1)
COUNCILMEMBERS
The City Council will practice civility and decorum in their
discussions and debate. Councilmembers will value each other's time
and will preserve order and decorum. A member shall neither, by conversation
or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings of the Council, use
personal, impertinent or slanderous remarks, nor disturb any other
member while that member is speaking or refuse to obey the orders
of the presiding officer or the Council, except as otherwise provided
herein.
A)
All
Councilmembers have the opportunity to speak and agree to disagree
but no Councilmember shall speak twice on any given subject unless
all other Councilmembers have been given the opportunity to speak.
B)
The
Mayor has the affirmative duty to maintain order. The City Council
will honor the role of the Mayor in maintaining order. If a Councilmember
believes the Mayor is not maintaining order, the Councilmember may
move that the Vice-Mayor enforce the rules of decorum and otherwise
maintain order. If that motion receives a second and is approved by
a Council majority, the Vice-Mayor shall enforce the rules of decorum
and maintain order.
C)
Any
Councilmember who violates the rules repeatedly shall be sanctioned
by the City Council, including, but not limited to, barring the Councilmember
from further participation (other than voting) on the subject.
2)
PERSONS
ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL
Persons addressing the Council shall not make personal, impertinent,
unduly repetitive, slanderous or profane remarks to the Council, any
member of the Council, City staff or the general public, nor utter
loud, threatening, personal or abusive language, nor engage in any
other conduct that disrupts, disturbs or otherwise unreasonably impedes
the orderly conduct of the Council meeting. Any person who makes such
remarks, who utters loud, threatening, personal or abusive language,
who is unduly repetitious or engages in extended discussion of irrelevancies,
or who engages in any disorderly conduct that disrupts, disturbs or
otherwise unreasonably impedes the orderly conduct of any Council
meeting shall, at the discretion of the presiding officer or a majority
of the Council, be barred from further audience before the Council
during that meeting.
3)
ENFORCEMENT
The rules of decorum set forth above shall be enforced in the
following manner:
Warning. The presiding officer shall request that a person who
is breaching the rules of decorum be orderly and silent. If, after
receiving a warning from the presiding officer, a person persists
in disturbing the meeting, the presiding officer shall order him or
her to leave the Council meeting. If such person does not remove himself
or herself, the presiding officer may order any law enforcement officer
who is on duty at the meeting to remove that person from the Council
Chambers.
4)
RULES
PERTAINING TO SIGNS, OBJECTS, SYMBOLIC MATERIALS, AND FIRE SAFETY
WITHIN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS DURING COUNCIL MEETINGS
A)
Objects
and symbolic materials such as signs which do not have sticks attached
or otherwise create any fire or safety hazards will be allowed within
the Council Chamber during Council meetings provided that they are
not so large as to infringe upon the space of those in adjacent areas,
and are no wider on their longest side than the audience chairs.
B)
Persons
with objects and symbolic materials such as signs must remain seated
when displaying them except when making an oral presentation to the
Council and must not raise them above shoulder level or otherwise
use them to obstruct vision or passage or disturb the conduct of the
Council meeting. Such materials may not be placed on or against the
walls, doors or furniture or in the aisles.
C)
Exits
shall not be obstructed in any manner. Obstructions, including storage,
shall not be placed in aisles or other exit ways. Hand carried items
must be stored so that such items do not inhibit passage in aisles
or other exit ways.
D)
Exit
ways shall not be used in any way that will present a hazardous condition.
E)
Overcrowding
and admittance of persons beyond the approved capacity of a place
of assembly are prohibited.
F)
The
Fire Marshal may establish designated areas for media equipment.
5)
PERSONS
AUTHORIZED WITHIN RAIL
No person except City officials and City staff shall be permitted
within the rail in front of the City Council dais without the express
consent of the presiding officer.
Mayor: Affirmative duty to maintain order.
None applicable.
None applicable.
None applicable.
3/16/81 - Adopted by Resolution No. 38,095
2/22/82 - Amended by Resolution No. 38,894
4/21/86 - Amended by Resolution No. 86-0222
10/26/87 - Amended by Resolution No. 87-0583
5/7/90 - Amended by Resolution No. 90-0286
2/4/92 - Amended by Resolution No. 91-0110
6/7/93 - Amended by Resolution No. 93-0377
2/23/10 - Amended by Resolution No. 10-0041
12/17/13 - Amended by Resolution No. 2013-12-17-1213
1/26/16 - Amended by Resolution No. 2016-01-26-1203
