(A) Generally. The Mayor and the City Council shall conduct each regular and special meeting of the City Council in compliance with Robert's Rules of Order; provided that the failure of the Mayor and/or the City Council to follow Robert's Rules of Order shall not create any right or violate any right of any third party, person or citizen that is not the Mayor or a member of the City Council, or create or give rise to any due process claim for or on behalf of any third party, person or citizen who is not the Mayor and/or a member of the City Council. This provision may be enforced exclusively by the Mayor.
(B) Agenda item discussion. The Mayor shall identify the agenda item being considered. The sponsor shall explain the agenda item and make a motion. If and when the motion is seconded, the discussion shall begin.
(1) Pursuant to Texas Government Code section 551.007, members of the public may speak on an agenda item during the public comment section of the meeting or at the time the agenda item is called for discussion by the Mayor. Speakers shall be given three minutes. A speaker needing a translator and/or interpreter may be given six minutes to speak. Criticism of city employees or staff is prohibited. Those wishing to address the Council regarding an item not on the agenda must be a citizen, property owner or business owner of Gun Barrel City. Comments on such non-agenda items shall be limited to three minutes. The Council will not comment on items not on the agenda; however, the Council may refer the item to City staff for research, resolution or referral of the matter to the Council is a future agenda item.
(2) The Mayor shall use his or her discretion in the conduct of Council meetings to facilitate the business is conducted in an efficient manner. Council shall have reviewed their packet and satisfied questions on the packet material prior to the meeting.
(3) There may be an item that in the best interest of the city should be tabled for more consideration and input from the citizens. The Mayor or any Council member may make this recommendation on any item that Council members or the citizens are still concerned about. The Council may, by majority vote, table or continue any such item indefinitely or to a future meeting. A workshop may be appropriate before including the item on the next regular Council meeting for consideration.
(C) Approval of agenda items. The Mayor shall call for a vote on agenda items after the discussion has been closed. A majority vote of the Council members present shall be required to approve or reject action on any agenda item.
(Ord. 495, passed 7-9-96)
(D) Veto power of Mayor. Every ordinance or resolution passed by the City Council must be filed with the City Secretary. Thereupon, the Mayor may either sign or refuse to sign the ordinance or resolution. If the Mayor refuses to sign the ordinance or resolution, his or her objections must be set forth in writing and submitted to the City Secretary within three days of the time the ordinance or resolution was filed. If the Mayor's statement of objections is not filed within three days, the ordinance or resolution automatically goes into effect without his or her signature. If the Mayor timely files a statement of objections to the ordinance or resolution, it is killed unless a two-thirds majority of the full Council votes to override the Mayor's veto by adopting the ordinance or resolution as originally proposed, with the votes of each Council member entered in the minutes of meeting at which the vote was taken.
(`88 Code, Ch. 1, § 12.06) (Ord. 260, passed 1-10-89; Am. Ord. O-2011- 011, passed 7-26-11; Am. Ord. O-2019-022, passed 11-19-19; Am. Ord. O-2021-019, passed 5-25-21)