1 — 2, 7-16-1990; Ord. No. 664 § 1, 3-16-1992; Ord. No. 2859, 8-3-2015; Ord. No.
2899, 7-18-2016]
B.
Membership; Appointment.
1.
Composition. Each committee shall be compromised of four (4)
Council members. One (1) Council member from each of the City's four
(4) wards will serve on each committee, with no two (2) Council members
from the same ward serving on the same committee.
2.
Appointment. After the first City Council meeting immediately
following the regular municipal election held in April of every year,
the newly elected President Pro-Tem shall appoint members of the Council
to committees and designate Committee Chairpersons for each Standing
Committee, subject to the approval of the City Council by formal vote
taken not later than the first City Council meeting in May of every
year.
3.
Ex Officio Members. The Mayor and City Administrator shall both
serve as non-voting ex officio members of each committee.
4.
Chairperson. One (1) Council member from each ward shall serve
as a Chairperson of a committee, and no person shall serve as Chairperson
of more than one (1) committee.
5.
Vacancy. Should there be a vacancy on the Council, the other
Council member of the affected ward shall be deemed a full voting
member of the committees upon which his/her ward-mate served until
said vacancy has been filled. If the Council member previously occupying
the currently vacant position served as Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson,
at the time of the vacancy, shall assume the position of Chairperson.
6.
Proxy Voting. In the event that a Council member is unable to
attend a committee meeting, that Council member may request that his/her
ward-mate be allowed to vote at the committee meeting. Such request
would be directed to the Committee Chairperson and must be in writing.
C.
Functions.
1.
Recommendations. Making recommendations to the Council or to
the City Administrator, or both, concerning any of the matters within
its purview, when requested and also at other times when it appears
that the best interest of the City and its residents will be served
thereby;
2.
Formulating And Evaluating Plans. Formulating, with the assistance
of the staff, long-range plans and evaluation and revision (if necessary)
of such plans as adopted;
3.
Legislation. Reviewing and recommending legislation concerning
any of the matters within its purview;
4.
Quorum And Presiding Officer. At least three (3) Council members
must be present in order to hold a committee meeting. The Chairperson
shall preside over the committee meeting. In the absence of the Chairperson,
the Vice Chairperson shall preside;
5.
Recommendations To Council. Other than items discussed and/or
acted upon by the Planning and Public Works Committee, in order for
an item to pass out of committee to the Council, said item shall require
at least two (2) affirmative votes. Three (3) affirmative votes are
required for an item to be passed to the Council with a favorable
recommendation from the committee;
6.
Closed Meetings. Closed meetings cannot be held at any meeting
of the Standing Committees.
The votes shall be entered on any question at the desire of
any two (2) members.
[1]
State Law Reference: Proceedings of City Council and keeping
of records, § 77.090, RSMo.
