The Mayor, or in his absence the President of the Council, shall be the Presiding Officer of the Council pursuant to I.C. 36-4-6-8, and meetings shall be conducted pursuant to the applicable statutes (I.C. 36-4-6-10 through 36-4-6-17) and in accordance with the following rules which are hereby adopted as a part of this chapter.
(A) Order of business. The order of business to be followed at a meeting of the Common Council shall be as follows:
(1) Calling to order.
(2) Roll call by Clerk-Treasurer.
(3) Reading of minutes and approval.
(4) Public participation.
(5) Reports from committees, Commissions, or Boards.
(6) Unfinished business.
(7) New business.
(8) Miscellaneous business.
(9) Adjournment.
(B) Contempt and disorder in the council room. No person shall use violent or contemptuous language, behave in a disorderly manner, or refuse to obey the orders of the Mayor or Presiding Officer in the council room while the Common Council is in session.
(C) Introduction and adoption of ordinances and resolutions.
(1) All ordinances shall be regularly filed with the Clerk-Treasurer.
(2) All ordinances shall be read three times before being passed, and no ordinance shall pass on the same day in which it is introduced unless the provisions of I.C. 36-4-6-13 are complied with. Reference the title of a proposed ordinance shall be considered read unless a literal reading is required by state statute. All ordinances shall be posted outside the meeting room prior to their consideration by the Council.
(3) Resolutions shall be subject to the same rules and method of introduction as ordinances, except that resolutions may be adopted after only one reading.
(4) On the passage or adoption of any ordinance or resolution the yeas and nays shall be taken and entered in the record, and the ordinance shall be processed in accordance with I.C. 36-4-6-14 through 36-4-6-17.
(D) Questions of order. The Mayor or Presiding Officer shall decide all questions of order. He shall decide whether any question submitted to the Council for adoption or rejection is decided in the affirmative or negative.
(E) Appeal from decision of Presiding Officer. From any decision of the Presiding Officer any member may appeal to the Council. The appeal shall be by motion duly made and seconded.
(F) Parliamentary procedure. For procedural matters not otherwise controlled by terms of this chapter, the Council shall conduct its business in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.
(Ord. 22-1983, passed 8-29-83)