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The chairperson of each committee of Council shall give notice of all meetings of his or her committee, conduct such meetings, report matters out of the committee and make recommendations with respect to any subject referred to such committee. No committee or member thereof shall be permitted to incur any expense without first receiving the consent of Council.
(Res. 81-R-31, passed 4-6-1981)
Meetings of the General Committee, or Committee of the Whole, may be called by the Chairperson thereof at a regular or special meeting of Council at which all members of Council are present. Such announcement shall be deemed due notice of the meeting of the General Committee.
(Res. 81-R-31, passed 4-6-1981)
When a member of Council or any other public official wishes to address Council, he or she shall address the Chair and say "Mr. or Mrs. President". If the President of Council wishes to recognize the member or public official, he or she shall announce the name of the member or public official. If two members wish to speak at the same time, the President shall name the member who is to have the floor. No member shall speak more than twice on the same question, except with the permission of Council. He or she shall confine himself or herself to the question under discussion or debate. No member shall speak on any one question, ordinance or resolution more than a total of ten minutes at a meeting, unless additional time is granted by a majority vote of Council upon motion.
(Res. 81-R-31, passed 4-6-1981)
If any Council member, in speaking or otherwise, transgresses the Rules of Council, the President of Council shall call the offending member to order. A member may, by raising a point of order, call the attention of the President to such a transgression and the point of order shall be decided by the President without debate.
(Res. 81-R-31, passed 4-6-1981)
Any matter brought to the attention of Council may be referred by the President of Council to such standing or special committee as will be, in his or her judgment and discretion, proper. All such matters shall be investigated and a report shall be made to Council within such time as is fixed by the President. Upon expiration of such time, a motion shall be in order to discharge a committee of the responsibility for further consideration of a matter referred to it. Roll call shall be had on such motion and a majority of the members of Council must vote favorably upon the motion before the adoption thereof.
(Res. 81-R-31, passed 4-6-1981)
Upon the request of the chairperson of a standing or special committee, or of a majority of Council members, the Director of Law shall prepare legislation dealing with specific matters. All such legislation shall be delivered to members of the committee concerned with the subject matter of the legislation. Such committee shall review the legislation and give its report and recommendation not later than the second Council meeting following the referral of such legislation to the committee.
(Res. 81-R-31, passed 4-6-1981)
(a) Each ordinance and resolution shall be read by caption only, rather than in its entirety, provided, however, that Council may require any reading to be in full by a majority vote of its members.
(b) Each ordinance and resolution shall be read on three different days. Council may dispense with this rule by vote of at least two thirds of its members on a separate motion for such suspension. The Clerk of Council shall enter such separate vote on the journal or minute books of Council, indicating the number of yeas and nays if the vote is other than unanimous. If a motion to suspend the rule requiring three readings is passed prior to the taking of a vote on the passage or adoption of any legislation and an amendment is offered and approved prior to the taking of such final vote, no further separate vote need be taken on suspension of the rule as to three readings. If any legislation has initially been introduced and read by caption only, then the reading of the caption of such legislation at any subsequent meeting held on any subsequent day shall constitute a further reading of such legislation. Upon the third such reading of such legislation, the same may then be passed or adopted upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of Council.
(c) An ordinance or resolution may contain an emergency clause declaring that the same is an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety and such clause shall contain a specific reason for such necessity and shall require the affirmative vote of five members of Council for its enactment. If an ordinance or resolution, which has been read or introduced, contains an emergency clause and such ordinance or resolution receives an affirmative vote of fewer than five, but at least a majority of the members of Council, such ordinance or resolution shall be deemed to have passed but shall not become effective immediately upon its passage or adoption. It shall, however, become effective at the earliest period allowed for nonemergency ordinances or resolutions.
(Res. 81-R-31, passed 4-6-1981; Am. Ord. 04-O-50, passed 10-18-2004)
(a) Because of the great importance of ordinances and resolutions, especially the former, ordinances and resolutions shall be voted upon separately. The voting on such legislation shall be entered by the Clerk of Council in writing in the minutes as "yea" and "nay", together with the names of members of Council voting "yea" and those voting "nay".
(b) Beginning with the first month of the newly elected Council, the Clerk, when taking the vote of Council, shall poll Council alphabetically according to the last names of members. Each succeeding month, the Clerk shall start the roll call vote with the next name on the list. Special meetings shall follow the same procedure as regular meetings in the months they are held.
(Res. 81-R-31, passed 4-6-1981)
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