A. 
The number of Board members, their terms, election and qualifications and the filling of Board vacancies shall be as provided in the Charter, Article III, §§ C-301, C-302 and C-303, and Article XII, § C-1204.
B. 
A Supervisor may be found to have neglected his or her official duties and be subject to the forfeiture of such office if he or she fails to attend three consecutive regularly scheduled meetings (including publicly advertised work session meetings in which formal actions do not typically occur) or two consecutive regularly scheduled business meetings (publicly advertised meetings) wherein formal actions are typically taken) of the Board of Supervisors. If a Supervisor is either physically absent from the Township of Pine or unable to personally attend a meeting due to medical disability, such Supervisor (if he or she so desires) shall be permitted to participate in a meeting via speaker telephone at his or her own expense. Such participation by speaker telephone shall not, however, constitute attendance by such Supervisor pursuant to the provisions of this section unless such participation was requested by the Township either to establish a necessary quorum for the meeting or to otherwise benefit its needs; in such instances the Township shall bear the telephone expense. In the event of a failure of attendance, as specified herein, the Board of Supervisors may declare the office of the absent Supervisor to be vacant and proceed to fill such office in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article XII, § C-1204 of the Township's Charter.
[Added 9-20-1999 by Ord. No. 271]
A. 
The day in January, time and place of the organizational meeting of the Board shall be set by the Board annually in December of the preceding year.
B. 
The first order of business at the Board's organizational meeting shall be the election of a Chairman and a Vice Chairman of the Board and such other officers required by the Charter or as the Board may deem appropriate. Until such election is accomplished, the Board shall appoint a Chairman Pro Tem who shall have all the powers of the Chairman.
C. 
In the absence of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall exercise the duties of the Chairman. In the absence of both the Chairman and the Vice Chairman, the Board shall appoint a Chairman Pro Tem who shall have all the powers of the Chairman.
A. 
Provisions governing public notice of meetings shall be provided by law and the Charter, Article IV, § C-401.
B. 
At its organization meeting, the Board shall adopt a resolution establishing the dates, times and places for its regular and agenda meetings for the year.
C. 
The Board may hold executive sessions as permitted by law. No official action shall be taken by the Board on any matter in executive session except as permitted by applicable law.
D. 
Special meetings may be called by the Chairman of the Board or upon written request of a majority of the members of the Board or upon petition of citizens as provided in the Charter, Article IV, § C-403(2). A written notice shall be mailed or delivered to each Board member at least 24 hours before a special meeting and specifying the business to be transacted.
E. 
The Board may hold and take action at an emergency meeting at any time. Such emergency meetings may be called by the Township Manager or by any member of the Board, provided that a quorum is present as provided in the Charter and a majority of the Board determines that the holding of such meeting and the taking of emergency action at that time is necessary to protect or promote the public health and safety of the municipality. Any action taken at an emergency meeting shall be ratified by the Board at its next regular or special meeting.
All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public as provided by P.L. 388, No. 84, July 3, 1986 (the Sunshine Act), 65 P.S. § 271 et seq.,[1] as amended.
[1]
Editor's Note: See now 65 Pa.C.S.A. § 701 et seq.
A. 
The proposed agenda for any meeting of the Board shall be prepared by the Township Manager or his/her designee. Any Board member has the right to add additional agenda items as deemed appropriate.
B. 
The proposed agenda for any stated meeting shall be forwarded to all Board members and be available to the public at least three days prior to the stated monthly meeting. In addition, the agenda for stated monthly meetings, adjourned monthly meetings, special meetings and, where possible, emergency meetings shall be posted at the Municipal Building and the Wexford Volunteer Fire Station on Rt. 910. These items will also be made available by calling the Info Line at 935-5060. Supporting materials, including the full text of any ordinances or resolutions to be considered, shall be provided to all Board members at the same time as the agenda and shall be available to the public also at the Municipal Building.
C. 
The title of any ordinance or resolution to be considered shall be published as part of the agenda.
D. 
The published agenda may be amended at the meeting to add or change an item by majority agreement of the Board members present.
A. 
At the time appointed for any meeting of the Board, the Chairman or, in his absence, the Vice Chairman or, in the absence of both the Chairman and the Vice Chairman, the Chairman Pro Tem shall take the Chair and call the meeting to order. If a quorum is present, as provided in the Charter, the presiding officer shall proceed with the order of business prescribed for the meeting. If, upon the call of the roll, a quorum is not present, the Chairman, Vice Chairman or the Chairman Pro Tem who is presiding shall order a recess for a period of 15 minutes, and if a quorum has not developed within that time, the Board members present shall take no action, in accordance with the Charter, Article IV, § C-402.
B. 
Unless a majority of the Board votes otherwise, the order of business for each regular meeting shall be as follows:
[Amended 4-8-1997 by Ord. No. 248]
(1) 
Call to order.
(2) 
Pledge of allegiance.
(3) 
Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting.
(4) 
Reports of the Township's municipal officials, committees or special advisory groups, as necessary.
(5) 
Citizen comments.
(6) 
Unfinished business.
(7) 
New business.
(8) 
Adjournment.
C. 
If there is an item of obvious controversy or of wide public concern that has initiated a greater-than-normal attendance at the meeting, the presiding officer is given the authority to enter that item as the first item of new business or unfinished business on the agenda.
A. 
The presiding officer shall be responsible for the orderly conduct of business at each Board meeting and shall preserve order and decorum at such meetings.
B. 
The Board, at its organization meeting, shall adopt such additional rules governing its procedures as it deems appropriate. The presiding officer shall announce all decisions of the Board and shall decide all questions of order without debate, subject, however, to an appeal by any Board member. Any ruling by the presiding officer relating to questions of order may be overruled by a majority of the Board members present.
C. 
Every Board member desiring to speak shall address the Chair and, upon recognition by the presiding officer, shall confine remarks to the question under debate, avoiding all indecorous language or reference to personalities. A Board member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless it is for the purpose of calling such person to order. If a Board member, while speaking, is called to order, that member shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined. When two or more Board members request the floor at the same time, the presiding officer shall name the one entitled to the floor. The presiding officer may, when he deems it necessary, place a limit on either the length of time or the number of times, or both, that a Board member may speak on any matter.
D. 
No member of the Board shall speak more than 10 minutes upon the same motion in the same meeting, nor for more than five minutes at a time, without the consent of the majority of the Board members present.
E. 
The presiding officer shall have the authority to call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum so interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting as to warrant such action.
A. 
Citizens desiring to address the Board at its stated meetings may do so by providing written notice to the Township Manager at least seven days prior to the day of the meeting, and such registration shall include the name and address of the participant, group affiliation, if applicable, and the topic to be addressed, or without such notice if recognized by the presiding officer.
B. 
Citizens of the Township may be provided the opportunity to address the Board on any agenda item without written notice. All participants must be recognized by the presiding officer and must preface their comments by announcing their name, address and group affiliation, if applicable. The presiding officer may limit the time to five minutes for each citizen to speak. Such discussion shall occur prior to the vote on the agenda item.
C. 
Each citizen who wishes to speak shall address the presiding officer and, upon recognition and receiving permission to speak, shall confine his remarks to the agenda item or matter specified in his notice, avoiding all indecorous language or reference to personalities.
D. 
When a group of persons wishes to address the Board on the same subject matter, it shall be proper for the presiding officer to request that a spokesperson be chosen by the group to address the Board and to limit the number of persons addressing the Board on the same matter so as to avoid unnecessary repetition.
E. 
It shall be the policy of the municipality that participants in public meetings of the Board shall be citizens or taxpayers of the Township or their counsel or authorized representatives. Others permitted to address the Board include anyone having registered a legitimate interest in any contemplated action of the Board; anyone representing a group in the community; any representative of a firm or company eligible to bid on materials or services solicited by the Township; any employee of the Township; or the counsel or authorized representative of the previously described persons.
F. 
Any person making offensive, insulting, threatening, insolent, slanderous or obscene remarks or who becomes boisterous or who makes threats against any person or against public order and security while in the Board chamber shall be forthwith barred by the presiding officer from further attendance at the meeting unless permission to continue shall be granted by the majority vote of the Board members present.
G. 
No placards, signs or banners will be permitted within the meeting room and on public property.
H. 
Citizens may petition the Board to hold a special meeting as provided for in the Charter, Article IV, § C-403(2).
The Board may, at any time, provide for standing and ad hoc committees to assist with the carrying out of its function or any function permitted by law. The presiding officer shall appoint the Chairperson for each such committee. Each committee so designated by the Board shall elect its officers and provide for written rules governing its procedure. Any such committee appointed by the Board shall, thereafter, report to the Board at the regular stated meetings of that body. Any such committee may, at the discretion of the Board, be later altered or abolished.
A. 
Action requiring an ordinance. In addition to requirements provided by law or the Charter, Article IV, § C-404, acts of the Board shall be by ordinance which:
(1) 
Adopt or amend an Administrative Code or establish, alter or abolish any unit, department, committee, commission, board or council of the municipality.
(2) 
Provide for a fine or other penalty or establish a rule or regulation for which a fine or other penalty is imposed.
(3) 
Establish salaries of elected officials.
(4) 
Authorize the borrowing of money.
(5) 
Grant, renew or extend a franchise.
(6) 
Purchase or convey lands or buildings.
B. 
Ordinance form and procedure. Every proposed ordinance shall be introduced in writing and in the form required for final adoption. No ordinance shall contain more than one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in its title. The enacting clause shall be "The Township of Pine, Pennsylvania, ordains..." After the ordinances are first codified as required by the Charter, any ordinance that repeals or amends an existing ordinance shall refer to the ordinance, sections or subsections to be repealed or amended and shall indicate the matter to be omitted and shall clearly indicate new matter.
C. 
Copies of ordinances. Copies of ordinances shall be available at the Municipal Building during regular business hours to all persons requesting them upon payment of a reasonable reproduction charge which represents the municipality's cost (including personnel time) to reproduce the same.
D. 
Emergency ordinances. To meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property or the public peace, the Board may adopt one or more emergency ordinances, which may be adopted without prior notice and may be made effective immediately. An emergency ordinance shall be introduced in the form and manner prescribed for ordinances generally, except that it shall be plainly designated as an emergency ordinance and shall contain, after the enacting clause, a declaration stating that an emergency exists and describing it in clear and specific terms. After its adoption, the ordinance shall be published and printed as prescribed for other ordinances. It shall become effective upon adoption or at such later time as it may specify. Every emergency ordinance shall automatically stand repealed as of the 10th day following the date on which it was adopted, but this shall not prevent reenactment of the ordinance in the manner specified in this subsection if the emergency still exists. An emergency ordinance may also be repealed by adoption of a repealing ordinance in the same manner specified in this subsection for adoption of an emergency ordinance.
E. 
Authentication and recording; codification.
(1) 
Authentication. Ordinances duly approved and signed shall be attested to by the Township Manager.
(2) 
Recording. The Township Manager shall record all ordinances and resolutions adopted by the Board and, at the end of each year, with the advice of the Township Solicitor, shall compile, bind and index the same or copies thereof.
(3) 
Codification. Codification shall be as provided for in the Charter, Article IV, § C-405.
The Board shall provide for an independent annual audit of all Township accounts as provided for in the Charter, Article VI, § C-604.
[Amended 10-20-2003 by Ord. No. 310]
Members of the Board shall receive no other compensation, direct or indirect, for the performance of their duties, other than the salary authorized and adopted pursuant to § 2-13A(3) hereof. However, nothing in this section shall preclude the right of the municipality to provide accident or liability insurance coverage for members of the Board when on municipal business or when in the performance of their official duties, limited to the duration of their term. In addition, nothing in this section shall preclude the right of the municipality to provide life insurance coverage for each member of the Board (with benefits thereof payable to such beneficiary or beneficiaries as selected by each individual member of the Board), limited to the duration of his/her term. Members of the Board shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual expenses incurred, provided that the expenditure:
A. 
Is related to the performance of official duties.
B. 
Was authorized in advance by the Board at a public meeting.
C. 
Is included in an itemized list which contains documentary proof of such expense presented prior to payment.
The appointment, supervision, tenure and duties of the Township Manager, Township Solicitor and Township Engineer shall be as provided in the Charter, Article V, §§ C-501, C-502 and C-503.