The following standing rules are hereby prescribed for the government of Council:
(a) Procedure. The order of proceedings at the meetings of Council shall be as follows:
(1) Roll call;
(2) Reading the minutes;
(3) Receiving petitions and reading of correspondence;
(4) Report from any officer of the City;
(5) Unfinished business appearing upon the record;
(6) Reports from committees in the following order: Finance, Streets, Ordinances, Sewers, Sidewalks, Safety, Service and Special Committees;
(7) Hearing any residents relative to any matter which may properly be brought to the attention of Council;
(8) Reading and consideration of resolutions and ordinances;
(9) Miscellaneous business.
The order of proceedings may be suspended or changed at any regular meeting by a majority of the members present.
(1941 Code, Sec. 1-46; Ord. 80-125. Passed 11-20-80.)
(b) Adoption of Ordinances and Resolutions.
(1) The following procedures shall apply to the passage of ordinances and resolutions:
A. Each ordinance and resolution shall be read by title only, provided Council may require any reading to be in full by a majority vote of its members.
B. Each ordinance or resolution shall be read on three different days, provided Council may dispense with this rule by a vote of at least three-fourths of its members.
C. The vote on the passage of each ordinance or resolution shall be taken by yeas and nays and entered upon the journal.
. D. Each ordinance or resolution shall be passed, except as otherwise provided by law, by a vote of at least a majority of all the members of Council.
(2) Action by Council, not required by law to be by ordinance or resolution, may be taken by motion approved by at least a majority vote of the members present at the meeting when the action is taken.
(ORC 731.17)
(c) Questions of Order. All questions of order shall be decided by the President of Council subject to appeal to Council.
(d) Appeals. An appeal from the President of Council upon a question of order shall be allowed upon the demand of any member. The question upon an appeal shall be put in the following form: "Shall the decision of the chair be sustained?" The vote upon the appeal shall be taken by "yeas" and "nays".
(e) Who Shall Vote. When a question is put, every member present shall vote, unless Council excuses him.
(f) Debate. No motion shall be debated until it is seconded and stated by the chair. Members must be recognized by the chair before commencing to speak and when speaking shall confine themselves to the question under debate and shall avoid any references to personalities or indecorous language, as well as reflections upon
Council or its members. No member shall speak more than ten minutes at a time on any question without permission from Council. The member making a motion or second or speaking may arise and address the chair. All motions, when seconded, shall be stated by the President of Council previous to debate, and if in writing, shall be read by the Clerk of Council.
(Ord. 93-44. Passed 5-20-93.)
(g) Reconsideration. A motion to reconsider shall be made only by a member who voted with the majority or a controlling minority and such motion shall not be debatable.
(h) Previous Question. Any member may demand the previous question upon the passage of any ordinance, motion or resolution, and thereupon the President of Council shall ask, "Shall the main question be now put?", and if a majority of Council votes in the affirmative, the previous question shall be put; first, upon the pending amendments in accordance with their priority, and then upon the original ordinance, motion or resolution, and no debate or amendment shall be in order until the previous question is exhausted.
(i) Protest. Any member may protest against any ordinance or resolution passed by Council, which he may think injurious to the public or an individual, and he may have his protest entered upon the journal.
(j) Decorum. No member shall engage in private discussion or walk about the room while the chair is putting a question or while a member is speaking.
(1941 Code, Sec. 1-46.)
(k) Committees. There shall be the following standing committees of Council, each committee to consist of three members: Annexation, Code Administration, Department of Development, Enterprise Zone, Finance, Firemens’ Dependency Board, Territorial Park, Ordinances, Public Relations, Revolving Loan Fund, Safety, Service, Sewers, Sidewalks and Streets. There shall be the following Council liaisons: Administration Supervisors, Chamber of Commerce, Health Board and Recreation Board.
Appointment to all standing and special committees and all liaisons shall be at the direction of the President of Council.
(Ord 92-7. Passed 1-16-92.)
(l) Robert’s Rules. In all cases not provided for in the foregoing rules or by law, Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall be received as a rule.
(Ord. 86-67. Passed 12-30-86.)