The business and proceedings of the meeting of the Council shall be conducted in accordance with the following rules.
(A) The presiding officer may refer back to any order of business after passing it, if there is no objection from any Council member.
(B) The presiding officer shall preserve order at all meetings and when any Council member is called to order, he or she shall be seated until the point is decided. All questions of order shall be decided by the presiding officer, subject to appeal to the Council. In such appeal, a Council member shall state briefly what in his or her opinion the ruling should have been and upon this appeal being seconded, the question of the appeal shall be put by the presiding officer.
(C) When a question is being put by the presiding officer, no Council member shall leave the Council Chambers.
(D) If not covered in this section, questions of procedure and conduct at Council meetings shall be decided by the President of the Council in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.
(E) Upon request of any Council member, any motion or resolution shall be reduced to writing before being acted upon.
(F) No motion shall be put or discussed until it has been seconded.
(G) The minutes of the meeting shall show the Council member who offered or introduced a motion, resolution, or ordinance and the Council member seconding the same.
(H) The "yeas" and "nays" upon any question shall be taken and entered on the minutes on request of any Council member.
(I) The Council may reprimand or censure any of its members for improper behavior as Council member.
(J) Any resolution, ordinance, or motion may be withdrawn by its introducer or mover with consent of the Council member seconding same, before same is voted upon.
(K) Motions to reconsider may only be made by a Council member who voted with the majority.
(L) The presiding officer may reasonably limit the time during which any person not a member of the Council may address a Council meeting.
(M) The presiding officer may express his or her opinion on any subject being discussed or debated by the Council.
(N) The rules may be suspended on the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members of the Council.
(Prior Code, § 1-611) (Ord. 2005-2723, passed 2-7-2005)
Statutory reference:
Similar state law provisions, see Neb. RS 16-403