The following rules of procedure and order of business shall be adhered to by the City Council unless the same be temporarily suspended by unanimous consent:
(A) Rule 1. At the appointed hour for the meeting, the Mayor or, in his absence, the Mayor pro tem, shall take the chair and call the Council to order. The City Clerk or someone appointed to fill his place, shall proceed to call the roll of members, marking the absentees, and announce whether a quorum be present. Upon the appearance of a quorum the Council shall proceed to the business before them, and the same shall be conducted in the following order:
(1) The reading of the minutes of the proceedings of the last meeting, amendment and approval of the same.
(2) The presentation of petitions.
(3) Reports of city officers.
(4) Communications to the Council.
(5) Unfinished business of preceding meeting.
(6) Motions, resolutions and notices.
(7) New business not otherwise provided for.
(B) Rule 2. All questions relating to the priority of business shall be decided without debate.
(C) Rule 3. The Mayor shall preserve order and decorum, and shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the Council; and shall conduct all business before the Council with fairness and impartiality, to a speedy and proper result.
(D) Rule 4. Every member, previous to his speaking, shall rise from his seat and address the Mayor, but shall not proceed with his remarks until recognized and named by the chair.
(E) Rule 5. When two or more members rise at once, the Mayor shall name the member that is first to speak.
(F) Rule 6. While a member is speaking, no member shall entertain any private discourse or pass between him and the chair.
(G) Rule 7. No member shall speak more than twice to the same general question, nor more than once to a “previous question” without leave of the Council; nor more than once on any question, until every member choosing to speak shall have spoken; nor longer than five minutes at any one time.
(H) Rule 8. A member called to order shall immediately sit down, unless permitted to explain. If there be no appeal, the decision of the chair shall be conclusive, but if a member appeal to the Council from the decision of the chair, the Council shall decide the question without debate, and the question to be put shall be: “Shall the decision of the chair be sustained?”
(I) Rule 9. Every member who is present when a question is stated by the Mayor shall vote thereon, unless he be excused by the Council, or unless he be directly interested in the question, in which case he shall not vote.
(J) Rule 10. While the Mayor is putting the question or deciding a point of order, the members shall be seated; and no member shall leave the Council chamber without permission from the Council.
(K) Rule 11. No motion shall be debated or put unless it be seconded, and when a motion is seconded it shall be stated by the chair, or if it be in writing it shall be read aloud by the Clerk before debate or vote thereon.
(L) Rule 12. If the question in debate contains several distinct propositions, any member may have the same divided.
(M) Rule 13. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received, unless for the “previous question,” “to postpone indefinitely,” “to adjourn to a certain day,” “to lay on the table,” “to amend,” or to adjourn the Council.
(N) Rule 14. A motion for the previous question, to lay the question on the table or to commit it, until it is decided, shall preclude all amendments and debate of the main question; and a motion to postpone a question indefinitely or to adjourn to a certain day shall, until it is decided, preclude all amendments to the main question.
(O) Rule 15. The “previous question” shall be as follows: “Shall the main question be now put?” If it is carried its effect shall be to bring the Council to an immediate vote, first upon the amendments, if any, upon the inverse order of their age, then upon the main question. If the previous question shall not be carried, the question may be resumed the same as if the previous question had not been put.
(P) Rule 16. When a blank is to be filled and different sums or times are proposed, the question shall be first upon the largest sum and the longest time.
(Q) Rule 17. When amendments are offered to any question before the Council, the vote shall first be taken on the amendment last proposed.
(R) Rule 18. The ayes and nays upon any question shall be taken and entered upon the minutes.
(S) Rule 19. In all cases when a resolution or motion shall be entered on the minutes of the Council, the name of the member moving the same shall be entered upon the minutes.
(T) Rule 20. The election of any member of the Council to the chair, during the temporary absence of the Mayor or acting Mayor, shall not deprive such member of his vote, and no vote shall be deemed carried except by a majority of the members present.
(U) Rule 21. All reports of committees shall be addressed to the “Mayor and Council of the City of Marseilles.”
(V) Rule 22. Any Commissioner can request that an item be placed on the agenda of an upcoming meeting. Such request shall be provided no later than 3:00 p.m. on the Friday before the meeting.
(W) Rule 23. “Roberts’ Rules of Order” shall govern the proceedings of the Council, except when in conflict with the foregoing rules.
(‘72 Code, § 2.04) (Am. Ord. 1469, passed 3-21-12)