Rule 1. The Council shall provide by annual resolution for the time and place of its regular meetings and shall hold at least two regular meetings in each month. If any time set for the holding of a regular meeting of Council falls on a holiday, then such regular meeting shall be held at the same time and place on the next business day which is not a holiday.
Rule II. Special meetings of Council may be called by the City Clerk on the written request of the Mayor or any two members of Council. Public notice stating the date, time, place and purpose of the meeting shall be posted at least eighteen hours before the meeting. Such public notice shall contain the name, address and telephone number of the public body to which the notice applies and shall be posted at City Hall and any other location considered appropriate by the City. Notice of such meeting shall be personally served on each member of Council or left at his or her usual place of residence at least six hours prior to the meeting by the Clerk or someone designated by him or her. A Council member may waive the right to receive such six-hour personal notice either by filing a written waiver with the Clerk or by attending such special meeting.
Rule III. Four members of Council shall be a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of Council, but, in the absence of a quorum, two members or more may adjourn a regular or special meeting to a later date.
Council may, by a vote of not less than two of its members, compel the attendance of its members and other officers of the City at its regular and special meetings and enforce orderly conduct therein. A member of Council or an officer of the City who refuses to attend such meetings or conduct himself or herself in an orderly manner thereat shall be deemed guilty of misconduct in office.
Rule IV. Members of the public shall be permitted to address a meeting of Council upon recognition by the Mayor. Each person shall begin by stating their name and address and shall be permitted to speak once on each agenda item for three minutes. The Mayor may allow additional time at his or her discretion.
(a) PUBLIC HEARING COMMENT: Where the Agenda provides Public Hearing comment, each person addressing the Council shall be limited to five minutes regarding the specific agenda Public Hearing item.
(b) CALL TO THE PUBLIC: Call to the Public, as specified under Rule XIII Order of Business, shall be restricted to comment on Non-Agenda items with a three minute time restriction.
(c) ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL: Members of the public desiring to address the Council by oral communication shall first secure the permission of the Mayor. Preference will be given to those persons who have notified the City Clerk in advance of a regular Council Meeting of their desire to speak in order that their name may be placed on the agenda. They will be recognized by the Mayor without further action.
(d) MANNER OF ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL: Each person addressing the Council shall approach the lectern, and may give their name in an audible tone of voice for the record. All remarks shall be addressed to the Council as a body, and not to any member. No person, other than members of the Council and the person having the floor, shall be permitted to enter into any discussion, either directly or through the members of the Council. No questions shall be asked the Council Members, except through the Mayor.
(e) PERSONAL AND SLANDEROUS REMARKS: Any person making personal, impertinent or slanderous remarks, or who shall become boisterous, while addressing the Council, may be requested to leave the lectern.
(f) WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS: Interested parties, or their authorized representatives, may address the Council by written communication in regard to any matter concerning the City's business or over which the Council has control at anytime by direct mail or by addressing the City Clerk, and copies will be distributed to Council Members.
The Police Chief or, in their absence, the assistant in command of the Police Department, shall serve as the Sergeant-at-Arms of Council in the enforcement of this section.
Rule V. Council shall keep a journal in the English language of all its proceedings, which shall be signed by the Mayor and the City Clerk. A citizen or taxpayer of the City shall have access to the minutes and records of all regular and special meetings of Council at all reasonable times.
Rule VI. Every Council member present when a question is stated or a vote is called for on a resolution, motion, question or ordinance shall vote "yes" or "no". A roll call shall be taken any time the vote is not unanimous.
Roll call votes shall be conducted by the City Clerk, or designee, in such sequence so as to rotate the requirement of voting first to each Council member clockwise around the Council table, provided that the Mayor always votes last. All votes shall be recorded either as unanimous or as stating how each Council member voted if there was a call of the roll.
A Council member having a pecuniary interest in the outcome of the vote shall abstain from voting and state this as their reason.
Rule VII. The Mayor shall preside at all meetings of Council and maintain order. In his or her absence, the Mayor Pro Tem shall preside. The Mayor may speak on all points and shall decide questions of order, subject to an appeal. He or she shall be entitled to vote on all questions. He or she shall put all questions for a vote of Council. If both the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tem are absent, the remaining Council members may, by majority vote, elect one of their members to preside at the meeting.
Rule VIII. The City Clerk, or someone designated by the City Manager, shall attend all meetings of Council and cause to be kept correct minutes of the proceedings. The Clerk shall cause such minutes to be typed, with copies thereof to be placed in the files of the Mayor and the Council members. Upon approval of the minutes by Council, one copy, certified by the Mayor and the Clerk, shall be kept by the Clerk as and for the official record of the proceedings of Council.
Rule IX. The City Clerk shall publish and/or post all ordinances or notices in accordance with the requirements of the statutes of the State and the City Charter and as directed by Council. The Clerk is hereby designated as the person to post notices of all meetings of Council.
Rule X. All ordinances or resolutions shall be filed in the City Clerk's office by 12:00 noon on Wednesday of the week before the meeting at which they are to be considered by Council. The Clerk shall prepare a list for each Council member, setting forth the order of business for the meeting and the matters to come before the meeting, together with a copy of each resolution or ordinance to be considered by Council at such meeting, which list shall be available and delivered to each Council member not later than midnight on the Thursday prior to the regular meeting each week.
Rule XI. All ordinances shall be in writing and shall be introduced in the following manner:
(a) Any member of Council may, at the time provided for the introduction of ordinances in the regular order of business, or at any time agreed to by the rest of Council, request the City Clerk to read the title of the proposed ordinance. After the Clerk has read the title of the proposed ordinance, any member may introduce the ordinance. An ordinance may be referred to by reference to the entire title of the ordinance or by a short title.
(b) No ordinance shall be adopted unless it has been introduced within sixty days of the date it is to be adopted. Unless otherwise provided by law, an ordinance shall be adopted when approved by a majority vote of Council after it has been moved and seconded that the ordinance, in its entirety and as amended, be adopted, and it may be referred to in such motion by its short title. However, an ordinance may not be adopted during the same meeting during which it was introduced unless it was declared an emergency ordinance.
(c) All resolutions considered by Council shall be in writing and numbered sequentially each year, and the resolution or a summary thereof shall be read before a vote is taken. Resolutions, motions and questions shall require a second before a vote is taken and shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of Council for adoption or passage, unless otherwise provided by law.
Rule XII. The Mayor or a Council member may request that an ordinance or resolution be prepared by the City Attorney and that it be placed on the agenda for consideration by Council in accordance with this section. Upon receipt of such a request, the Attorney shall prepare such ordinance or resolution and file it with the City Clerk to be placed on the agenda for the meeting at which it is to be considered in accordance with such request.
Rule XIII. The order of business at meetings of Council shall be as follows, except when otherwise agreed to by the Council members. Such exceptions may be those items of business as are set out in the Consent Calendar.
(a) Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance;
(b) Consent Calendar (those items as agreed to by Council);
(c) Approval of minutes;
(d) Call to the public;
(e) Reports of Council members serving on boards and commissions;
(f) Introduction of new ordinances;
(g) Consideration/passage of previously introduced ordinances;
(h) Introduction of or approval of new resolutions;
(i) Consideration/passage of previously introduced resolutions;
(j) Consideration of motions for various matters, including but not limited to approval of bids, City budgets and financial matters, approval of events, franchise approvals or any other matter requiring a motion made and seconded brought before the Council;
(k) Approval of bills and payroll;
(l) Reports from the City Manager and/or department heads;
(m) Unfinished business;
(n) New business;
(o) Adjournment.
Rule XIV. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be entertained except the following, and they shall have precedence in the order in which they are set forth herein:
(a) To adjourn;
(b) To lay on the table;
(c) For the previous question;
(d) To postpone to a certain day;
(e) To refer;
(f) To amend; and
(g) To postpone indefinitely.
Rule XV. Insofar as Robert's Rules of Order are not inconsistent with the statutes of the State, the City Charter or this section, Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of Council when applicable. The official edition of such Robert's Rules of Order shall be maintained at the office of the City Clerk.
Rule XVI. This section may be amended from time to time by a majority vote of Council.
Rule XVII. This section or any part thereof may be temporarily suspended only after an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of Council.
Rule XVIII. At the first meeting of each new Council following each regular biennial City election, the City Clerk shall call the meeting to order and shall preside. The Clerk shall, after calling the meeting to order, proceed to administer the oath of office to the Mayor and to all newly elected Council members, who shall thereupon assume their duties and places as Council members. Council shall thereupon select one of its members to serve as Mayor Pro Tem. The Mayor Pro Tem shall perform the duties of the Mayor when, on account of absence from the City, disability or otherwise, the Mayor is temporarily unable to perform the duties of his or her office, and, in case of vacancy in the office of Mayor, until such vacancy is filled by Council. If a vacancy occurs in the office of Mayor Pro Tem, Council shall appoint from its membership to fill such vacancy and, in a time of emergency, members of Council may act as Mayor Pro Tem in the order of the number of votes received by them at their election, until a Mayor Pro Tem is so appointed.
Rule XIX. Whenever a board, committee, authority, council, agency or organization requests or recommends that Council take action with respect to a matter, whether it be by motion, resolution or ordinance, such request shall be in writing and shall include satisfactory evidence showing that such request or recommendation has been approved by such board, committee, authority, council or the governing board of such agency or organization.
(Res. 07-06. Passed 3-26-07; Res. 21-25. Passed 12-6-21.)