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]
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.
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.
Official actions of the Board shall be taken by ordinance, resolution or motion, as provided in the Charter, Article IV, § C-404.
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.
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:
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.
