(a) Council shall meet on the first and third Tuesdays of each month except that one of the meetings may be dispensed with during the summer as provided in § 4.07 of the Charter. All Council meetings shall begin promptly at 7:00 p.m.
(b) All Council meetings shall open with prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
(c) Copies of the minutes of the last regular and any interim special Council meetings shall be distributed to Council members prior to the next regular meeting.
(d) The minutes of previous meetings shall be approved without reading unless a full or partial reading is requested by a member of Council. A copy of the minutes shall be posted and available to the public.
(e) The agenda of the next regular Council meeting shall be given to the press in time for publication on the Wednesday preceding each regular meeting. This requirement shall not prevent discussion or action on items not offered for publication or not published.
(f) Items on the published agenda shall be considered and acted on first and in the order published, unless this rule is waived by Council.
(g) Motions may not be open for discussion until properly seconded by a member of Council or the presiding officer.
(h) Council discussion shall be on an informal basis, with questions, answers and opinions being passed freely from one to another so long as courtesy and order prevail.
(i) Any time two or more persons attempt to talk at the same time, the presiding officer shall call for order by raps of the gavel, and silence shall reign until the floor is again granted by the presiding officer.
(j) Anyone speaking indistinctly shall be requested by the presiding officer to speak so that all can hear.
(k) Any speaker digressing from the subject under consideration may be requested by the presiding officer to return to the subject or relinquish the floor.
(l) In the case of tie votes on matters not previously classified as an emergency according to § 6.06 of the Charter, the presiding officer may table the matter until the next regular meeting. If, at the next regular meeting, the tie still exists, the presiding officer shall break the tie without further delay.
(m) The floor shall be offered to any citizen indicating a desire to speak by a raised hand before the question is put to a vote. If two or more citizens indicate a desire to speak, each shall be limited to three minutes, until all have been heard.
(n) Citizens’ comments shall be limited to the subject at hand and shall be directed to Council as a whole.
(o) All persons present at Council meetings shall recognize the right of all to speak at the proper time by remaining silent until granted the floor.
(p) After completion of the business at hand, the floor shall be opened for comments or proposals from any citizen on any subject.
(q) If a citizen’s request for proposed legislation is made, the request shall be considered only as to whether or not the matter should be formalized and considered further. Formalization of the request shall require the vote of only three Council members.
(r) Requested legislation approved for consideration shall be reduced to writing, approved as to form by the Municipal Attorney, and entered on the agenda of some future meeting, and be presented for action in accordance with Article VI of the Charter.
(s) These rules of Council may be amended or repealed and may be waived or suspended at any time, in accordance with § 4.11 of the Charter.
(1974 Code, § 121.01) (Ord. 01-O-1921, passed 12-4-2001; Ord. 02-O-1936, passed 2-15-2002; Ord. 15-O-2853, passed 1-5-2016)