City of Columbia, IL Chapter 14 City Council

[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Columbia as Ch. 2.02 of the 1997 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 14-1 Membership and terms.

The City Council shall consist of the Mayor and eight Aldermen, and their terms of office shall be for four years, except as otherwise provided by law, and until their successors are elected and have qualified.

§ 14-2 Compensation.

[Amended 1998 by Ord. No. 1664; 3-19-2001 by Ord. No. 1941; 4-15-2002 by Ord. No. 2040; 10-28-2014 by Ord. No. 2695; 10-28-2014 by Ord. No. 2976; 10-28-2014 by Ord. No. 3118; 10-28-2014 by Ord. No. 2805; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

Each of the Alderman elected to office shall, during their four-year term of office, receive an annual salary in an amount set from time to time by ordinance.

§ 14-3 Vacancies.

A vacancy in the office of an Alderman shall be filled for the remainder of the term at the next succeeding general election for Aldermen, except in cases where the law requires that the vacancy shall be filled by a special election. The Mayor, with the advice and consent of the City Council, may appoint a person to serve as Alderman in the vacancy until the next election for Aldermen, and until the person elected has qualified.

§ 14-4 Regular meetings.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

The regularly stated meetings of the City Council shall be held in the City Hall building on the first and third Mondays of each month at 7:00 p.m. during Central Standard Time and at 7:00 p.m. during Central Daylight Savings Time. When the meeting date falls on a legal holiday, the meeting shall be held on the next regular day, at the same hour and place, unless otherwise designated. Adjourned meetings may be held at such times as determined by the Council. Public notice of regular meetings shall be given in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120/1 et seq., as amended.

§ 14-5 Special meetings.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

Special meetings of the City Council may be called by the Mayor or any three Aldermen by giving at least 48 hours' notice thereof, by delivering to their residences written or printed notice of the time of such meeting. Public notice of special meetings shall be given in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120/1 et seq., as amended.

§ 14-6 Committees.

[Amended 9-5-2017 by Ord. No. 3342]

A. The standing committees of the City Council shall be appointed annually at the first regular meeting of the City Council after May 1 of each year, by majority vote of the Aldermen holding office, with the advice and recommendations of the Executive and Rules Committee.

B. There is created the Executive and Rules Committee of the City Council, which shall consist of four members, being the four Aldermen and/or Alderwomen from time to time holding office which have the most seniority in office. The Chairman of the Executive and Rules Committee shall be the Alderman or Alderwoman holding office who has the most seniority in office. It shall be the function of the Executive and Rules Committee to make recommendations to the City Council regarding annual standing committee membership appointments, and the Executive and Rules Committee may propose committee membership slates to the City Council for Council approval.

C. The standing committees of the City Council shall be as follows:

(1) Community and Intergovernmental Relations.

(2) Executive and Rules.

[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

(3) Finance.

(4) Municipal Buildings and Property.

(5) Parks and Recreation.

(6) Personnel.

(7) Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development.

(8) Public Infrastructure, Municipal Services, and Utilities.

(9) Public Safety.

D. There is created the Committee of the Whole, which shall consist of all eight Aldermen. The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole shall be the Alderman or Alderwoman who has the most seniority in office. The Mayor shall be an ex-officio member of this Committee, and the Mayor shall not be entitled to vote on any Committee business except to break a tie. The Committee of the Whole has the power to consider and vote on any City business that is brought before it.

E. The Mayor shall be an ex-officio member of each and every standing committee of the City Council, except the Executive and Rules Committee. As an ex-officio committee member, the Mayor shall not be entitled to vote on any committee business, except that the Mayor shall be required to vote where the vote of the committee members has resulted in a tie.

F. The primary function of the City standing committees is to make policy recommendations to the Mayor and the City Council; and in this regard, to conduct investigations, hold public hearings where required, make detailed studies and communicate with municipal department heads and officers with regard to work assigned to each standing committee by the City Council. Committee members should reach a decision as to their recommended action on work assigned to them by the City Council prior to the Council meeting at which Council action is required. The actual administration of a particular municipal activity or department shall be the responsibility of the administrative official in charge thereof.

G. Committee meetings may be called as needed.

[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

§ 14-7 Special committees.

The Mayor shall appoint such special committees as he/she may deem necessary or as may be directed by the Council.

§ 14-8 Quorum; required votes.

A majority of the Aldermanic members of the City Council or the Mayor and 1/2 of the Aldermanic members of the City Council shall constitute a quorum thereof, but no ordinance or measure for the expenditure of money shall be passed except upon the favorable vote of a majority of such Aldermanic members as specified by statute.

§ 14-9 Order of business; meeting rules and procedures.

A. Order of business. The order of business at meetings of the City Council shall be as follows:

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

(1) Call meeting to order.

(2) Roll call.

(3) Pledge of Allegiance.

(4) Proclamations/Recognition/Presentations.

(5) Business prior to public input.

(6) Public input.

(7) Comments and announcements - Mayor.

(8) Comments and announcements - Aldermen.

(9) Comments and announcements - department directors.

(10) Consent agenda.

(11) Unfinished business.

(12) New business.

(13) Closed session.

(14) Announcements.

(15) Adjournment.

B. Duties of presiding officer.

(1) The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum and may speak to points of order in preference to other members, and shall decide all questions of order, subject to appeal.

(2) In case of any disturbances or disorderly conduct, the presiding officer shall have the power to remove the offender(s) from the chambers, except that Council members may not be expelled for disorderly conduct, except on the concurrence of a two-thirds vote of the Aldermen elected, in accordance with the provisions of Subsection E of this section.

C. Duties of members. Every member, previous to his speaking, making a motion or seconding the same, shall not proceed with his remarks until recognized and named by the Chair. He/She shall confine himself to the question under debate, avoiding personalities and refraining from impugning the motives of any other member's argument or vote.

D. Visitors. No person other than a member of the Council shall address that body, except with the consent of the Mayor or majority of members present.

E. Censure or expulsion of members. Any member acting or appearing in a lewd or disgraceful manner, who uses opprobrious, obscene and insulting language to or against any member of the Council, or who does not obey the order of the Chair, or who otherwise engages in disorderly conduct shall be, on motion, censured by a majority vote of the members present, or expelled by a two-thirds vote of all Aldermen elected.

F. Debate. No member shall speak longer than five minutes at any one time, except by consent of the Council.

G. Call of members to order. A member, when called to order by the Chair, shall thereupon discontinue speaking and take his seat and the order or ruling of the Chair shall be binding and conclusive, subject only to the right to appeal.

H. Appeals from decision of the Chair. Any member may appeal to the Council from a ruling of the Chair, and, if the appeal is seconded, the member making the appeal may briefly state his reason for the same, and the Chair may briefly explain his ruling; but there shall be no debate on the appeal and no other person shall participate in the discussion. The Chair shall then put the question, "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" If a majority of the members present vote "No," the decision of the Chair shall be overruled; otherwise it shall be sustained.

I. Question of personal privilege. The right of a member to address the Council on a question of personal privilege shall be limited to cases in which his integrity, character or motives are assailed, questioned or impugned.

J. Special order of business. Any matter before the City Council may be set down as a special order of business at a time certain, if a majority of the members present vote in the affirmative.

K. Seconding of motions required; written motions. No motion shall be put or debated in the meeting, nor in committee, unless it be seconded. When a motion is seconded, it shall be stated by the presiding officer before debate, and every motion in the Council, except motions of procedure, shall be reduced to writing, if required by a member, and the proposer of the motion shall be entitled to the floor.

L. Withdrawal of motions. After a motion or resolution is stated by the presiding officer, it shall be deemed to be in possession of the Council, but it may be withdrawn at any time before decision, by consent of the Council.

M. Division of questions. If any question under consideration contains several distinct propositions, the Aldermen, by a majority vote of the members present, may divide such question.

N. Record of motions. In all cases where a resolution or motion is entered in the journal, the name of the member moving the same shall be entered also.

O. Taking and entering the votes; explanations of votes not permitted.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

(1) The "ayes" and "noes" upon any question shall be taken and entered in the journal.

(2) When the Clerk has commenced to call the roll of the Council for the taking of a vote by ayes and noes, all debate on the question before the Council shall be deemed concluded, and during the taking of the vote, no member shall be permitted to explain his vote, but shall respond to the calling of his name by the Clerk, by answering "aye" or "no," as the case may be.

P. Announcement and changes of vote.

(1) The result of all votes by ayes and noes shall be announced by the Clerk.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

(2) No vote shall be changed after the tally has been announced by the Clerk.

Q. Precedence of motions. When a question is under debate, the following motions shall be in order and shall have precedence over each other in order, as listed:

(1) To adjourn to a day certain.

(2) To adjourn.

(3) To take a recess.

(4) To lay on the table.

(5) The previous question.

(6) To refer.

(7) To amend.

(8) To defer or postpone to a time certain.

(9) To defer or postpone (without reference to time).

(10) To defer or postpone indefinitely.

Subsections Q(2), (4) and (5) shall be decided without debate.

R. Motions to adjourn.

(1) A motion to adjourn the City Council shall always be in order, except:

(a) When a member is in possession of the floor.

(b) While the ayes and noes are being called.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

(c) When the members are voting.

(d) When adjournment was the last preceding motion.

(e) When it has been decided that the previous question shall be taken.

(2) A motion simply to adjourn shall not be subject to amendment or debate, but a motion to adjourn to a time certain shall be.

(3) The City Council may, at any time, adjourn over one or more regular meetings, on a vote of a majority of all the Aldermen present.

S. Previous question. When the previous question is moved on the main question, and seconded, it shall be put in this form: "Shall the main question now be put?" If such motion is carried, all further amendments and all further motions and debate shall be excluded, and the question shall be put without delay, upon the pending amendment in proper order, and then upon the main question.

T. Motions to lay on the table and to take from the table.

(1) A motion simply to lay the question on the table shall not be debatable, but a motion to lay on the table and publish, or with any other condition, shall be subject to amendment and debate.

(2) A motion to take any motion or other proposition from the table may be proposed at the same meeting at which such motion or proposition was laid upon the table, provided 2/3 of the Aldermen vote therefor.

(3) A motion to lay any particular motion or proposition on the table shall apply to that motion or proposition only. An amendment to the main question or other pending question may be laid on the table and neither the main question nor such other pending question shall be affected thereby.

U. Indefinite postponement; motion to defer or postpone without any reference to time. When consideration of a motion or other proposition is postponed indefinitely, it shall not be again taken up at the same meeting.

(1) A motion to postpone indefinitely shall not open the main question to debate.

(2) A motion to defer or postpone, without any reference to time, shall not be construed as a motion to postpone indefinitely, but shall be considered to be of the same general nature, and to possess the same general attributes so far as applicable under these rules, as a motion to postpone indefinitely or to a time certain.

V. Motion to refer. A motion to refer to a standing committee shall take precedence over a similar motion to refer to a special committee.

W. Motion to amend.

(1) A motion to amend an amendment shall be in order, but one to amend an amendment to an amendment shall not be entertained.

(2) An amendment modifying the intention of a motion shall be in order, but an amendment relating to a different subject shall not be in order.

(3) On an amendment to "Strike Out and Insert," the paragraph to be amended shall first be read as it stands, then the words proposed to be stricken out, then those to be inserted, and finally, the paragraph as it will stand if so amended shall be read.

(4) An amendment to the main question or other pending questions may be referred to a committee, and neither the main question nor such other pending question shall be affected thereby.

X. Filling of blanks. When a blank is to be filled, and different sums or times are proposed, the question shall be taken first on the least sum or the longest time.

Y. Motion to substitute. A substitute for any original proposition under debate or for any pending amendment or such proposition may be entertained notwithstanding that at such time further amendment is admissible; and if accepted by the Aldermen by a vote, shall entirely supersede such original proposition or amendment as the case may be and cut off all amendments appertaining thereto.

Z. Reconsideration.

(1) A vote or question may be reconsidered at any time during the same meeting, or at the first regular meeting held thereafter. A motion for reconsideration, having been once made and decided in the negative, shall not be renewed, nor shall a motion to reconsider be reconsidered.

(2) A motion to reconsider must be made and seconded by members who voted on the prevailing side of the question to be reconsidered, unless otherwise provided by law; provided, however, that where a motion has received a majority vote in the affirmative, but is declared lost solely on the ground that a greater number of affirmative votes is required by statute for the passage or adoption of such motion, then in such case, a motion to reconsider may be made and seconded only by those who voted in the affirmative on such question to be reconsidered.

AA. Adoption of Robert's Rules of Order Revised. The rules of parliamentary practice comprised in the latest published edition of Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall govern the Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the rules of the Council adopted by ordinance.

BB. Temporary suspension of rules; amendment of rules. These rules may be temporarily suspended by a vote of 2/3 of all members entitled by law to be elected and shall not be repealed, altered or amended, unless by concurrence of 2/3 of all the members entitled by law to be elected.

§ 14-10 Ordinances.

[Amended 5-1-2006 by Ord. No. 2462; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

A. Passage by ayes and noes; record. The ayes and noes shall be taken upon the passage of all ordinances, and on all propositions to create any liability against the City, or for the expenditure or appropriation of its money and all other cases at the request of any member and entered on the journal of its proceeding, and the concurrence of a majority of all the members elected in the City Council shall be necessary for the passage of any such ordinance or proposition; provided it shall require 3/4 of the Aldermen to sell any City property.

B. Approval and veto. All ordinances passed by the City Council shall, before they take effect, be deposited in the office of the City Clerk; and if the Mayor approves thereof, he/she shall sign the same, and such as he/she shall not approve, he/she shall return to the City Council with his objections thereto, in writing, at the next regular meeting of the City Council occurring no less than five days after the passage thereof. Such veto may extend to any one or more items or appropriations contained in any ordinance making an appropriation, or to the entire ordinance; and in case the vote only extends to a part of such ordinance, the residue thereof shall take effect and be in force. But in case the Mayor shall fail to return any ordinance with his objections thereto by the time aforesaid, he/she shall be deemed to have approved such ordinance, and the same shall take effect accordingly.

C. Reconsideration; passing over veto. Upon the return of any ordinance by the Mayor, the vote by which the same has passed shall be reconsidered by the City Council; and if after such reconsideration 2/3 of the Aldermen holding office shall agree, by ayes and noes, to pass the same, it shall go into effect, notwithstanding the Mayor may refuse to approve thereof. The vote to pass the same over the Mayor's veto shall be taken by ayes and noes and entered in the journal of minutes.