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(A) (1) There shall be 5 standing committees of the Council as listed below:
(a) Finance; (The membership of this committee shall include all Council members when the civil city budget is being considered, and the chairperson shall be the Finance Committee Chairperson.)
(b) Planning and Development;
(c) Public Health and Safety;
(d) Public Works and Improvement; and
(e)
Cultural Arts; and
(f) Internal Controls Committee.
(2) Each committee shall consist of not less than 3 members appointed by the Council president. Both the majority and minority shall be represented on each committee. The Council President shall designate the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of each committee.
(B) There shall be appointed from time to time special committees as determined by the Council president or a majority of the Council. Any special committees shall have at least 3 members who are appointed by the Council president.
(C) The general responsibilities of each Council committee shall include the right to review all legislative proposals, reports and other pertinent information under its jurisdiction; and to monitor on a continuing basis the department, and bureaus and public officials under its jurisdiction. Each Council committee shall report periodically to the Council. All committees shall also deal with the issues referred to them by the President of the Council or by at least a majority of the Council.
(D) The first named Council member of each committee shall be Chairperson and, in his or her absence, the next named member.
(E) A committee shall meet on the call of the Chairperson or by the call of any 2 of its Council members in case the Chairperson is absent or declines to call the meeting.
(F) A special committee, when its report, if made, is disposed of and it has no other business, stands dissolved without motion; but an affirmative vote on recommitment has the effect of reviving the committee.
(G) When any matter has been referred to a committee, the Council member introducing the same shall have the right to meet with the committee during its deliberations thereon, but shall not vote.
(H) The rules of the Council as far as they are applicable shall be the rules of the committee, and procedure in the committee where not otherwise provided herein, shall follow the procedure of the Council.
(I) The proceedings of the committee shall be recorded by the Chairperson of the committee in a journal which shall, among other things, show those present at each meeting and include a record of the votes on any question on which a record vote is requested.
(J) (1) The Chairperson in the case of hearings to be conducted by the committee shall make public, pursuant to the office of the City Clerk, the announcement of the date, place, the subject matter of any hearing to be conducted on any measure or matter at least 1 week before the commencement of that hearing unless the committee determines that there is good cause to begin the hearing at an earlier date.
(2) In the latter event the Chairperson shall make such public announcements at the earliest possible date, but in no event shall the public announcement be shorter than 48 hours before the hearing.
(K) Council committees are authorized to hold hearings, receive exhibits, hear witnesses and report to the Council for final action, together with such recommendations as may be agreed upon by the committee.
(L) It shall be the duty of the Chairperson of each Council committee to report, within 30 days, with the exception of the budget, to the Council on all ordinances, resolutions, reports or other matters referred to it for consideration; and each Chairperson shall take or cause to be taken the necessary steps to bring such matters to a vote of the Council.
(M) (1) All hearings of a Council committee are open to the public and can be covered by the news media.
(2) However, in order to assure a respect to the conduct of the public hearings observing acceptable standards of dignity, propriety, courtesy and decorum, and to assure the proper fact-finding mission through the hearing process, the Chairperson may provide special rules governing such matters as to placement of microphones, location of cameras and the allocation of space for representatives of the media in the hearing rooms as circumstances may require.
(1979 Code, § 30.16) (Ord. 3116, passed 7-2-1979; Am. Ord. 3508, passed 1-17-1984; Am. Ord. 3923, passed 6-23-1989; Am. Ord. 4099, passed 1-25-1993; Am. Ord. 5753, passed 8-5-2019)
The order of business of the regular meetings of the Common Council shall be as follows, unless the rule is suspended by a 2/3 vote of the Council:
(A) Call to order, pledge and prayer, roll call;
(B) Minutes of last scheduled meeting and special meetings;
(C) Presentations and introductions;
(D) Unfinished business:
(1) Reports of Council Committees;
(2) Ordinances on second and third reading;
(3) Resolutions referred to committees; and
(4) Tabled ordinances, resolutions and the like.
(E) New business:
(1) Ordinances on first reading;
(2) Resolutions;
(3) Vacation hearings;
(4) Other new business;
(5) Reports of Mayor, Board of Works or city departments;
(6) Neighborhood association reports;
(7) Privilege of the floor;
(8) Scheduling of committee meetings.
(F) Acceptance of communications; and
(G) Adjournment.
(1979 Code, § 30.17) (Ord. 3116, passed 7-2-1979; Am. Ord. 3508, passed 1-17-1984; Am. Ord. 4904, passed 7-12-2005; Am. Ord. 5113, passed 6-16-2008
)
(A) Incorporation of state law. The provisions of I.C. 5-14-1.5-1 et seq. (Act), including definitions, apply to this section.
(B) Electronic Meetings Ordinance. This section shall be known as the "Electronic Meetings Ordinance" of the Council and applies to the Council and any committee appointed directly by the Council or its presiding officer.
(C) Participation by mean of electronic communication. Subject to divisions (F) and (H) below, any member may participate in a meeting by any electronic means of communication that:
(1) Allows all participating members of the governing body to simultaneously communicate with each other; and
(2) Other than a meeting that is an executive session, allows the public to simultaneously attend and observe the meeting.
(D) Quorum and voting. A member who participates by an electronic means of communication:
(1) Shall be considered present for purposes of establishing a quorum; and
(2) May participate in final action only if the member can be seen and heard.
(E) Application of policy. All votes taken during a meeting at which at least 1 member participates by an electronic means of communication must be taken by roll call vote.
(F) Limitations on participation by electronic means of communication.
(1) At least 50% of the members must be physically present at a meeting at which a member will participate by means of electronic communication;
(2) Not more than 50% of the members may participate by an electronic means of communication at that same meeting.
(3) A member may not attend more than 50% of the meetings in a calendar year by an electronic means of communication, unless the member's electronic participation is due to:
(a) Military service;
(b) Illness or other medical condition;
(c) Death of a relative; or
(d) An emergency involving actual or threatened injury to persons or property.
(4) A member may attend 2 consecutive meetings (a set of meetings) by electronic communication.
(5) A member must attend in person at least 1 meeting between sets of meetings that the member attends by electronic communication, unless the member's absence is due to:
(a) Military service;
(b) Illness or other medical condition;
(c) Death of a relative; or
(d) An emergency involving actual or threatened injury to persons or property.
(G) Minutes of meeting. The minutes or memoranda of a meeting at which any member participates by electronic means of communication must:
(1) Identify each member who:
(a) Was physically present at the meeting;
(b) Participated in the meeting by electronic means of communication; and
(c) Was absent; and
(2) Identify the electronic means of communication by which:
(a) Members participated in the meeting; and
(b) Members of the public attended and observed the meeting, if the meeting was not an executive session.
(H) Prohibited actions. No member of the Council may participate by means of electronic communication in a meeting at which the Council may take final action to:
(1) Adopt a budget;
(2) Make a reduction in personnel;
(3) Initiate a referendum;
(4) Impose or increase a fee;
(5) Impose or increase a penalty;
(6) Exercise the Council's power of eminent domain; or
(7) Establish, impose, raise or renew a tax.
(I) Emergency declarations. If an emergency is declared by (1) the Governor under I.C. 10-14-3-12; or (2) the Mayor under I.C. 10-14-3-29:
(1) Members are not required to be physically present for a meeting until the emergency is terminated; and
(2) Members may participate in a meeting by any means of communication, provided that:
(a) At least a quorum of the members participate in the meeting by means of electronic communication or in person;
(b) The public may simultaneously attend and observe the meeting unless the meeting is an executive session;
(c) The minutes or memoranda of the meeting must comply with division (G) above; and
(d) All votes taken during a meeting at which at least one member participates by an electronic means of communication must be taken by roll call vote.
(Ord. 5889, passed 2-14-2022)
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