(A) Unless otherwise specified, or unless changed by a specific provision of this chapter, the City Council shall be governed in all matters of procedure by that compilation of rules of procedure known as Robert's Rules of Order.
(Prior Code, § 1-519)
(B) (1) The Mayor, or other member of the City Council as may be presiding, may move, second, and debate from the chair, subject only to the limitations of debate as are imposed by these rules on all members, and shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges of a Council member by reason of his or her acting as the presiding officer.
(2) Every member desiring to speak shall address the chair, and upon recognition by the presiding officer, shall confine himself or herself to the question under debate, avoiding all personalities and indecorous language.
(3) A member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking, unless it is to call him or her to order or as otherwise provided in this chapter. If a member, while speaking, is called to order, he or she shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined, and, if in order, he or she shall be permitted to proceed.
(4) A member having the floor shall yield the same for a point of order addressed to the chair, a question of personal privilege raised by any member and an inquiry for information addressed to the chair. He or she may, upon request of any other member, temporarily yield the floor for any interrogation or a statement by any member, at the conclusion of which he or she will again be entitled to the floor.
(5) (a) The Council may, by general rule, limit debate or discussion on any matter, or may, by motion adopted at the time, limit debate or discussion on any particular subject or motion, and may, by majority vote of the members present, extend any limit.
(b) No member shall speak more than once on any subject under discussion without permission from the presiding officer.
(6) The Council member moving the adoption of an ordinance or resolution shall have the privilege of closing the debate.
(7) A motion to reconsider any action taken by the Council may be made only on the day the action was taken. It may be made either immediately during the same session or at a recessed or adjourned session thereof. The motion must be made by one of the prevailing side, but may be seconded by any member, and may be made at any time and have precedence over all other motions or while a member has the floor and it shall be debatable. Nothing in this division shall be construed to prevent any member of the Council from making or remaking the same or any other motion at a subsequent meeting of the Council.
(8) A Council member may request, through the Mayor, the privilege of having an abstract of his or her statement on any subject under consideration by the Council entered in the minutes. If the Council consents thereto, the statement shall be entered in the minutes.
(9) The City Clerk may be directed by the Mayor, with consent of the Council, to enter in the minutes a synopsis of the discussion of any question coming regularly before the Council.
(Prior Code, § 1-520)