(a)
The mayor shall be the chief executive officer of the city and shall preside at all meetings of the city council and he shall vote only in case of a tie vote by the city council members. In the absence of the mayor, the mayor pro tem shall preside and in the absence of the mayor and the mayor pro tem, any council member may be appointed by the members of the council present to preside. The presiding officer shall vote only in case of a tie.
(b)
Regular meetings of the city council shall be held on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the city hall. The city council may hold additional special meetings at such times and places as the council shall determine necessary from time-to-time. The mayor, of his own motion or on the application of four (4) council members, may call special meetings at the time by giving reasonable notice to each member of said council.
(c)
The city council shall be the judge of the election and qualification of its own members and may compel the attendance of absent members and may provide for the punishment of absent members or for disorderly conduct of its membership, by resolution of the council.
(d)
The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum and shall perform all of the usual duties of a presiding officer.
(e)
A quorum of the council shall be four (4) members, or three (3) members and the mayor. If, upon calling the council to order, no quorum appear, or if at any time a quorum be broken, the council may adjourn to any other time, or may dispatch the chief of police to bring in the absent council member.
(f)
The chief of police or any policeman of the city designated by the council shall be present and shall act as sergeant-at-arms of the city council during the session and shall exclude from the meeting all persons as directed by the council except the mayor and members of the council.
(g)
No council member shall leave the room while the council is in session, without permission of the mayor, nor absent himself from the session without permission from the council.
(h)
Any council member who shall fail to attend the meeting of the council when sent for by order of the council, or shall be absent from any meeting of the council without satisfactory excuse shall be fined not to exceed the sum of three dollars ($3.00) upon majority vote of the council. Any council member absent from three (3) consecutive regular meetings, unless because of sickness or without first having obtained a leave of absence at a regular meeting, his or her office shall be vacant.
(i)
Petitions and remonstrances may be presented to the council in writing only and no one except members of the council and officers of the city in the discharge of their official duties shall be permitted to address the council or participate in its deliberations, except by consent of a majority of the members present.
(j)
At all meetings of the city council the order of business shall be as follows:
(1)
Unapproved minutes in the journal shall be presented, corrected if necessary, and approved.
(2)
Any formal communications the mayor may desire to make shall be heard and disposed of.
(3)
Excuses from absentees shall be heard and disposed of.
(4)
Bills payable shall be heard and disposed of.
(5)
Petitions and remonstrances shall be heard and disposed of.
(6)
Reports from officers of the City of Pineland shall be heard and disposed of.
(7)
Reports from standing or select committees shall be heard and disposed of.
(8)
Any unfinished business shall be taken up and disposed of.
(9)
Any new business to be presented to the council shall be heard and disposed of.
(10)
Any business for which a certain time has been specially set shall have precedence at such time over all other business.
(k)
The city council may from time to time designate, by motion, standing committees and select committees, may provide for the selection of the membership thereof and the term of office, and may define the duties of such committees.
(l)
All ordinances shall be read in meetings of the city council and no ordinances shall be repealed or amended by any general terms or by implication, but can only be repealed or amended by ordinances setting forth clearly the change to be made.
(m)
A record vote may be demanded by any member of the council on all ordinances or resolutions appropriating money, imposing taxes, revoking, modifying, or granting licenses or borrowing money. Ordinary motions and resolutions may be disposed of by a majority vote of the council members present.
(n)
When an ordinance is to be voted upon, the question shall be “Shall this ordinance pass?” and while such question is being debated no motions shall be entertained except the following and in the following order, to-wit:
(o)
No member of the city council shall take part in the debate or shall vote on any question in the outcome of which or the determination of which he has a direct personal interest.
(p)
Any member who voted with the majority may move for a reconsideration of the vote at the same meeting or at a succeeding meeting.
(q)
Upon all points of procedure when these rules may be silent or uncertain, the matter shall be governed by the digest of parliamentary law that governed the last preceding session of the legislature of the State of Texas.
(1981 Code of Ordinances Chapter 1, Section 16; Ordinance 253 adopted 8/15/2023)