[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Oswego 1-1-2024.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This resolution also superseded former Ch. A285, Common Council Rules, adopted 1-3-2023 by Res. No. 3-2023.
Upon the appearance of a quorum, the Mayor shall take the chair and call the Council to order.
The Mayor or, in his absence, the President of the Council, shall preserve order and decorum, and all questions of order shall be decided by him. The President of the Council shall not forfeit his vote when serving in the absence of the Mayor. The Mayor shall cast a vote on matters before the Council only in the event of a tie, in which case, it shall be counted toward a majority.
Pursuant to the Code of the City of Oswego, New York, Article III, § C3-01 of the City Charter, the Council, at its January 1 meeting, shall appoint a presiding officer or President, whose duties shall be as follows:
A. 
The Council President shall preside at Council meetings in the absence of the Mayor.
B. 
Present an annual legislative proposal, the parts of which he shall refer to the appropriate committee for review and presentation to the full Council during the ensuing year.
C. 
The Council President shall serve as an ex officio member of all standing committees of the Council and shall chair discussions of the budget by the Common Council.
D. 
Pursuant to the Code of the City of Oswego, New York, Article IV, § C4-02 of the City Charter, the Council President shall become Acting Mayor of the City upon the Mayor's death, resignation, incapacity, or, at the Mayor's request upon his absence from the City.
E. 
The Council President shall see that the Mayor's charge to the Committee provided for in the Code of the City of Oswego, New York, Article IV, § C4-05 of the City Charter is carried out, including the scheduling of regular meetings and the availability of minutes of those meetings.
F. 
The Council President shall receive additional compensation of $5,000 per year.
The Council, at its January 1 meeting, shall elect a Council Vice President, who shall immediately assume the duties of the Council President should the position of the Council President become vacant.
A. 
The Council Vice President shall receive additional compensation of $2,500 per year.
No member shall speak unless recognized by the Chair and then, shall confine his remarks to the question before the Council.
Every member shall vote when a question is stated from the Chair, unless excused by a majority vote of the Council, or by the Chair for a conflict of interest. The roll call vote shall be initiated by the Councilor of the First Ward at the first meeting of the year, by the Councilor of the Second Ward at the second meeting of the year, and continuing sequentially. In the absence of the Councilor whose turn it is to initiate the roll call vote, the Councilor of the next numbered ward shall be first to initiate the vote continuing thereon sequentially.
The following rules and procedures shall govern the presentation of matters for Council action:
A. 
All petitions, reports, resolutions, formal motions and amendments shall be reduced to writing by the members of the Council offering the same.
B. 
Any resolution introduced at any meeting shall, before it is introduced, be submitted to the appropriate Committee concerned therewith. Questions concerning the assignment of resolutions to Committees shall be decided by the President of the Council. Within five weeks of its referral to Committee, every resolution shall be reported back to the Common Council, with the Committee's favorable or unfavorable recommendation.
C. 
The Common Council may waive Rule VII, Subsection B, at any Council Meeting in order to consider matters that require action before the next scheduled committee meeting.
D. 
All resolutions, petitions, reports and formal motions will be filed in the Office of the City Clerk before 12:00 p.m. on the Thursday immediately preceding the Monday Council meeting. In the event of a holiday on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday of the week preceding the Council meeting, all resolutions, etc. will be filed in the Office of the City Clerk before 12:00 p.m. on the Tuesday preceding the Council meeting.
When a question has been once put and decided, it shall be in order for any member who voted with the majority to move for a reconsideration thereof; but no motion for reconsideration of any vote shall be in order after the second regular meeting following such vote. A motion for reconsideration, if lost, shall not be repeated at the same meeting of the Council.
When a question is under debate, no motion shall be heard but to adjourn, to lie it on the table, for the previous question, to postpone indefinitely, to postpone to a day certain or to amend, which several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they are arranged. The motion to adjourn, to lie on the table and relating to the priority of business shall be decided without debate upon the main question.
The order of proceedings shall be as follows:
A. 
Roll call for public hearing(s).
B. 
Public hearing(s).
C. 
Adjournment of public hearing(s).
D. 
Public session (15 minutes): comments from the public (five minutes per person).
E. 
Pledge of allegiance to the flag.
F. 
Roll call for regular meeting.
G. 
General reports (from Mayor, Councilors, department heads, committees, etc.).
H. 
Petitions from public.
I. 
Resolution to adopt local law(s).
J. 
Resolution to authorize public hearing(s) on local law(s) if adopted.
K. 
Motions and reports of same (as distinguished from above).
L. 
Continuation of agenda items.
M. 
Unfinished business.
N. 
Adjournment.
Note: Executive sessions will be called if necessary.
No standing rule or order of the Council shall be rescinded, changed or suspended, except by a vote of a majority of all the members of the Council.
All questions of procedure shall be determined by the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order being governed by any and all applicable New York State statutes and/or laws.
The Mayor shall be authorized to call special meetings of the Common Council when it is necessary for the Council to consider matters that require action before the Council's next regular meeting or when requested to do so by the President of the Council. Notice of the date, time, place and purpose of the meeting shall be provided to all Councilors at least one day prior to such meeting. Only matters listed on the agenda for the special meeting can be acted upon at such meeting. The requirement for a public session prior to a special meeting of the Common Council shall be waived. However, the Common Council may conduct a public session at a special meeting upon an affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Common Council.
There shall be a fifteen-minute public session prior to each Common Council meeting, which shall commence at 7:15 p.m. Members of the public who wish to speak at the public session shall be required to list their name and address on a sign up sheet prior to the commencement of the public session. Each member of the public shall be allotted a five-minute time period to speak to the Mayor and the Common Council. During the public session, no person shall be permitted to use profanity, to engage in name calling, or to personally attack any City officer or employee or any other member of the public.