[1971 Code § 2-2.1]
All legislative power of the Township, except in matters of
health, shall be exercised by the Township Committee pursuant to law.
Legislative power concerning matters of health shall be exercised
by the Board of Health.
[1971 Code § 2-2.2]
The Township Committee shall organize annually during the first
week in January, at which time it shall elect a Mayor from among its
members. The Mayor shall preside at meetings of the Township Committee
and perform such other duties as the Township Committee may prescribe.
In the absence or disability of the Mayor, the Committee shall elect
a temporary presiding officer.
[1971 Code § 2-2.3]
The Mayor shall have the power to appoint subcommittees of the
Township Committee with the consent of the Township Committee. The
Mayor shall sign and execute documents and agreements on behalf of
the Township, and shall have the power to make proclamations concerning
holidays and events of interest to the Township. The Mayor shall exercise
the ceremonial power of the Township and every other power usually
exercised by Township Mayors or conferred by law.
[1971 Code § 2-2.4a]
The Township Committee shall meet annually within the first
week in January. The Committee shall meet regularly thereafter on
the second and fourth Tuesdays in each month at 8:00 p.m., except
that the Committee may, by motion, dispense with or change the date
of a regular meeting. When the time for a regular meeting of the Committee
falls on a legal holiday as prescribed by law, such meeting shall
be held on some other day of the week at the convenience of the Committee
as fixed by motion.
[1971 Code § 2-2.4b]
A Special Meeting may be called at any time upon written request
of a majority of the members of the Township Committee or by the Mayor.
The request and call for 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 Township Clerk and shall be served upon each
Committee Member as hereinafter provided at least 24 hours prior to
the time for which the meeting is called, provided that the Mayor
may determine that an emergency exists affecting the health or safety
of the people, which requires consideration by the Township Committee
within a shorter time, and upon such determination which the Mayor
shall set forth in the call, the call may be filed with the Clerk
at any time prior to the time set for the meeting. Upon the filing
of any call for a Special Meeting, the Clerk shall forthwith give
notice thereof by telephone to each Committee Member, at such place
as he shall have previously designated for that purpose, and shall
also serve or cause to be served a written copy of the call upon each
Committee Member, by delivery of a copy to him personally or by the
leaving of a copy at his usual residence. The Police Department shall
cooperate with the Clerk in effectuating such service of notice. Upon
waiver of notice by all members of the Township Committee, a Special
Meeting may be held without prior notice notwithstanding the above
provisions of this section.
[1971 Code § 2-2.5]
All Regular and Special Meetings of the Township Committee shall be open to the public. The rules of procedure to be followed and rules for the consideration of nominations submitted by the Mayor and for the conduct of other business of the Committee shall be as provided by subsection 2-2.10 of this Code.
[1971 Code § 2-2.6]
The Committee may meet at any time in executive sessions for
the consideration of any Township business or to meet with any officer
or employee of the Township or any other person on Township business.
No persons other than those specifically invited by the Committee
shall be authorized to participate in any such executive session.
[1971 Code § 2-2.7]
A majority of the members of the Township Committee shall constitute
a quorum, and no ordinance shall be adopted by the Township Committee
without the affirmative vote of a majority of the quorum of the Committee
except when required by Statute. If a quorum is not present 1/2 hour
after the appointed time for any meeting, the Presiding Officer or
the Clerk may declare the meeting adjourned.
[1971 Code § 2-23.1c]
An adjourned meeting shall be considered a continuation of the
preceding meeting, and the business of the Township Committee shall
be resumed where it ceased at the time of the last adjournment.
[New]
The vote upon every ordinance, and upon every motion or resolution
when requested, shall be taken by roll call and the yeas and nays
shall be entered on the minutes. The minutes of each meeting shall
be signed by the Township Clerk.
[New]
All ordinances shall be introduced, read, heard and enacted
in the manner provided by general law.
[New]
The ordinance book shall be signed by the Mayor and the Township
Clerk.
[1971 Code § 2-23]
a.
Presiding Officer. The Mayor shall preside at all meetings of the
Township Committee; and if he is absent, a member of the Township
Committee designated by the Township Committee shall act in the Mayor's
stead. The Mayor shall:
1.
Appoint Special Committees of the Township Committee as may be required.
2.
Preside at all meetings of the Township Committee and of the Committee
as a whole.
3.
State the questions and announce the results of all matters upon
which the Township Committee may vote.
4.
Rule on all questions of order subject to appeal to the Township
Committee.
5.
Sign all ordinances adopted in his presence; in his absence the Temporary
Presiding Officer appointed by the Township Committee shall sign ordinances
adopted in the presence of such Temporary Presiding Officer.
6.
Have such other functions, powers and duties as may from time to
time be prescribed by general law, ordinance or resolution.
b.
Township Clerk. The Township Clerk shall serve as Clerk of the Township
Committee. In the absence of the Clerk the Deputy Clerk shall serve
and if unable, the Township Committee shall designate a Clerk Pro
Tempore.
c.
Agenda. An agenda for each regular meeting of the Township Committee
shall be prepared by the Township Clerk in consultation with the Mayor
and Manager where necessary or appropriate.
d.
Call to Order. The Mayor shall call the meeting to order. In the
absence of the Mayor, the Township Clerk shall call the meeting to
order, and those present shall select a Temporary Presiding Officer
who shall preside during the absence of the Mayor. The Mayor shall
assume the chair as soon as he is in attendance at any meeting which
may have been called to order in his absence, and the Temporary Presiding
Officer shall thereupon relinquish the chair.
e.
Quorum Call. At the opening of each meeting of the Township Committee, the Clerk shall call the roll, and the names of those present shall be recorded in the minutes. A quorum shall be constituted as set forth in subsection 2-2.5 of this chapter.
f.
Order of Business. The order of business at each meeting of the Township
Committee shall be as follows:
1.
Roll call.
2.
Call for bids, if any.
3.
Invocation by Township Clerk.
4.
Approval of minutes of previous meeting.
5.
Ordinances, public hearings.
6.
Comments from members of the public.
7.
Introduction of ordinances.
8.
Resolutions.
9.
Correspondence.
10.
Old business.
11.
In the discretion of the chair, further comments from the public
on matters of business pertaining to that meeting only.
12.
Comments of committeemen.
13.
Payment of bills.
14.
Adjournment.
g.
Distribution and Reading of Minutes. So far as practicable, the Township
Clerk shall prepare and distribute to the Township Committee the minutes
of each meeting.
h.
Committees. The rules of the Township Committee shall govern the
meetings of the Committee of the whole so far as applicable. Special
Committees for legislative purposes may be appointed by the Mayor
pursuant to Resolution. No Special Committee shall proceed to the
consideration of any matter referred to it unless a majority of the
members of the Committee are present. No Special Committee shall report
on the matter referred to it at the same meeting at which the reference
was made, except by unanimous consent of the members of the Committee.
i.
Roll Call Vote and Minutes. The vote upon every resolution or ordinance
shall be taken by roll call, and the yeas and nays shall be entered
on the minutes. The minutes of each meeting shall be signed by the
presiding officer and by the Clerk.
j.
Nominations and Appointments by Township Committee. Any member of
the Committee may nominate as many candidates as there are offices
to be filled. The Township Committee will consider such nominations
in committee of the whole which will report to a regular meeting of
the Township Committee. Where there is a single office to be filled,
the consensus of the Township Committee on the appointment shall be
taken as to each nominee in alphabetical order and the first nominee
to receive a majority shall be deemed appointed. Where there is more
than one office to be filled, such as on a board, body, commission
or authority, the same procedure shall be followed with respect to
each office separately until the total number of appointments to be
made has been completed. In the discretion of the chair, a group of
nominations may be considered at once where there is no apparent division
in the Township Committee as to the nominees included in the group.
k.
Rules of Debate.
1.
Question Under Consideration. When a question is presented and seconded,
it is under consideration, and no motion shall be received thereafter,
except to adjourn, to lay on the table, to postpone, or to amend,
until the question is decided. These motions shall have preference
in the order in which they are mentioned and the first two shall be
decided without debate.
2.
Mayor. The Mayor, or such other member of the Township Committee
as may be presiding, may move, second and debate, subject only to
such limitations of debate as are by these rules imposed upon all
members, and shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges
of a committeeman by reason of his being the Presiding Officer.
3.
Obtaining the Floor. Improper references shall be avoided. Every
member desiring to speak for any purpose whatsoever shall address
the Presiding Officer and upon recognition shall confine himself to
the question under debate, in an orderly manner and avoiding indecorous
language.
4.
Interruption. Once recognized a member shall not be interrupted when
speaking unless it is to call him to order or as herein otherwise
provided. If a member is called to order while speaking, he shall
cease speaking until the question of order is determined by the Presiding
Officer; and if in order he shall be permitted to proceed. Any member
may appeal to the Township Committee from the decision of the Presiding
Officer upon a question of order when, without debate, the Presiding
Officer shall submit to the Township Committee the question, "Shall
the decision of the chair be sustained?" and the Township Committee
shall decide by a majority vote.
5.
Privilege of Closing Debate. The member of the Township Committee
moving the adoption of an ordinance or resolution shall have the privilege
of closing the debate.
l.
Addressing the Township Committee. Any person may petition the Presiding
Officer for leave to address the Township Committee, which permission
shall be granted only after a showing to the satisfaction of the Presiding
Officer that the subject matter of the address deserves the time and
attention of the Township Committee.
Each person addressing the Township Committee shall give his
name and address in an audible tone of voice. All remarks shall be
addressed to the Township Committee as a body and not to any member
thereof. No persons other than members of the Township Committee and
the person having the floor shall be permitted to enter any discussion,
either directly or through a member of the Township Committee, without
the permission of the Presiding Officer. No questions shall be asked
of any member of the Township Committee except through the Presiding
Officer.
m.
Decorum.
1.
By Members of Township Committee. While the Township Committee is
in session, the members shall preserve order and decorum, and a member
shall either by conversation nor otherwise, except as herein provided,
delay or interrupt the proceedings, the peace of the Township Committee,
disturb any member while speaking or refuse to obey the orders of
the Township Committee or its Presiding Officer.
2.
By Other Persons. Any person making impertinent or slanderous remarks
or who shall become boisterous while addressing the Township Committee
shall forthwith be barred from further audience before the Township
Committee by the Presiding Officer unless permission to continue or
again address the Township Committee is granted by the majority vote
thereof.
3.
Enforcement. The Chief of Police or such member of the Police Department
as he may designate shall be the sergeant-at-arms at Township Committee
meetings and shall carry out all orders and instructions given by
the Presiding Officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum
at such meetings.
n.
Ordinances, Resolutions, Motions and Contract Documents.
1.
Introduction. Ordinances may be introduced and adopted by title,
except bonding or local improvement ordinances, which shall be read
in full by the Township Clerk or his designee before consideration
by the Township Committee on second and final reading. After introduction
on first reading every ordinance shall be published in full together
with a notice as required by law. Publication shall be at least one
week prior to the time fixed for further consideration for second
and final passage. At the time and place specified for public hearing,
second reading and final passage, as specified in such notice, all
persons interested shall be given an opportunity to be heard thereon.
2.
Prior Approval. Before submission to the Township Committee, all
ordinances, resolutions and contract documents shall be reduced to
writing and shall be approved as to form and legality by the Township
Attorney.
3.
Effective Date. All ordinances shall take effect immediately upon
final passage and publication as required by law, or except as may
otherwise be provided by law.
4.
Recordation by Township Clerk. Action taken on all ordinances and
contract documents shall be recorded in detail by the Township Clerk,
and the full text of all motions and resolutions shall be set out
in the minutes. Any report made in connection with any of the foregoing
shall be filed with the Township Clerk and reference thereto entered
in the minutes.
o.
Adjournment. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order and shall
be decided without debate.
p.
Roberts Rules. In all cases not otherwise provided by this section,
Roberts Rules of Procedure shall apply.