A.
Regular and special meetings. Regular and special meetings of the Council shall be held in the Borough Hall on the second Thursday of each month at 8:00 p.m. in the manner of and subject to all the terms and provisions set forth in § 3-8.
B.
Conference meetings. Conference meetings shall be governed in all respects by the provisions of § 3-15.
C.
Adjourned meetings. An adjourned meeting shall be
considered a continuation of the preceding meeting, and the business
of the Council shall be resumed where it ceased at the time of the
last adjournment.
The Mayor shall preside at all meetings of the
Council, and should he be absent, the Council President shall preside.
Should both be absent, the senior member of Council shall preside.
The Mayor shall:
A.
Appoint special and standing committees of the Council.
B.
Preside at all meetings of the Council and of the
committee of the whole.
C.
State the question and announce the result of all
matters upon which the Council may vote.
D.
With the assistance of the Attorney, rule on all questions
of order, subject to appeal to the Council as a whole.
E.
Have such other functions, powers and duties as may
from time to time be prescribed by general law, ordinance or resolution.
The Borough Clerk shall serve as Clerk of the
Council in accordance with this chapter. In the absence of the Clerk,
the Mayor shall appoint a Clerk Pro Tempore.
An agenda for each regular meeting of the Council
shall be prepared by the Clerk in consultation with the Mayor where
necessary or appropriate.
The Mayor or, in his absence, the Council President,
shall call the meeting to order. In their absence the Clerk shall
call the meeting to order, and those present shall select a temporary
presiding officer. 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 Council President shall do so when someone
other than the Mayor is presiding.
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. A quorum shall be constituted as set forth in § 3-9.
The order of business at the meetings shall
be as follows:
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.
The vote upon every resolution or 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
presiding officer and by the Clerk.
A.
Question under consideration. When a question is presented
and seconded, it is under consideration and no motion shall be received
thereafter, except to adjourn, to lay on the table, to postpone or
to amend, until the question is decided. These motions shall have
preference in the order in which they are mentioned and the first
two shall be decided without debate.
B.
Presiding officer. The presiding officer, when other
than the Mayor, may move, second and debate from the chair, subject
only to such limitations of debate as are by these rules imposed upon
all members, and shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges
of a Councilman by reason of his being the presiding officer.
C.
Obtaining the floor. Improper references shall be
avoided. Every member desiring to speak for any purpose shall address
the presiding officer and, upon recognition, shall confine himself
to the question under debate, avoiding all personal attacks and indecorous
language.
D.
Interruption. A member, once recognized, shall not
be interrupted when speaking unless it is to call him to order or
as provided otherwise herein. If a member, while speaking, is called
to order, he shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined
by the presiding officer, and if in order he shall be permitted to
proceed. Any member may appeal to the Council as a whole from the
decision of the presiding officer upon a question of order. The presiding
officer shall submit to the Council without debate the question "Shall
the decision of the chair be sustained?" and the Council shall decide
by a majority vote.
E.
Privilege of closing debate. The Councilman moving
the adoption of an ordinance or resolution shall have the privilege
of closing the debate.
A.
Any person may petition the presiding officer for
permission to address the Council, which shall be granted only after
a showing to the satisfaction of the presiding officer that the subject
matter of the address deserves the time and attention of the Council.
B.
Each person addressing the Council shall give his
name and address in an audible tone of voice. All remarks shall be
addressed to the Council as a body and not to any member thereof.
No person other than members of Council and the person having the
floor shall be permitted to enter any discussion, either directly
or through a member of the Council, without the permission of the
presiding officer. No questions shall be asked a Councilman except
through the presiding officer.
A.
Members of Council. While the Council is in session,
the members shall preserve order and decorum, and a member shall neither,
by conversation or otherwise, except as herein provided, delay nor
interrupt the proceedings, the peace of the Council, disturb any member
while speaking or refuse to obey the orders of the Council or its
presiding officer.
B.
By other persons. Any person making impertinent or
slanderous remarks or who becomes boisterous while addressing the
Council shall forthwith be barred from further audience before the
Council by the presiding officer unless permission to continue or
again address the Council is granted by a majority vote thereof.
C.
Enforcement. The Chief of Police or such member of
the Police Department as he designates shall be the 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 meetings.
A.
Introduction. Ordinances may be introduced and adopted
by title, except bonding or local improvement ordinances, which shall
be read in full by the Clerk or his designee before consideration
by the Council on second and final reading. Every ordinance after
introduction on first reading shall be published in full, together
with a notice, as required by law. The publication shall be at least
one week prior to the time fixed for further consideration for second
and final passage. At the time and place specified for public hearing,
second reading and final passage as specified in such notice, all
persons interested shall be given an opportunity to be heard thereon.
B.
Prior approval. Before submission to the Council all
ordinances, resolutions and contract documents shall be reduced to
writing and approved as to form and legality by the Borough Attorney.
Any statement of fact or representation submitted in support of any
such document, resolution or ordinance shall be signed by a member
of the Council or a designee thereof.
C.
Effective date. All ordinances shall take effect immediately
upon final passage and publication as required by law, except as may
otherwise be provided by law.
D.
Recording by Borough Clerk. Action taken on all ordinances
and contract documents shall be recorded in detail by the Borough
Clerk, and the full text of all motions and resolutions shall be set
out in the minutes. Any report made in connection with any of the
foregoing shall be filed with the Borough Clerk and reference thereto
entered in the minutes.
A motion to adjourn shall always be in order
and shall be decided without debate.
