[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of New Hartford 4-21-1965,
as amended through 1-20-1999. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Regular meetings of the Town Board shall be held at the
Community Center Building, corner of Kellogg Road and Tibbitts Road, New Hartford,
New York, at 7:00 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month for
fiscal year 1999. The first regular meeting of each month shall be devoted
exclusively to the regular and normal affairs of the town and grievances will
be heard only at the second regular Board meeting of each month, or at such
meetings as may be called to meet particular problems; provided, however,
time permitting, that the Board may consider public grievances at the end
of its regular session and meeting held the first Wednesday of each month,
but only at said time. The Town Board reserves the right to dispense with
the second regularly scheduled meeting each month if no urgent matters need
the town's attention; if canceled, notice shall be provided to the department
heads and the news media by the Friday immediately preceding the meeting to
be canceled.
B.
In addition, the Town Board shall meet on or after the
28th day of December but not later than the 31st day of December as determined
by the Supervisor pursuant to law.
[1]
Editor's Note: These rules of procedure are normally affirmed and
readopted by the Town Board at the annual organization meeting, often by reference.
The text of the rules as set forth in this chapter is as last readopted in
full and spread in the minutes of the Town Board for the 1-20-1999 meeting.
The Supervisor may, and upon written request of two members of the Board
shall, call a special meeting of the Town Board at any time by giving at least
two days' notice, in writing, to the other members of the Board of the time
when and the place where the meeting is to be held.
A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction
of business, but a lesser number may adjourn.
Every act, motion or resolution shall require for its adoption the affirmative
vote of a majority of all members of the Town Board, except in such instances
in which a large number of affirmative votes shall be required by law. The
vote upon every question shall be taken by ayes and nays, and the names of
the members present and their votes shall be entered in the minutes.
The Supervisor may from time to time appoint such special committees
as he may deem desirable to assist the Board in the performance of its duties.
Such committees may include town officers other than Board members in their
membership in an advisory capacity only.
The business of all regular meetings of the Town Board shall be transacted
in the following order:
A.
Reading of minutes of previous meeting, unless waived
by a majority of the members of the Board present.
B.
Public hearings.
C.
Consideration of public grievances (the third Wednesday
of each month only).
D.
Reports of town officials.
E.
Reports of standing committees.
F.
Reports of special committees.
G.
Consideration of matters submitted by Town Board members.
A.
All resolutions, ordinances and local laws, other than
routine resolutions approving payment of bills, minutes and like matters,
shall be in writing and filed with the Town Clerk and made available to Board
members not later than the Saturday prior to the meeting at which they are
introduced unless this provision be waived as to any such resolution, ordinance
or local law by a majority of the members of the Board present at such meeting.
B.
Resolutions, ordinances and local laws shall be introduced
in the regular order of business and shall be read aloud by the Town Clerk
before being acted upon by the Board.
In the absence of the Supervisor, the Deputy Supervisor shall call the
Town Board to order and shall be Chairman of the meeting; and, in the absence
of the Supervisor and the Deputy Supervisor, then the Town Clerk shall call
the Town Board to order and if a quorum be present, the Town Board shall elect
one of its members as Chairman of the meeting.
No member of the Town Board may absent himself from a meeting of the
Town Board for more than 10 minutes at a time unless for good cause he is
excused by the Supervisor.
Each member of the Board shall vote upon each question presented unless
for good cause he is excused therefrom by the unanimous consent of all members
of the Board present. Any member refusing to vote other than by consent of
the Board shall be subject to a motion of censure.
Except as otherwise provided herein, all parliamentary questions shall
be decided in accordance with the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order,
revised, for deliberative assemblies.
Any rule of the Town Board may at any time be temporarily suspended
for special reasons by a majority vote of all of the members of the Town Board
present at a meeting thereof. No permanent alteration may be made except by
resolution, in writing, duly filed with the Town Clerk prior to the meeting
at which such amendment is introduced.
