(A) The Council shall meet in the established Council Chamber, or in such other place as may be established by ordinance, and shall hold at least two regular meetings in each month. In emergency, the Council may meet at another public place, with notice thereof posted at the established Council Chamber.
(B) Special meetings of the Council shall be held at the regular meeting place of the Council. Special meetings shall be called by the City Clerk on the written request of the Mayor, the City Manager, or of any two members of the Council.
(C) At least six hours written notice shall be given designating the time and purpose of a special meeting. Such notice shall be given personally by the Clerk to each member of the Council or written notice may be left at his usual place of residence or business by the Clerk or by someone designated by him. Equal notice shall also be given to or delivered at the place of business of each newspaper printed and published in the city, but this requirement shall not be jurisdictional to the holding of any such meeting.
(D) In an emergency, any special meeting shall be a legal meeting if all members are present, or, if there be a quorum present, and all absent members, in writing waive the required notice thereof. Waivers may be made either before or after the time of the meeting.
(E) An affidavit of the giving or service of any notice required by this section shall be made a part of the journal of a special meeting. All waivers of notice shall be attached to and made part of the journal of the meeting.
(F) No business shall be transacted at any special meeting of the Council except that stated or given in the notice of the meeting.
(G) All regular and special meetings of the Council shall be public meetings and the public shall have a reasonable opportunity to be heard.
(H) Four members of the Council shall be a quorum for the transaction of business. In the absence of a quorum, any number less than a quorum may adjourn a meeting to a later date.
(I) The Council shall determine its own rules and order of business and shall keep a journal of all its proceedings in the English language. The journal of each meeting of the Council shall be signed by the Clerk after the approval thereof by the Council. The vote upon all matters considered by the Council shall be taken by "Yes" or "No" votes which shall be entered upon record, except that, where the vote is unanimous, it shall be necessary only so to state.
(J) The Council may compel the attendance at its meetings of its members and of any officers or employees of the city. It may punish for nonattendance in such manner as it may prescribe by its rules.
(K) No member of the Council may vote on any question upon which he has a direct or indirect financial interest, otherwise each member of the Council shall vote on each question before the Council for determination, unless excused therefrom by the affirmative vote of all remaining members able to vote on the question. If a question is raised under this section at any Council meeting, such question shall be voted on before the question to which it applies is voted upon, but the Council members affected may not vote on such determination.
(L) The vote of at least four members shall be required for official action by the Council, unless a larger majority is required by law.
(M) The Clerk shall prepare an agenda of the business to be considered at each regular Council meeting. No business shall be considered by the Council at a regular meeting, unless placed upon the agenda for the meeting not later than 12:00 o'clock noon, on the Friday preceding the meeting, except upon the approval of five or more members of the Council.
Editor's note:
Pursuant to the Open Meetings Act, see M.C.L.A. § 15.261 et seq., the time required in Section 4.7(c) is now eighteen hours and Section 4.7(d) shall read as follows: The Council may hold emergency sessions without a written notice or time constraints if the public health, safety or welfare is severely threatened and if two-thirds of the Councilmembers vote to hold the emergency meeting.