(a) Attendance Roll Call. When the Presiding Officer shall have called the members to order, the Village Administrator-Clerk-Treasurer shall proceed to call the roll in rotating order, noting who are present, and who are absent. If, after having gone through the call, it shall appear that a quorum is not present, the fact shall be entered in the minutes, and the members present may adjourn to a later date in the month. If they do not, the Village Board shall stand adjourned to the time appointed for the next regular meeting unless a special meeting is called sooner.
(b) Roll Call Votes. A roll call shall not be necessary on any questions or motions except as follows:
(1) When the ayes and noes are requested by any member.
(2) When required by the state statutes of Wisconsin.
(c) Record of Votes. All aye and nay votes shall be recorded in the official minutes. The ayes and nays shall be ordered upon any question at the request of any member of the Village Board. Any Trustee may demand a vote on any matter. The Village Administrator-Clerk-Treasurer shall call for the ayes and noes on roll call votes in continuous rotation, beginning each roll call one (1) name further down the roster of Trustees. The Village Administrator-Clerk-Treasurer shall record the ayes and noes on each vote.
(d) Parliamentary Procedure. Except as provided below, the presiding officer, in the event of a dispute regarding procedure, shall in all other respects determine the rules of its procedure, which shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised (1984), which is hereby incorporated by reference, unless otherwise provided by ordinance or Statute.
(e) Motions Stated. Prior to any debate on a matter, the members of the Village Board shall be entitled to a clear understanding of the motion before the Village Board. The person making the motion shall clearly state the motion. There shall be a second to any motion prior to any debate or discussion of the motion. The presiding officer may, if felt necessary, restate the motion prior to any debate and discussion. Any member of the Village Board, prior to a vote on the motion, may request that the motion and any amendments adopted to the motion be reduced to writing and submitted in writing to the members of the Village Board prior to the final vote on the matter.
(f) Change of Vote. No member of the Village Board may change his or her vote on any action item, business item, motion or question after the final result has been announced.
(g) Motions With Preference. During any meeting of the Village Board certain motions will have preference. In order of precedence they are;
(1) Motion to Adjourn.
This motion can be made at any time and has first precedence. This is a non-debatable motion.
(2) Motion to Lay on the Table.
This motion may be made when the subject matter appropriate for tabling is to be debated or discussed. This motion is a non-debatable motion.
(3) Motion to Call Previous Question.
This motion may be made at any time after the debate or discussion commences related to an action item, business item, motion or question that is properly before the Village Board. This motion is a non-debatable motion. This motion, if adopted, ends the debate and discussion at the meeting on the action item, business item, motion or question. The motion, if adopted, brings the Village Board to a direct vote with the first vote on any amendments, if any, and then to the main action item, business item, motion or question.
(4) Motion to Postpone to a Date Certain.
This motion may be made at any time after the debate and discussion commences on an action item, business item, motion or question that is properly before the Village Board. This motion is debatable. This motion, if adopted, ends the debate and discussion at the meeting on the action item, business item, motion or question. This motion must establish a date and time certain when the debate and discussion before the Village Board will continue. The date and time established must be on a date and time for a regularly scheduled or special meeting of the Village Board.
(5) Motion to a Committee.
This motion may be made at any time after the debate and discussion commences on an action item, business item, motion or question that is properly before the Village Board. The motion is debatable. This motion, if adopted, ends the debate and discussion at the meeting on the action item, business item, motion or question. This motion, if adopted, forwards the action item, business item, motion or question to a committee for further review and discussion. The committee must be a committee of the Village Board.
(6) Motion to Amend or Divide the Question.
This motion may be made at any time after debate and discussion commences on the action item, business item, motion or question properly before the Village Board. The motion is debatable. This motion, if adopted, divides the main action item, main business item, main motion or main question pursuant to the method described and adopted in the motion to divide.
(7) Motion to Postpone Indefinitely.
This motion may be made at any time after debate and discussion commences on the action item, business item, motion or question properly before the Village Board. This motion is debatable. This motion, if adopted, ends the debate and discussion at the meeting on the action item, business item, motion or question.
(8) Motion to Introduce a Matter Related to the Action Item, Business Item, Motion or Question.
This motion may be made at any time after the debate and discussion properly before the Village Board. This motion is debatable. This motion, if adopted, expands or adds to the debate and discussion new items related to the main action item, main business item, main motion or main question pursuant to the method described and approved in the motion to introduce a matter related.
(h) Public Directory Votes. No member of the Village Board shall request, at a meeting of the Village Board, a vote from the general public unless the proposed vote of the general public is so noted by the presiding officer of the meeting as strictly an advisory vote to the Village Board. Any vote taken by the general public at a meeting of the Village Board shall be considered by the Village Board only as an advisory vote and shall not be considered as a directory vote.
(i) Compelling Votes; Abstentions. No member may be compelled to vote. When a member abstains from voting, the effect is the same as if the member voted on the prevailing side. The "prevailing side" is defined as the votes accumulated which resulted in carrying or defeating a question. In case of a tie vote (not including the abstention), the abstaining vote is considered a "naye." In case of a vote requiring approval by more than a simple majority, an abstaining vote is considered an "aye." (See also Section 2-5-7 on conflicts of interest).
(j) Majority Vote.
(1) Unless a larger number is required by statute, ordinance or bylaw, a majority vote of those present at a legally constituted meeting is necessary to carry a question.
(2) In the case of a tie vote on any motion, the motion shall be considered lost.
(k) Staff Input. During regular or special meetings of the Village Board, the presiding officer may call for a staff report on business items as the agenda is considered and before a motion is entertained by the presiding officer. Once a motion is pending, debate is limited to Village Board members; additional staff input will be limited to providing clarification on issues if requested by a Village Board member.