For every regular meeting of the City Council, an agenda shall be prepared by the City Secretary under the direction and control of the City Council.
(Ordinance 2010-2o(I) adopted 4/10/10)
Robert’s Rules of Order Revised, a current edition, except where otherwise provided by the laws of the state, this chapter, or other ordinances of the city, shall be the guidelines of the City Council; provided, however, that failure of the Council to observe or act in accord with any applicable rules of order prescribed therein shall in no way operate or work to invalidate, modify, or diminish any otherwise lawful action or vote of the Council. Such rules are adopted to the extent they are consistent with other rules and procedures of the city.
(Ordinance 2010-2o(I) adopted 4/10/10)
(a)
Any citizen may address the Council regarding any city-related matter or agenda item that is relevant to any subject matter of city affairs or business which is within the scope of the authority and legislative functions of the City Council. The Mayor or any Council member shall have the privilege of raising a point of order as to whether the subject matter to be heard and considered as presented by a citizen is germane and relevant to city affairs or business to be considered by Council. A speaker may be ruled out of order and denied the opportunity to address Council if he or she violates the rule of relevance.
(b)
Any person wishing to address the Council must sign up prior to the meeting. Communication time is limited to three minutes per person and no more than 15 minutes in total. If more than five persons wish to speak, the time will be divided equally among all members of the public who have expressed a desire to speak.
(c)
If a group is interested in the same subject, a spokesperson should be appointed to represent the group.
(d)
When discussing items not on the agenda, Council will respond to the citizen at a later date.
(e)
All complaints concerning named individuals or specifically identified city employees shall be directed to the City Secretary during normal office hours.
(f)
No person attending any Council meeting will be allowed to delay, interrupt, or disrupt the proceedings or refuse to obey the orders of the Council members.
(g)
In order to speak, one must be recognized by the presiding officer and must step to the podium, stating his or her name and address.
(h)
Violation of these rules shall not be a municipal offense; however, any person who, after having been advised by the Council members of his or her noncompliance, continues to violate the rules shall be ejected from the Council chambers.
(i)
Any speaker who is found in repeated violation (more than once) of the rules may be denied the opportunity for a 12-month period to appear and address the Council.
(Ordinance 2010-2o(I) adopted 4/10/10)
The Council, upon recommendation of the Mayor, shall appoint the City Secretary who shall serve at the pleasure of the Council. The City Secretary shall keep the records of the Council and shall have such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to him or her by this chapter or by the Council. The City Secretary shall appoint such assistants to him or her as may be authorized by the Council. The City Secretary shall furnish two copies of the minutes of all Council meetings to the city library, which will be maintained as permanent public records.
(Ordinance 2010-2o(I) adopted 4/10/10)
(a)
There shall be regular meetings of the Council on the third Thursday of each month at or about 6:00 p.m. unless said Thursday is a holiday, in which case the meeting shall be rescheduled. Council may hold as many additional meetings during the month as may be necessary.
(b)
Special meetings may be called at any time by the Mayor or by a majority of the Council members qualified and serving by giving notice to the City Secretary who shall in turn give written notice of such special meetings to all members of the Council at least 72 hours prior to such meeting; provided, however, any member of the Council may, either before or after such special meeting, waive such notice. In addition to the notice to members of the Council, the City Secretary shall post a copy of said notice on the official bulletin board at the City Hall at least 72 hours prior to such special meeting. Said notice shall specify the time of said meeting and the matters to be considered, and no other business shall come before or be considered by the Council except by unanimous consent of all members present.
(c)
Procedures for meetings shall be governed by the laws of the state for open meetings and city ordinances not in conflict therewith. All meetings of the Council, regular or special, shall be open to the public, as allowed by law; and all such meetings shall be held at the Buck Priest Community Center, 870 Charmaine Dr. East, Ivanhoe, TX.
(Ordinance 2010-2o(I) adopted 4/10/10; Ordinance 2010-2(c) adopted 1/9/14; Ordinance 2010-2(e) adopted 5/14/15; Ordinance 2021-6 adopted 2/11/21; Ordinance 2021-13 adopted 9/29/21)
The Council shall, by ordinance, determine its own rules and order of business. A majority of the Council qualified and serving shall constitute a quorum for all meetings for the transaction of all business, but no action of the Council shall be of any force and effect unless it is adopted by the favorable vote of a majority of the members of the Council qualified and serving, unless otherwise provided by law. Minutes of all meetings of the Council shall be taken and recorded, and such minutes shall constitute a public record.
(Ordinance 2010-2o(I) adopted 4/10/10)
(a)
The Council shall legislate by ordinance and the enacting clause of every ordinance shall be, “Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Ivanhoe”. The City Attorney shall approve as to legality all ordinances adopted by the Council. Evidence of approval of an ordinance by the City Attorney may be made by notation on the ordinance itself or by separate paper or instrument.
(b)
Each ordinance finally enacted by the Council shall be signed by the Mayor, subject only to his or her right to veto, and shall be filed with and recorded by the City Secretary. In the event the Mayor fails or refuses to sign an ordinance after the period in which he or she may veto the same has expired or in the event he or she fails or refuses to sign an ordinance passed over his or her veto, such ordinance shall be signed by the Mayor Pro Tem or by two Council members.
(c)
The reading aloud of the title and caption of the ordinance or resolution shall suffice as a reading, provided printed copies of the ordinance, in the form required for adoption, are in front of all members of Council and a reasonable number of additional copies are available to citizens present at the meeting. Ordinances or resolutions may be read in their entirety at the discretion of a majority of the City Council.
(d)
All ordinances, unless otherwise provided by or by the terms of such ordinance, shall take effect immediately upon final passage thereof. The requirements for reading ordinances on two separate days may be dispensed, with respect to ordinances authorizing the issuance of obligation of the city or where an ordinance relating to the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare is adopted by the favorable vote of two-thirds of all members of Council qualified and serving, and contains a statement of the nature of the emergency.
(Ordinance 2010-2o(I) adopted 4/10/10)
Except as otherwise provided by law, the City Secretary shall give notice of the enactment of every ordinance imposing any penalty, fine, or forfeiture for any violation of any of its provisions, and every other ordinance required by law to be published, by causing the ordinance or its descriptive caption and penalty to be published at least one time within 20 days after final passage thereof in the official newspaper of the city. The affidavit of such publication by the publisher of such newspaper taken before any officer authorized to administer oaths and filed with the City Secretary shall be conclusive proof of the legal publication and promulgation of such ordinance in all courts. Such ordinance shall take effect ten days after the date of such publication, provided that any penal ordinance passed as an emergency measure shall take effect immediately upon publication.
(Ordinance 2010-2o(I) adopted 4/10/10)
The Council shall have the power to cause all general ordinances of the city to be compiled and printed in code form. Every general ordinance enacted subsequent to such codification shall be enacted as an amendment to the code. The Council shall cause all general ordinances to be codified, recodified, and reprinted whenever, in its discretion, such is deemed desirable or when such codification or recodification is required by law. When adopted by the Council, the printed code of general ordinances contemplated by this section shall be in full force and effect without the necessity of such code or any part thereof being published in any newspaper. The caption, descriptive clause, and other formal parts of the ordinances of the city may be omitted without affecting the validity of such ordinances when they are published as a code.
(Ordinance 2010-2o(I) adopted 4/10/10)
The official newspaper for publication purpose is Tyler County Booster.
(Ordinance 2010-2o(I) adopted 4/10/10; Resolution 2016-12R adopted 9/8/16; Resolution 2018-1R adopted 9/12/17; Resolution 2018-11R adopted 9/13/18)
The existing appointed Board of Adjustments is discontinued. Members of the City Council are hereby granted authority to act as the Board of Adjustments under the Tex. Local Government Code, sec. 211.008.
(Ordinance 2015-5 adopted -/-/15)