[Amended 7-14-1987 by Ord. No. 2103]
A.
Regular meetings. Regular meetings of the Village
Council shall be held in accord with the Open Public Meetings Act,
N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq., as the same may hereafter be amended.
[Amended 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375]
B.
Special meetings. The Mayor, at any time, and upon
written request of a majority of the Council members, shall call a
special meeting of the Council. Special meetings shall be conducted
in accord with the Open Public Meetings Act.
C.
Adjourned meetings. A meeting adjourned to a fixed
time shall be considered a continuation of the preceding meeting,
and the business of the Council shall be resumed where it was left
at the last adjournment.
On the first day of July following each election
of Councilmen, the Council shall organize by the election of a Mayor
and adoption of such resolutions as may be required.
A.
After the general election held on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in November at which time the election of Village
Council members is held, the term of office of the newly elected Council
members shall begin on January 1 next following their election. On
the first day of January or a date and time set by the Village Clerk
consistent with the Optional Municipal Charter Law, N.J.S.A. 40:69A-1
et seq., the Council shall assemble at Village Hall, organize and
elect one of the Council members as Mayor. The Mayor shall be chosen
by ballot by majority vote of all its members of the Council. If the
Council shall be unable to elect a Mayor within five ballots to be
taken within two days of the organization meeting, then the Council
member with the most seniority serving as a Council member shall be
the Mayor. If more than one Council member has the same length of
seniority as another Council member(s), then, in the event none of
those Council members withdraws from consideration for the Mayoral
position, the senior member with the highest number of votes at the
initial election shared by the senior Council members shall be the
Mayor.
[Amended 7-19-2023 by Ord. No. 3961]
B.
At the same time as a Mayor is elected, the Council
shall elect one of its members as Deputy Mayor. The Deputy Mayor shall
serve in place of the Mayor in the event of the temporary absence
or disability of the Mayor. The Council shall also elect a President
Pro Tempore to serve in the event of the absence or disability of
both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
[Amended 7-19-2023 by Ord. No. 3961]
C.
Vacancies in the office of Mayor or Deputy Mayor shall
be filled by the Council for the remainder of the unexpired term.
D.
The Mayor or other presiding officer shall:
(1)
Preside at all meetings of the Council and of the
Committee of the Whole, and have a voice and vote in its proceedings.
(2)
Appoint such special committees of the Council as
may be required.
(3)
State the question and announce the result on all
matters upon which the Council may vote.
(4)
Rule on all questions of order subject to appeal to
the Council.
(5)
Sign all ordinances and resolutions adopted in his
presence.
(6)
Have such other functions, powers and duties as the
Charter or the Council, subject to the Charter, may from time to time
prescribe.
The Village Clerk shall serve as Clerk of the
Council. In the absence of the Clerk and of the Deputy Village Clerk,
the Council shall appoint a Clerk Pro Tempore.
[Amended 7-14-1987 by Ord. No. 2103; 10-13-1992 by Ord. No.
2375]
Subject to the provisions of the Open Public
Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq., the Council may meet at any
time in informal conference for the consideration of any Village business.
A.
Preparation of ordinances and resolutions. Ordinances
and resolutions shall be prepared for the consideration of the Council
by the Village Attorney upon written request of any member of the
Council or of the Manager.
B.
Prior review by administrative staff. All ordinances
and Village contractual authorizations, before presentation to the
Council, shall have been approved as to form and legality by the Village
Attorney or his authorized representative and shall have been examined
as to administrative considerations by the Manager or his authorized
representative whenever administrative responsibilities may be affected
thereby. The Manager shall submit to the Council a written memorandum
concerning the administrative aspects of each such ordinance and contractual
authorization unless he shall advise the Council that no administrative
problems are involved. Each administrative memorandum may include
the specific comments and recommendations of the Director concerned
with the subject of the memorandum.
C.
Introduction for passage or approval.
(1)
Ordinances, resolutions and other matters or subjects
requiring action by the Council shall be introduced and sponsored
by a member of the Council, except that the Manager or Attorney may
present ordinances, resolutions and other matters or subjects to the
Council and any Councilman may assume sponsorship thereof by moving
that such ordinances, resolutions, matters or subjects be adopted;
otherwise, they shall not be considered.
(2)
Resolutions, unless laid over by a majority vote of
the Council, may be acted upon the day of introduction or presentation.
(3)
Ordinances and resolutions shall be called up for
action on motion of a member of the Council.
D.
Ordinances and resolutions. After the first reading
of an ordinance, it shall be referred to the Committee of the Whole.
Resolutions, which the Village Council has determined at its premeeting
conference to be routine and which do not require discussion, shall
be included under a single section of the order of business known
as the "consent agenda." Such resolutions may be adopted upon motion
and approval thereof by vote of a majority of the Village Council.
The consent agenda section of the order of business shall be preceded
by an explanatory note substantially set forth as follows: "All matters
listed under item consent agenda are considered routine by the Village
Council and will be approved by one motion in the form listed below.
There will be no separate discussion of these items. If any member
of the Village Council wishes to discuss such an item, it shall be
removed from the consent agenda and considered separately under the
resolution section of the order of business."
[Amended 11-10-1992 by Ord. No. 2382]
E.
Adoption of ordinances. No ordinance may be adopted
without the affirmative vote of a majority of all the members of the
Council or such greater number of affirmative votes as the Charter
may require.
F.
Advertisement of ordinances. After introduction, all
ordinances shall be advertised by the Clerk in accordance with the
applicable provisions of law for public hearing at the next succeeding
regular meeting of the Council unless otherwise directed by the affirmative
vote of the majority of all members of the Council. After adoption,
all ordinances shall be advertised by the Clerk in accordance with
the applicable provisions of law therefor.
[Amended 7-14-1987 by Ord. No. 2103]
An agenda shall be prepared by the Clerk for
each regular meeting of the Council. The Clerk shall furnish a copy
of the agenda to each Councilman, the Manager, the Village Attorney
and any citizen who may request it.
The Mayor or, in his absence, the Deputy Mayor
shall call each meeting to order. In the absence of both the Mayor
and the Deputy Mayor, the Clerk shall call the meeting to order, and
those present shall select a President Pro Tempore who shall preside
during the absence of the Mayor. The Mayor shall assume the Chair
as soon as he is in attendance at any meeting which may have been
called to order in his absence, and the Temporary Chairman shall thereupon
relinquish the Chair.
A.
At the opening of each meeting of the Council, the
Clerk shall call the roll and the names of those present shall be
recorded in the minutes.
B.
A majority of all the members of the Council shall
constitute a quorum. If a quorum is not present one-half (1/2) hour
after the appointed time for any meeting, those present may adjourn
the meeting.
[Amended 7-14-1987 by Ord. No. 2103; 11-10-1992 by Ord. No.
2382; 1-11-1994 by Ord. No. 2442]
A.
The order of business at each regular public meeting
of the Village Council shall be as follows:
[Amended 10-12-2016 by Ord. No. 3551; 9-13-2023 by Ord. No. 3966]
(1)
Roll call.
(2)
Flag salute.
(3)
Acceptance of financial reports.
(4)
Approval of minutes.
(5)
Proclamations.
(6)
Comments from the public for a period of time not
to exceed a total of 40 minutes.
(7)
Village Manager's report.
(8)
Village
Council reports.
(9)
Ridgewood
Water - ordinances upon first reading.
(10)
Ridgewood
Water - ordinances upon second reading.
(11)
Ridgewood
Water - resolutions.
(12)
Ordinances upon first reading (other than Ridgewood
Water).
(13)
Ordinances upon second reading (other than Ridgewood
Water).
(14)
Resolutions (other than Ridgewood Water).
(15)
Comments
from the public.
(16)
Closed
session resolution (if needed).
(17)
Closed session.
(18)
Adjournment.
B.
Workshop meetings, premeeting conferences, planning
meetings and informal conference meetings shall be discussion meetings
of the Village Council and shall not be guided by the order of business
set forth in this section.
A.
The vote upon every ordinance shall be taken by roll
call, and the yeas and nays shall be entered on the minutes. The minutes
of each meeting shall be signed by the officer presiding at such meeting
and by the Clerk.
B.
When the roll is called upon any question, each Councilman
shall audibly announce his vote, and the silence of a Councilman shall
constitute an affirmative vote unless he states that he abstains.
The Clerk shall, so far as practicable, prepare
and distribute to the Council the minutes of each meeting promptly
after the meeting. The minutes of any meeting may be approved without
reading whenever they have been distributed at least 24 hours prior
to the time of approval.
There shall be no standing committees of the
Council other than the Committee of the Whole. The rules of the Council
shall govern the meetings of the Committee of the Whole so far as
applicable. Special committees for legislative purposes may be appointed
by the Mayor pursuant to motion or resolution. No special committee
shall proceed to the consideration of any matter referred to it unless
a majority of the members of the committee shall be present. All committee
meetings shall be held at Village Hall. No special committee shall
report at the same meeting in which the matter is referred to it except
by unanimous consent of the Council.
With respect to appointments to be made by the
Council, any member of the Council may nominate as many candidates
as there are offices to be filled. The Council will consider such
nominations in the Committee of the Whole, which will report to a
regular meeting of the Council. Where there is a single office to
be filled, the sense of the Council on the appointment shall be taken
as to each nominee, and the nominee receiving a majority shall be
deemed appointed. Where there is more than one office to be filled,
such as on a board, commission or authority, the same procedure shall
be followed with respect to each office separately until the total
number of appointments to be made has been completed. In the discretion
of the Chair, a group of nominations may be considered at once where
there is no apparent division in the Council as to the nominees included
in the group. Appointments may be made by the affirmative vote of
a majority of those present and voting.
A.
The Mayor or other Chairman may move, second and debate
from the Chair and shall not be deprived of any right to vote or of
any other rights, powers or duties of a Councilman by virtue of occupying
the Chair.
B.
A member of the Council shall be entitled to the floor
only upon recognition by the Chair. Once a member has been recognized
and taken the floor, he shall not be interrupted for any reason other
than a call to order; and in such case, the Chair shall rule promptly
on the point of order and the speaker shall be allowed to proceed
if he is in order.
C.
The Councilman who has made a motion shall be entitled
to the privilege of closing debate.
D.
A motion to reconsider may be made by a Councilman
on the prevailing side, and such motion may be made only at the same
meeting or at an adjournment thereof as which the action was taken.
E.
A motion to adjourn shall always be in order and shall
be decided without debate.
[Amended 1-11-1994 by Ord. No. 2442; 10-12-2016 by Ord. No. 3551; 9-13-2023 by Ord. No. 3966]
A.
Persons, other than Council members, may be
permitted to address the Council in the proper order of business.
A person in attendance at the meeting or by remote access to the meeting
may, upon recognition by the Chair, be heard either during a public
hearing on ordinances upon second reading or at the time scheduled
on the special public meeting, work session or regular public meeting
agendas for "comments from the public" and at such other times as
the Council may, by majority vote of those present, specifically permit.
No person shall address any disruptive, accusatory or threatening
remarks toward or about any member of the Council or any other person
or pose a question to any specific Council member, nor shall any person
be permitted to address the Chair while a motion is pending. A Council
member may, through the Chair, respond to any communication or address
received pursuant to this section.
B.
Except upon
consent of the Council, by the majority vote of those present, each
person addressing the Council at a public meeting pursuant to this
section shall be required to limit their remarks to three minutes
during any "comments from the public" sessions, whether at a special
public meeting, work session or regular public meeting, and three
minutes during the second "comments from the public" session at the
end of the meeting, after the Council has concluded its business on
the agenda. No person shall, at any time during any of the comments
from the public sessions, engage in any personally offensive, abusive
or threatening remarks to Council members or any other person, whether
present at the meeting or not.
C.
At a public
hearing on ordinances upon second reading, a person may address the
Council during the public hearing for no longer than a five-minute
period, specifically on the topic of the ordinance presented for second
reading. Any person who has previously addressed the Council during
this public hearing on the subject ordinance may be permitted to speak
a second time for a period of no more than an additional five minutes,
after all others desirous of speaking at the public hearing on the
ordinance have had an opportunity to do so, provided that the comments
of the second-time speaker are not repetitive. The Chair shall call
any speaker to order who violates any provision of this section.
[Amended 5-11-2016 by Ord. No. 3532; 10-12-2016 by Ord. No. 3549]
A.
Any person who shall disturb the peace of the Council,
make impertinent or slanderous remarks or conduct himself in a boisterous
manner while addressing the Council shall be forthwith barred by the
presiding officer from further audience before the Council, except
that if the speaker shall submit to proper order under these rules,
permission for him to continue may be granted by a majority vote of
the Council.
B.
The Police Chief shall, upon request of the Chair,
designate a member of the Department to serve as Sergeant at Arms
at Council meetings. He shall carry out all orders and instructions
given by the presiding officer for the purpose of maintaining order
and decorum at such meeting.
The Committee of the Whole shall file with the
Clerk all petitions, resolutions or other papers considered by it
on each matter referred to the Committee. All reports to the Council
and all resolutions shall be filed with the Clerk and entered in the
minutes of the Council.
A.
The Clerk shall record the minutes of every meeting
of the Council, and the minutes shall contain only the formal actions
of the Council by motion, resolution or ordinance except as otherwise
authorized by this section.
B.
With the consent of Council, a member may have the
privilege of including in the minutes a written abstract not exceeding
100 words of any statement he may make before the Council.
C.
In the discretion of the Clerk, other matters relating
to the business or actions of the Council may be included in the minutes
to the extent necessary to clarify the purpose or context of any recorded
formal action.
D.
The text of ordinances and resolutions need not be
included in the minutes, but the signed official copies thereof shall
be bound and preserved as public record in the office of the Clerk.
Except as otherwise specifically provided in
this article, the proceedings of the Council shall be governed by
Robert's Rules of Order.
Any of the rules of procedure of the Council
may be suspended by unanimous consent of the Councilmen present, except
as otherwise provided by the Charter.
