Chapter 6.
The Council
The Council
Special meetings shall be called by the Clerk on the written request of the Mayor or any two members of the Council on at least six hours' written notice to each member of the Council, served personally or left at his usual place of residence; but any special meeting at which all members of the Council are present or for which absent members have waived the requirement of six hours notice thereof in writing shall be a legal meeting.
State Law References: Public notice of special meetings, MCL 15.265.
No business shall be transacted at any special meeting of the Council, unless the same has been stated in the notice of such meeting. However, if all the members of the Council are present at any special meeting of the Council and consent thereto, any business which might lawfully come before a regular meeting of the Council may be transacted at such special meeting.
All regular and special meetings of the Council shall be open to the public, and the rules of order of the Council shall provide that citizens shall have a reasonable opportunity to be heard.
Editor's Note: Insofar as Charter § 6.4 requires open meetings, it is superseded by MCL 15.261 et seq. See MCL 15.261.
State Law References: Mandatory that Charter provide that the business of legislative body be conducted at a public meeting held in compliance with the Open Meetings Act, MCL 117.3(l).
Four members of the Council shall be a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the Council. In the absence of a quorum, a lesser number may adjourn any meeting to a later date. In the absence of all members, the Clerk may adjourn any meeting to a date not later than one week thence.
The Council may, by majority vote of those present, compel the attendance of its members and other officers of the City at its meetings and enforce orderly conduct and procedure therein. A police officer designated by the presiding officer of the Council shall serve as the sergeant-at-arms in the enforcement of the provisions of this Section.
The Council shall determine its own rules and order of business, subject to the following provisions:
(1) A journal of the proceedings of each meeting shall be kept by the Clerk in the English language and shall be signed by the presiding officer and Clerk of the meeting.
State Law References: Mandatory that Charter provide for keeping in the English language a written or printed journal of each session of the legislative body, MCL 117.3(m).
(2) The vote upon all ordinances and resolutions shall be taken by a "Yes" and "No" vote and entered upon the records, except that, where the vote is unanimous, it shall only be necessary to so state.
(3) No Councilman shall vote on any question in which he has a financial interest, other than the common public interest, or on any question concerning his own conduct, but, on all other questions, each member who is present shall vote, unless excused by unanimous consent of the remaining members present.
(4) Each standing committee of the Council shall be composed of at least three members. In the event that the office of City Administrator is created as provided for in Section 4.6, supra, the Council shall not have any standing committee. The Council shall not assign the administration of any department of the City to any member or committee of the Council.
(Amendment of 8-5-2003)
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