CHARTER REFERENCES
Town council to adopt rules of procedure, § 405.
Printed herein are the rules of procedure of the town
council, as adopted on December 1, 1980, and amended as follows:
Amended January 3, 1983
Amended December 3, 1984
Amended March 7, 1994
Amended February 3, 1997
Amended January 20, 2005
Amended December 6, 2006
Amended August 20, 2008
Amended January 21, 2011.
Further amendments to the rules are indicated by parenthetical
history notes following amended provisions. The absence of a history
note indicates that the provision remains unchanged from the original
adoption and amendments through January 21, 2011. Obvious misspellings
and punctuation errors have been corrected without notation.
RESOLVED, that the following Rules be and they are hereby adopted
as the Rules of the Town Council of the Town of New Shoreham.
1.
The
First Warden shall be the presiding officer at all meetings of the
Town Council. In the First Warden's temporary absence or disability
the Second Warden shall exercise all the duties and prerogatives of
the First Warden.
2.
The
presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum at all meetings
and shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the
Town Council by any other members. The presiding officer may speak
from his chair on general questions; and may make motions and vote
on all questions.
3.
The
presiding officer shall propound all questions and motions in the
order in which they are moved unless the subsequent motion takes precedence.
He or she shall distinctly put every question.
4.
Quorum
— A majority of the whole number of members of the Town Council
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. At least
24 hours' notice of the holding of an adjourned meeting shall
be given to all members who were not present at the meeting for which
the adjournment was taken.
5.
Voting
— A motion shall be carried by the affirmative vote of a majority
of the whole number of Councilors. When a conflict of interest arises
which prohibits a member from voting on a motion, the motion shall
be carried by the affirmative vote of a majority of those members
of the whole Town Council eligible to vote. The presiding officer
shall declare the passage or defeat of any motion. In the case of
a tie the motion shall be defeated. Votes shall be by voice. The chair
may not vote twice; once as a member, then again in the chair's
capacity as presiding officer — First to make a tie and then
cast the deciding vote.
6.
Any
member may abstain from voting on any matter before the Council and
said abstention shall not be construed as a voted for or against any
motion. Any motion may be withdrawn by the mover at any time before
the taking of a vote thereon, or before an amendment is made to such
motion.
7.
When
a vote has been passed it shall be in order for any member who voted
in the majority to move its reconsideration at any time within 45
days of its initial passage at any special or regular meeting. Any
motion to be reconsidered must be carried by a vote of all of the
members of the Council.
8.
Motions
— Order of precedence of Motion shall be:
a.
Adjourn.
b.
Take
a recess.
c.
Raise
a question of privilege.
d.
Suspension
of the rules.
e.
Lay
on the table.
f.
Previous
question.
g.
Limit
debate.
h.
Postpone
to a certain time.
i.
Commit
or Refer.
j.
Amend.
k.
Postpone
Indefinitely.
l.
Main
Motion.
The lowest in rank being the last of the list and highest in
rank at the beginning of the list. When any motion is pending before
the Town Council, any motion higher on this list than said pending
shall take precedence and be acted upon first, and those following
shall be out of order.
10.
All
items for the agenda of a regular or interim meeting must be in the
Town Council Agenda folder at noon on Wednesday prior to the meeting.
Town Council meeting packets will be ready at noon on Friday prior
to the meeting.
11.
No
items requiring action by the Council may be added to the agenda during
a meeting. Items "for discussion only" may be added to the agenda
during a meeting by a vote of all of the members of the Council present.
13.
All items for the agenda of a work session will
be in the Town Council Agenda folder at noon three working days prior
to the work session.
14.
All
Council Meetings will adjourn at 11:30 p.m. unless the Council votes
unanimously to continue.
15.
There
shall be provided a place for the Clerk of the Council, the Town Manager
and the Town Solicitor at Council meetings. No other person may occupy
the immediate Council meeting area, except by invitation of the Town
Council. The Town Solicitor may at any time ask to be recognized but
shall not presume to speak on any matters before the Council unless
so requested.
16.
Members
of the audience MAY be recognized to speak briefly on any matter on
the agenda that may be before and under discussion by the Council
prior to a vote thereon. Remarks, if any, shall be confined to the
question under consideration and shall avoid personalities. Anything
to the contrary shall be considered out of order.
17.
Anyone
in the audience requesting permission to read a written statement
or letter shall first supply a copy of same to the Clerk for the records.
18.
Public
comment shall be provided for at the beginning of the Council agenda
at regular meetings. A period of time prior to the closing of Regular
Council Meetings may be set aside to entertain questions, comments
and suggestions on any subject from the audience in an orderly manner.
There will be no action taken thereon.
19.
Regular
meetings of the Town Council shall be held on the first Monday and
third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. The date of any meeting
may be changed by majority vote of the Council at the prior Town Council
meeting. A special meeting of the Town Council may be called by the
Town Clerk at the request of the First Warden, or a majority of the
members of the Town Council. The agenda for all meetings shall be
posted at least 48 hours prior to the time of such meeting unless
the Town Council decides that an emergency exists.
All meetings of the Town Council shall be open to the public
except that this provision shall not be deemed to prevent holding
of executive sessions, provided all votes are taken in public or closed
meeting with recorded vote taken in accordance with Chapter 330 § 42-46-5
[G.L. 1956, § 42-46-5] (Closed Meetings) of the R.I. Open
Meetings Law [G.L. 1956, § 42-46-1 et seq.].
Council Order of Business.
20.
Robert's
Rules of Parliamentary Procedure shall prevail in the absence of any
specific rule as set forth herein. The Town Solicitor is designated
as parliamentarian for the purpose of interpreting these rules of
procedure.
21.
These
rules may be amended from time to time by the Town Council at any
regular meeting or any special meeting called for that purpose. A
majority vote of all members elected will be required to amend any
of these rules. Any rule may be temporarily suspended, but in no event
for longer than one meeting, by a majority vote of the Council membership
present.
22.
A
copy of the minutes of all Town Council meetings will be provided
in accordance with the provisions of the Open Meetings Law.
23.
When filling Town Council appointed
Board, Committee and Commission positions or vacancies the Town Council:
A)
In the
case of vacancies occurring before a term is due to expire will notify
the public of such vacancy by public announcement in the Block Island
Times at least one month prior to the appointment, and will announce
such openings at each Town Council meeting prior to an appointment
to the vacancy. In addition there shall be a list of any and all Board,
Committee and Commission vacancies maintained at all regular Town
Council agenda posting places;
B)
In the
case of annual term expirations the Town Council will announce the
availability of all expiring terms by public announcement in the Block
Island Times at least one month prior to the expiring term, by announcement
at Town Council and Interim November meeting and by listing all potential
openings at the regular posting places.
