(A) Permission to speak. Any person desiring to address the Commission shall first secure the permission of the presiding officer so to do.
(B) Interested parties - relevant issues. Interested parties or their authorized representatives may address the Commission by written communications in regard to matters then under discussion, and such communications shall be read by the City Clerk/City Administrative Officer at the next regular meeting unless objected to by a majority of the Commission.
(C) Interested persons - protest issues. Interested persons or their authorized representatives may address the Commission by reading of protests, petitions, or communications relating to zoning, sewer and street proceedings, hearings on protests, appeals and petitions, or similar matters.
(D) Taxpayers or residents. Taxpayers or residents of the city, or their authorized legal representatives, may address the Commission by oral communications on any matter concerning the city's business or any matter over which the Commission has control; provided, however, that preference shall be given to those persons who may have notified the City Clerk/City Administrative Officer in advance of their desire to speak in order that the same may appear on the agenda of the Commission.
(E) Personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks. Any person making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks or who shall become boisterous while addressing the Commission shall be forthwith, by the presiding officer, barred from further audience before the Commission unless permission to continue be granted by a majority vote of the Commission.
(F) Relevant and indecorous remarks. Every member desiring to speak shall address the Chair and, upon recognition by the presiding officer, shall confine himself to the question under debate, avoiding all personal and indecorous language.
(G) Point of order. A member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless it be to call him to order, or as herein otherwise provided. If a member, while speaking, be called to order, he shall cease speaking until the question of order be determined and, if in order, he shall be permitted to proceed.
(H) Right to close debate. The Commission member moving the adoption of an ordinance, municipal order, or resolution shall have the privilege of closing the debate.
(I) Motion to reconsider. A motion to reconsider any action taken by the Commission may be made only on the day such action was taken. It may be made either immediately during the same session, or at a recessed or adjourned session thereof. Such 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; it shall be debatable. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent any member of the Commission from making or remaking the same or any other motion at a subsequent meeting of the Commission.
(J) Sergeant-at-arms. The presiding officer may, as needed, designate a sergeant-at-arms for the Commission meetings. The person thus designated shall carry out all orders and instructions given by the presiding officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the Commission meeting. Upon instructions of the presiding officer, it shall be the duty of the sergeant-at-arms to place any person who violates the order and decorum of the meeting under arrest, and cause him to be prosecuted under the provisions of this code, the complaint to be signed by the presiding officer.
(K) Committees. All committees shall be appointed by the presiding officer.
(1) Explanation of vote. Any member shall have the right to have the reasons for his dissent from, support of, or protest against, any action of the Commission entered on the minutes.
(M) Power to introduce ordinances, orders, and resolutions. Ordinances, municipal orders, resolutions, and other matters or subjects requiring action by the Commission must be introduced and sponsored by a member of the Commission.
(N) Motion to adjourn. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order and decided without debate.
(O) Robert's Rules of Order. If a question of procedure is not covered above, and if its resolution is deemed by the presiding officer to be absolutely necessary to a fair consideration of the substantive issue under discussion, Robert's Rules of Order shall be the controlling authority.
('82 Code, § 1.9) (Ord. 1-1983, passed 9-12-82)