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(A) The Clerk shall prepare a consent agenda for the Board, which shall be provided to each Board member prior to the meeting, as part of the meeting agenda.
(B) The consent agenda shall contain all routine items of business on which no disagreement or debate is anticipated, such as, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Approval of the prior meeting minutes;
(2) Receiving committee reports;
(3) Receiving correspondence (where no Board action is required);
(4) Financial reports;
(5) Approval to pay bills;
(6) New business;
(7) Board member/Supervisor comments; and
(8) Adjournment.
(C) Upon the request of any Board member, an item shall be removed from the consent agenda and be placed on the regular agenda under new business.
(D) Approval of all of the items on the consent agenda shall be accomplished by a single majority vote to approve the items on the consent agenda.
(Board and Administrative Policies Manual, § 2.20)
(A) The Clerk, Supervisor or their designee shall be responsible for determining that the township hall and the Board meeting room is properly set up for a public meeting.
(B) This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring that:
(1) The parking lot, sidewalks, ramps and stairs are clear of snow and ice during winter weather;
(2) The meeting room temperature is appropriate;
(3) Audio-visual equipment that may be used during the meeting is set up and tested;
(4) Adequate seating is available for the anticipated audience;
(5) Nameplates of Township Board members are placed on the Board table; and
(6) Copies of the proposed agenda and any other public materials are placed on a table along with any sign-in sheet and pens.
(Board and Administrative Policies Manual, § 2.21)
(A) All Board meetings shall be conducted under Robert’s Rules of Order.
(B) If a quorum of the Township Board is present, a Board meeting shall be called to order promptly at the time announced for the meeting.
(C) Each Board member shall fully participate in Board meetings by doing the following:
(1) Prepare for Board meetings by reading their packets and conducting necessary research ahead of time in order to fully participate in discussions;
(2) Help the chair keep meeting moving;
(3) Limit remarks to issue being considered;
(4) Ask questions for clarification;
(5) Respect colleagues’ rights;
(6) Refrain from speaking out of turn and interrupting other speakers;
(7) Actively listen;
(8) Listen courteously and attentively to all public discussions before the Board;
(9) Explain reasons behind significant decisions during the discussion before voting;
(10) Raise concerns and objections at a meeting, rather than after;
(11) Express disagreement verbally, rather than non-verbally;
(12) Criticize constructively and in private; and
(13) Vote with a clear audible voice.
(Board and Administrative Policies Manual, § 2.22)
(A) All Board members will be treated with equal dignity and respect, and Board members shall have equal access to speak and to make motions.
(B) The moderator is charged with ensuring that the will of the Board majority prevails on decisions, while giving Board members who hold to a minority view an adequate opportunity to present their positions to the other Board members.
(C) The moderator will keep discussions focused on the agenda items.
(D) The moderator will relinquish the gavel when he or she has a personal conflict of interest or is sufficiently conflicted on an issue that impartiality cannot be assured.
(E) The moderator will maintain proper decorum among Board members and the public audience.
(F) The moderator will:
(1) Open the meeting at the specified time;
(2) Explain meeting procedures and decision-making processes so that Board members and the audience may appropriately participate;
(3) Restate audience questions;
(4) Apply time limits consistently;
(5) Recognize and deal with procedural objections;
(6) Protect members and staff from verbal attack unrelated to official duties;
(7) Keep track of amendments to motions;
(8) Restate motions before they are voted upon;
(9) Call recesses during long meetings;
(10) Reconvene at specified time; and
(11) Adjourn the meeting.
(Board and Administrative Policies Manual, § 2.23)
(A) A Township Board member shall vote upon all matters that require a vote of the Township Board unless the Board member has a conflict of interest.
(B) If a Township Board member has a conflict of interest regarding a matter on which the Township Board is required to vote, the Board member will disclose that conflict of interest, and the Township Board member shall recuse himself or herself, and refrain from participation in all deliberations, discussions and voting on that matter.
(Board and Administrative Policies Manual, § 2.24)
(A) Members of the public shall have an opportunity, under public comment, to address the Board for no more than three minutes on any matter. Persons shall be recognized in the order in which they entered their name on the provided public comment card/form indicating their desire to address the Board. At its discretion, the Board may elect to take public comment by show of hand. Persons shall be recognized in the order their hands were raised. Persons desiring to address the Board who did not use the comment card/form, shall be recognized by raising their hands following those who have signed in.
(B) The Board may suspend the time limitation when warranted. Board discussion will precede public comment on specific agenda items. Prior to calling for the question, the Supervisor shall ask any member of the public who wishes to speak on the agenda item to be recognized. When all persons who wish to address that agenda item have been heard, the Supervisor shall announce that public comment on the agenda item is concluded, and no further public comment shall be entertained.
(C) Members of the public who wish to address the Board on an item not included on the agenda shall address the Board under public comment. They may speak for up to three minutes at the discretion of the Board.
(Board and Administrative Policies Manual, § 2.25)
(A) The Clerk shall ensure that minutes of Board meetings record:
(1) Time, date and place of the meeting;
(2) Board members present and absent;
(3) Decisions made by the Board at a meeting open to the public;
(4) Roll-call votes taken at the meeting; and
(5) The purpose or purposes for which a closed session is held.
(B) In addition to the minutes contents listed above that are required by the state’s Open Meetings Act, being M.C.L.A. §§ 15.261 et seq., the minutes shall list persons who addressed the Board under general public comment periods and the topic of their remarks.
(C) The content of minutes shall reflect the collective will of the Township Board as expressed in official Board decisions. Minutes shall not include personal comments or opinions of individuals unless authorized by a two-thirds vote of the Township Board members present.
(D) The Board shall make any corrections in the minutes at the next meeting after the meeting to which the minutes refer. Corrected minutes shall be available to the Board at or before the next subsequent meeting after correction. The corrected minutes shall show both the original entry and the correction.
(Board and Administrative Policies Manual, § 2.26)
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