I. MEETINGS. The regular meetings of Council shall be held in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each and every calendar month. Special meetings of Council may be called by the Mayor or by any three members of Council by having the Clerk serve written notice of the call of such meeting upon each member of Council and upon the Mayor, in person or by delivering a copy thereof to the usual place of residence of such persons not less than twelve hours prior to the holding of such meeting. Such notice shall specify the time and place of the holding of such meeting.
Regular work sessions open to the public shall be held in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month, unless a special Council meeting has been called for such day and time, as hereinabove provided, in which event the work session shall be convened immediately following the adjournment of the special meeting.
The Clerk of Council shall, as soon as possible, and on or before January 1 annually thereafter, cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in Huron, Ohio, a calendar of the regularly scheduled regular meetings of Council and the regularly scheduled work sessions of Council to be held as hereinabove provided during the succeeding twelve months.
The Clerk of Council shall maintain a current list of the names of the news media who have requested, in writing, notification of special meetings of the Council, and in the event of the scheduling of such a special meeting, the Clerk of Council shall, no later than twenty-four hours prior to the commencement of such special meeting, advise the news media who have requested notification, stating the time, place and stated purpose of the special meeting. Where practical, such notification shall be made in writing by first class mail addressed to such news media at the addresses provided by them to the Clerk of Council. In emergency situations where twenty-four hour notice is not possible, the Clerk of Council shall cause to be made oral notification to such news media representatives by telephone and shall record the fact of such notice in a statement to be attached to the minutes of the meeting.
Upon payment of an annual fee in the amount of ten dollars ($10.00) on or before January 1 of any year, any person may receive notice of all meetings of the Huron, Ohio City Council.
(Ord. 2005-42. Passed 9-13-05.)
II. HOLIDAY MEETINGS. When any regular Council meeting or any regular work session falls due on a legal holiday, or an election day, Council shall meet in regular session or regular work session on the day following, at the place and time set forth in paragraph I above.
III. JOURNAL. The Clerk of Council shall keep a written journal of the proceedings of all regular and special Council meetings, which journal shall be promptly recorded and open to public inspection. The journal shall only reflect the general subject matter of discussions held in executive sessions. (Ord. 1975-64. Passed 11-24-75.)
IV. OPEN PROCEEDING. The Mayor shall take the chair at the time appointed for Council to meet, and shall immediately call the members to order; he shall then cause the journal of the preceding session to be read and disposed of, unless otherwise ordered by Council. In the absence of the Mayor, the Vice Mayor of Council shall perform such duties as are imposed upon the Mayor. In the absence of both the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Council, Council may appoint a temporary chairman or President of Council.
V. PRESIDING OFFICERS. The Mayor shall preserve order and decorum, and confine members in debate to the question. He may in common with any other member call any member to order who shall violate any of the rules, and shall, when in the chair, decide all questions of order, subject to any appeal to Council on the demand of two members. On such appeal there shall be no debate, but the member making the appeal may briefly state his reasons for the same, and the presiding officer shall have the same right to a similar statement. The Director of Law shall function as Parliamentarian when requested by the presiding officer.
VI. STANDING COMMITTEES. Standing committees shall be created by motion of any Council member approved by a majority of the members of Council.
The Mayor shall appoint two members to each standing committee immediately following the approval of the motion creating such committee.
The Mayor may at any time remove any member or members of any standing committee and appoint a new member or members of such committee to serve in place of such member or members so removed. (Ord. 1962-20. Passed 7-23-62.)
VII. ORDER OF BUSINESS. The business of the regular meetings of Council shall be transacted in the following order:
1. Roll call;
2. Reading or disposal of the minutes;
3 . Old business;
4. New business;
5. City Manager's discussion and reports;
6. Mayor's discussion;
7. Adjournment.
The presiding officer of Council may at any time permit a member to introduce an ordinance, motion or resolution out of the regular order for the same, unless the same be objected to by a majority of the members present. (Ord. 1976-28. Passed 9-27-76.)
VIII. VOTING. Although it is the duty of each Council member to vote on each issue before the Council, a member may abstain, without explanation, if the member states that there is a potential or actual conflict of interest. There is no requirement that the member who abstains obtain the approval or consent of other Council members before that abstention. Any member who refuses to vote on any question when the yeas and nays are being taken, without recognizing the existence of a potential or actual conflict of interest will be deemed guilty of contempt of Council, and may for such contempt be censured by a majority vote of Council.
Roll call voting may be used to place the vote of the individual members on the record. Roll call votes are required to go into Executive Session for the limited purposes defined in Ohio R.C. 121.22 (G). There is no requirement to vote to come out of an Executive Session.
(Ord. 2010-34. Passed 9-14-10.)
IX. REPORTS OF COMMITTEE. The report of any committee of Council or Municipal officer, upon matters referred by Council, shall be made in writing and shall be accompanied by the original papers upon which such report is based, unless otherwise ordered by Council.
If any matters referred by Council to any committee or officer, are not reported upon within two weeks from the time of such reference, such matter shall be brought to the attention of Council by the Clerk, and Council shall take such further action in the premises as it may deem best.
X. MOTIONS, WHEN DEBATABLE; WITHDRAWAL. All motions shall be placed before Council for its consideration without the necessity for a second thereto.
When a motion is made, it shall be stated by the presiding officer before any debate shall be in order. Any such motion, and any amendment thereto, may be withdrawn by the movers thereof at any time before decisions, if a majority of the members then present shall agree thereto.
XI. DIVISION OF QUESTION. Any member may call for a division of the question, or the presiding office may direct the same, and in either case, the same shall be divided if it comprehends questions so distinct that one being taken away, the other will stand as an entire question for decision.
XII. TO REFER; PRECEDENCE. When there is a question of referring a given subject to a standing committee, or to a select committee, the question of reference to a standing committee shall be put first.
XIII. TO ADJOURN. The motion to adjourn shall always be in order, unless Council is engaged in voting, and the motion to adjourn or to lay on the table, or for the previous question, shall be decided without debate.
XIV. SUBSIDIARY; ORDER OF PRECEDENCE. When a question or proposition is before Council, or under debate, no motion shall be received except the following:
1. To adjourn;
2. To lay on the table;
3. For the previous question;
4. To postpone to a certain day;
5. To commit;
6. To amend;
7. To postpone indefinitely.
The several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they are herein arranged.
XV. INTRODUCTIONS. Ordinances and resolutions shall be introduced only by members of the Council present, except such ordinances and resolutions as may be presented to Council upon written recommendation of some committee of Council or as provided by the City Charter.
XVI. REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ORDINANCES. All ordinances of a general or permanent nature, except the ordinances for appropriation, before their final passage, may be referred to the Committee on Rules and Ordinances. It shall be the duty of such Committee as to any ordinance so referred to it, to carefully compare the same with all existing ordinances, upon the subject matter, and it shall report thereon any discrepancy or conflict which may exist therewith. It shall also examine and report upon the form of such discrepancy or conflict or to correct error in form. If any amendment shall be made to any ordinance after the Committee has reported thereon the ordinance may before its final passage be recommitted to such Committee for further report thereon.
XVII. REFERENCE TO COMMITTEES. Any report, resolution, ordinance or matter before Council for consideration, except appropriation ordinances, before their final passage may be referred to a committee specially appointed by the Mayor. Any such committee shall consider the matter thus referred to it and report thereon to Council without unnecessary delay. Any matter referred to a committee may be taken from the hands of such committee for consideration by a two-thirds vote of Council at any time prior to report of such committee.
XVIII. APPEARANCES BEFORE COUNCIL. Any person, group or delegation wishing to appear before Council at any regular or special Council meeting shall direct a letter to the Clerk of Council in such time that he will receive it not less than forty-eight hours before the time of the Council meeting. The letter shall clearly state the purpose of the appearance and the approximate number of persons who will appear in the group.
XIX. DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS. No member of Council while Council is in session shall engage in debate or discussion with any one save another member of Council or the Mayor or some person who has either been granted by Council the privilege to address Council or is present at a Council meeting on invitation of Council. All such debate or discussion shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.
XX. HEARINGS. If any elector or electors or taxpayers of the City or any other person or persons desire a hearing on any matters pending before Council, application may be made therefor to Council and Council may by a two-thirds vote grant such public hearing by arranging for a special time and place therefor which must not be during any regular or special meeting of Council.
XXI. RESIGNATION. The resignation of a member of Council shall not take effect until the same has been accepted by a vote of the majority of the members exclusive of the person tendering the resignation.
XXII. ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER. In the absence of any rule upon the matter of business, Council shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.
XXIII. AMENDMENTS. These rules may be amended or altered or new rules adopted by a vote of the majority of all the members elected at any meeting of Council, on the report of a committee to which the subject has been referred at a previous meeting.
XXIV. SUSPENSION OF RULES. These rules or any of them may be temporarily suspended at any meeting of Council, by a concurrent vote of the majority of all members elected, except when a greater number is required by law or by these rules. The vote on such suspension shall be taken by the yeas and nays and entered on the journal. In case any rule herein shall not have been adhered to by Council, the same shall be regarded as having been suspended. (Ord. 1962-20. Passed 7-23-62.)