(A) All questions relating to the priority of business shall be decided by the Presiding Officer, without debate, subject to appeal by the Town Council.
(B) Subject to the limitations of § 30.31 on special meetings, matters of unusual importance or of an emergency nature may be added to the agenda at any time by the Presiding Officer or a Councilmember with the consent of a majority of all members elect of the Council.
(C) The Presiding Officer shall preserve order and decorum, and shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal by any member of the Council.
(D) Any person not a member of the Town Council shall give his name and address in an audible tone of voice for the record and, unless further time is granted by the Council shall limit his address to three minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the Council as a body and not to any member thereof. Persons other than the Councilmembers and any person having the floor shall not be permitted to enter into a discussion, either directly or through a member of the Council without the permission of the Presiding Officer. Questions shall not be asked of a Councilmember except through the Presiding Officer.
(E) Any person who makes personal, impertinent or slanderous remarks or who becomes boisterous or delays or interrupts the proceedings or peace of the Council or refuses to obey the orders of the Council or its Presiding Officer shall be forthwith, by the Presiding Officer, barred from further participation in the proceedings, and may be expelled from the meeting at the direction of the Presiding Officer.
(F) Every Councilmember, previous to speaking or making a motion, shall address himself to the Presiding Officer, and say, “Mr. President,” and the Councilmember shall not proceed with his remarks until he has been recognized by the Presiding Officer.
(G) When two or more Councilmembers are attempting to gain recognition from the Chairperson at the same time, the Chairperson shall recognize the Councilmember who addressed him first.
(H) In event of any disturbance or disorderly conduct, during any session of the Council, the Presiding Officer shall restore order and shall have the power to require the room to be cleared of disorderly spectators, if necessary.
(I) No Councilmember shall be allowed to leave the meeting room while the Council is in session unless excused by the Presiding Officer.
(J) No motion shall be put or debated until it has had a second. After a motion has received a second it shall be stated by the Presiding Officer before it shall be debated. After a motion has been stated by the Presiding Officer, the mover of the same shall be entitled to first have the floor and to talk upon the same, and if he so desires to close the discussion thereof after unlimited debate by the Town Council.
(K) When a question has been put for the purpose of taking a vote on the final passage of an ordinance or resolution, then it shall be the duty of the Clerk-Treasurer to call the name of each member of the Council in order of the wards of the town. Each Councilmember, as his name is called by the Clerk-Treasurer, may thereupon vote upon the question by saying “aye” or “no” according to his desire in the matter, unless such member be excused from voting by a majority vote of the Town Council. Any member may change his vote before announcement of the vote by the Chairperson.
(L) If any member requires it, the “ayes” and “noes” upon any question shall be taken and entered where not otherwise required to be entered, unless called for, previous to taking vote on any question.
(M) When any question is under discussion or debate, the only motion in order shall be as follows in divisions (1) through (8) below, and divisions (2), (3), and (4) shall be decided without debate:
(1) To adjourn to a time certain;
(2) To adjourn;
(3) To lay on the table;
(4) The previous question;
(5) To refer;
(6) To amend;
(7) To substitute; and
(8) To postpone indefinitely or to postpone to a time certain.
(N) When a previous question has been moved, it shall be the duty of the Presiding Officer to put in this form: “Are you ready for the question?” If the previous question carries, all further discussion must stop and the question must be put without delay. First the amendments in their proper order and then the main question in its amended form.
(O) When a motion is postponed indefinitely it shall not be taken up again at the same meeting.
(P) The Chief of Police or other member of the Police Department, or in their absence, an individual appointed by the Council, shall preserve order, and perform all duties usually pertaining to the office of Sergeant-at-Arms.
(Q) No ordinance may be passed at the same meeting it is introduced, unless under suspension of the rules, and then only with the unanimous consent of all members present and a two-thirds vote of the entire Council. In all other cases it shall require a majority vote of all members of the Town Council to pass an ordinance.
('80 Code, § 1.20.050) (Ord. 1982-28, passed 12-28-82)