[Code 1982, § 2.01]
(1) 
The common council of the City of Marshfield (referred to in this Code as the "council") shall consist of the mayor and one alderperson from each of the ten aldermanic districts.
(2) 
The council shall have all powers of the city not specifically given to some other body or officer, except as otherwise provided in the state statute, or in this Code. The council shall have the management and control of the city property, finances, highways, navigable waters and the public service, and shall have power to act for the government and good order of the city, for its commercial benefit, and for the health, safety, and welfare of the public, and may carry out its powers by license, regulations, suppression, borrowing of money, taxation, appropriation, fine, imprisonment, confiscation, and other necessary or convenient means. The powers hereby conferred shall be in addition to all other grants, and shall be limited only by express language.
(3) 
The mayor shall have the veto power as to all acts of the council, except such as to which it is expressly or by necessary implication otherwise provided. All such acts shall be submitted to the mayor by the clerk and shall be in force upon approval, evidenced by his signature, or upon his failing to approve or disapprove within five days, which fact shall be certified thereon by the clerk. If the mayor disapproves he shall file his objections with the clerk, who shall present them to the council at its next meeting. A two-thirds vote of all the members of the council may then make the act effective notwithstanding the veto of the mayor.
[Code 1982, § 2.02; Ord. No. 1382, 6-26-2018; amended 4-23-2024 by Ord. No. 1505]
(1) 
Regular meetings. Following a regular City election for the purpose of organization, the Council shall meet on the third Tuesday of April. Regular meetings of the Council shall be held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each calendar month at 6:00 p.m. Any regular meeting falling on a legal holiday or on December 24 shall be held instead at a date and time set in advance by the Council. All meetings of the Council, including special and adjourned meetings, shall be held in the City Hall, except as determined from time to time by the Council.
(2) 
Special meetings. Special meetings of the Council may be called by the Mayor or any two alderpersons in writing, prior to the time specified for such meeting. The Clerk shall immediately notify the media as required by the Open Meeting Law[1] and each alderperson of the time and purpose of such meeting by causing a written notice thereof to be electronically sent or delivered to each alderperson personally, if he can be found, or, if he cannot be found, then by leaving a copy of such notice at the home of such alderperson at least six hours before the meeting. The Clerk shall cause an affidavit showing the service of such notice as provided in this subsection to be filed in his office prior to the time fixed for such special meeting. Special meetings may be held without such notice when all members of the Council are present in person or consent in writing to the holding of such meeting, such written consent to be filed with the Clerk prior to the beginning of the meeting. Any special meeting attended by all the alderpersons shall be a regular meeting for the transaction of any business that may come before such meeting.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Wis. Stats. § 19.81 et seq.
(3) 
Adjournments. The Council may, by a majority vote of those present, but not less than three affirmative votes, adjourn from time to time to a specific date and hour.
(4) 
Electronic attendance at meetings. Members of the Council may attend any meeting via electronic attendance, provided that such attendance is compliant with the procedures outlined in this section and applicable laws.
(a) 
Notice required. Any member who is unable to be physically present at meetings of the Common Council or committee meetings should, unless in the case of an unforeseen situation, notify the City Clerk at least one day prior to the meeting he or she intends to participate in remotely.
(b) 
Technical requirements and malfunctions. Each person attending remotely is responsible for the audio and internet connections on his/her end; no action shall be invalidated on the grounds that the loss of, or poor quality of, a member's individual connection prevented participation in the meeting.
(c) 
Lost connection. In the event that connection is lost with any member attending remotely, regardless of the cause thereof, such lost connection shall be treated the same as the remote member of the body voluntarily leaving the meeting. In such event, the member's absence shall be noted on the record and the meeting shall continue without the member's participation.
(d) 
In-person attendance of presiding officer. The presiding officer, Mayor or chairperson, must attend meetings in person. If unable to attend, the Council President or vice-chairperson shall assume duties of the chair for that meeting. If neither officer is present in the meeting room, the body shall elect a member present in the meeting room to chair the meeting.
(e) 
Forced disconnection. The Mayor, or committee chair, may cause or direct the disconnection or muting of a member's connection if it is causing undue interference with the meeting. The Mayor, or committee chair's, decision to do so, which is subject to debatable appeal that can be made by any member, shall be announced during the meeting and recorded in the minutes.
(f) 
Proper equipment. Appropriate equipment shall be used so that the attending public can readily observe or hear each person's participation in the meeting.
(g) 
Assignment of the floor. To seek recognition of the presiding officer, member shall use the raise hand feature in the video conferencing system, or physically raise his/her hand in a clear, recognizable manner.
(h) 
Chat feature. The chat feature in video conferencing systems shall not be used for side conversations during the meeting in accordance with Open Meeting Law.
(i) 
Voting. Votes shall be taken by audible roll call for those participating remotely only after electronic votes of members in person have been locked, if applicable.
(j) 
Closed session. Those attending electronically shall affirm that no other person is present, listening, transmitting, or recording the closed session.
(k) 
Virtual meeting etiquette.
1. 
Members will be responsible for muting/unmuting themselves.
2. 
Members are expected to stay muted when not speaking.
3. 
Members are expected to be visible on camera at all times unless appearance on video is impracticable and call-in only feature needs to be used.
4. 
If exiting a meeting for any reason other than a lost connection, member must announce his or her departure without interrupting the meeting.
[Code 1982, § 2.03]
(1) 
Designated. The mayor shall preside, except for council meetings in regard to the budget, at which the chairman of the finance, budget and personnel committee shall preside. In the absence of the mayor, the president of the council shall preside. In the absence of both the mayor and the president, the clerk shall call the meeting to order and preside until the alderpersons present elect one of their number acting mayor for that meeting.
(2) 
Duties. The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum, decide all questions of order and conduct the proceedings of the meeting in accordance with the parliamentary rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, unless otherwise provided by statute or by the rules in this chapter.
(3) 
Appeals from decisions. Any member may appeal from a decision of the presiding officer. An appeal shall be sustained by a vote of the council.
[Code 1982, § 2.04; amended 4-23-2024 by Ord. No. 1505]
(1) 
Roll call; procedure when quorum not in attendance. As soon as the Council is called to order, the Clerk shall proceed to call the roll. If there is not a quorum present, the fact shall be entered on the journal and the Council may adjourn.
(2) 
Quorum. Two-thirds of the members shall constitute a quorum, as provided by § 62.11(3)(b) Wis. Stats. The Mayor shall not be counted in computing a quorum. A member who appears remotely under Section 3-02 shall count toward a quorum during said appearance.
[Code 1982, § 2.05; Ord. No. 1019, 4-27-2004; Ord. No. 1292, 12-16-2014; Ord. No. 1491, 3-28-2023]
The business of the council shall be conducted in the following order:
(1) 
Call to order.
(2) 
Roll call.
(3) 
Pledge of allegiance.
(4) 
Identify possible conflicts of interest.
(5) 
Citizen comments.
(6) 
Approval of past Council minutes.
(7) 
Staff updates.
(8) 
Mayor’s comments.
(9) 
Council comments.
(10) 
City Administrator’s update.
(11) 
Reports from commissions, boards, and committees.
(12) 
Consent agenda (with resolutions not needing separate approval placed under minutes).
(13) 
Consideration of any items removed from the consent agenda.
(14) 
Presentations (for information only, with no action required; Council may choose to move a presentation to another place on the agenda to accommodate the presenter’s schedule).
(15) 
Action items (this includes budget resolutions, resolutions requiring separate approval, ordinances, contracts, etc., but with flexibility on the order in which they are presented).
(16) 
Discussion items.
(17) 
Items for future agendas.
(18) 
Closed session (if applicable).
(19) 
Adjournment.
(*Note: “Mayor's comments” and “Council comments” are intended for information purposes only, and must clearly indicate the subject matter in a manner reasonably likely to advise the news media and general public if any discussion or debate is anticipated. **Consent agenda may include communications, minutes and reports of committees, boards, and commissions, and any resolutions not requiring separate approval motions.)
[Code 1982, § 2.06]
In the absence of the clerk, the deputy clerk or designee shall act as clerk pro tem.
[Code 1982, § 2.08]
A call of the council may be requested at any time by two or more members and a police officer designated as bailiff shall be sent for absent members, but a call shall not be made after voting has commenced. When a call of the council has been requested and ordered, the door shall be closed until the report of the police officer has been received and acted upon or until further proceedings under the call are dispensed with by a majority of the entire council.
[Code 1982, § 2.09]
Whenever any disturbance or disorderly conduct occurs in any meeting of the council, the presiding officer may cause the room to be cleared of all persons guilty of such disorderly conduct except any alderperson. If any alderperson is guilty of disorderly conduct, the presiding officer may order the police to take him into custody for the time being or until the meeting adjourns. Such member may appeal from such order to the council as in other cases.
[Code 1982, § 2.15]
(1) 
Publication. All general ordinances of the city and all regulations imposing a penalty shall be published in the official papers of the city as required by law and shall be immediately recorded with the affidavit of publication by the city clerk in a book kept for that purpose. A printed copy of such ordinance or resolution on any book, pamphlet or newspaper and published or purporting to be published therein by direction of the council shall be prima facie proof of due passage, publication and recording thereof.
(2) 
Effective date. Unless otherwise provided, all ordinances shall take effect and be in force from and after passage and publication, and published copies thereof shall have appended the date of first publication.
[Code 1982, § 2.16; Ord. No. 981, 6-24-2003; Ord. No. 981, 6-24-2003; Ord. No. 1003, 11-25-2003; Ord. No. 1029, 9-28-2004; Ord. No. 1053, 6-28-2005; Ord. No. 1078, 9-12-2006; Ord. No. 1213, 10-11-2011; Ord. No. 1319; Ord. No. 1466, 11-9-2021; Ord. No. 1472, 5-10-2022]
There shall be ten aldermanic districts in the City of Marshfield, composed of 22 wards, which shall be bounded as set forth in city Resolution No. 2021-57 "WARD BOUNDARY DESCRIPTIONS, MAY 2022." The aldermanic districts shall be comprised of the following described wards:
(1) 
First aldermanic district. The first aldermanic district shall consist of wards 1, 11, and 19.
(2) 
Second aldermanic district. The second aldermanic district shall consist of wards 2 and 12.
(3) 
Third aldermanic district. The third aldermanic district shall consist of wards 3 and 13.
(4) 
Fourth aldermanic district. The fourth aldermanic district shall consist of wards 4 and 14.
(5) 
Fifth aldermanic district. The fifth aldermanic district shall consist of wards 5 and 15.
(6) 
Sixth aldermanic district. The sixth aldermanic district shall consist of wards 6.
(7) 
Seventh aldermanic district. The seventh aldermanic district shall consist of wards 7 and 17.
(8) 
Eighth aldermanic district. The eighth aldermanic district shall consist of wards 8, 18, 21, and 22.
(9) 
Ninth aldermanic district. The ninth aldermanic district shall consist of wards 9 and 20.
(10) 
Tenth aldermanic district. The tenth aldermanic district shall consist of wards 10 and 16.