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The Council shall consist of seven (7) members, a majority of whom shall be elected one (1) from each of four (4) wards of the Municipality and the remaining three (3) elected at large. Ward boundaries shall be redrawn by a majority of Council to reflect approximately equal population, based upon a change due to annexation, or a change in population, in accordance with U.S. Census data revised each decade, within one (1) year of receipt by the Municipality of final census data.
Terms of members of Council shall be staggered such that the ward Council members from wards 1, 2, 3 and 4 shall be elected at the regular Municipal election in 2003 and every fourth (4th) year thereafter, while the at-large Council members shall be elected at the regular Municipal election in 2001 and every fourth (4th) year thereafter. The terms of members shall be four (4) years, commencing at the first regular meeting in December following their election and shall continue until their successors have been elected and sworn into office. (Amended 11-7-00; 11-2-10)
The Council shall conduct an organizational meeting at its first regularly scheduled meeting in December following each regular Municipal election. The Mayor shall preside at this organizational meeting and also at subsequent regular or special meetings at which legislative action may be taken. After the organizational meeting, the Council shall meet regularly at such times as may be prescribed by its rules, but not less frequently than twice each month. All regular meetings of the Council and all special meetings at which legislative action may be taken shall be open to the public, except as may be provided by State law. Any resident of the Municipality shall be entitled to speak at such meetings of the Council. Such right shall not be unreasonably abridged by any rules and regulations which the Council may adopt. Council may also conduct work session meetings, as necessary, at which no legislative action shall be taken, for the purpose of discussing legislative and other actions, which meetings shall be open to the public but shall not require any resident of the Municipality to be entitled to speak at such meetings. (Amended 11-8-05; 11-2-10; 11-3-15; 11-3-20)
At each organizational meeting of Council the members first shall elect by majority vote a member to the office of President of Council for a two (2) year term. A member so elected for two (2) consecutive full two-year terms shall thereafter be ineligible for that office for the next succeeding term.
The President of Council may appoint committees of Council to advise the Council on any functions of the Municipal government.
The President of Council shall preside at all meetings of Council at which no legislative action may be taken. (Amended 11-7-00; 11-8-05; 11-3-15)
Council shall appoint a Clerk of Council, who shall serve at the pleasure of Council. The Clerk of Council shall attend all meetings of Council at which legislative action may be taken, keep its records and perform all other duties prescribed by Council. During the absence or disability of the Clerk, the Council shall appoint a clerk pro tempore to perform all of the duties of the office. (Amended 11-3-15)
All the legislative powers of the Municipality and the determination of all matters of policy shall be vested in the Council. Without limitation of the foregoing, the Council may by ordinance make provision differing from the general law with respect to:
(a) The time and place of regular meetings of the Council;
(b) The method of calling special meetings of the Council;
(c) The method of giving public notice of the enactment of its ordinances and adoption of its resolutions, and of any other of its acts or proceedings which it deems proper to publish;
(d) The procedure for making public improvements and including the procedure for combining two (2) or more public improvements in one (1) proceeding if the Council finds that it will be economical and practical to undertake such improvements jointly;
(e) The making, advertising and awarding of contracts, except as provided in Section 6.04 of this Charter;
(f) The suspension of the rule requiring that legislation be read at three (3) separate Council meetings to permit legislation to be passed at one (1) meeting, provided there is an affirmative vote of at least six (6) members if seven (7) are present, or an affirmative vote of at least five (5) members if only five (5) or six (6) are present; the affirmative vote of four (4) members or less shall not be sufficient to suspend this three (3) reading rule regardless of the number of members present at a Council meeting; except that no such suspension may be taken on any ordinance referring to zoning or building codes or other regulations controlling the use or development of land;
(g) The appointment of such ad-hoc committees as it deems necessary for specific purposes as approved by Council; and
(h) Such other regulations as the Council may deem necessary, including regulations as to the custody and use by the Clerk of Council of an official seal which shall be the seal of the Municipality.
As part of the Council's review of the qualifications of applicants to boards, commissions, and committees to which Council appoints members, Council should seek to achieve broad geographical representation – e.g., wards and/or zoning districts -- on all Council-appointed boards, commissions, and committees, whether authorized by state statute, charter, or ordinance. (Amended 11-7-00; 11-8-05; 11-3-15; 11-3-20)
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