The following rules shall be observed in transacting the business of the City Council:
(A) Call to order. The City Council shall meet and shall immediately call the members to order. The roll shall be called, and the Mayor, at the request of any two members present, shall order the attendance of absent members;
(B) Minutes. At each regular meeting of the City Council the approval of the minutes of the proceedings of the last preceding regular meeting and the special meetings subsequent thereto, shall be first in order;
(C) Reports. The Mayor shall present written and oral suggestions and action shall be taken thereon.
(1) (a) There shall be reports from officers and action thereon in the following order when required by Council:
1. Mayor;
2. Chief Financial Officer;
3. Attorney; and
4. Treasurer.
(b) There shall be reports from standing committees and action thereon, when required by Council.
(c) Next shall follow reports from select committees and action thereon.
(2) Any recommendations of the Mayor to the City Council may be in writing. The Mayor shall make a report to the City Council of all of his or her official acts, and shall make such recommendations, in the report to the City Council, as he or she may deem expedient, provided when any question or subject or motion is before the City Council, the Mayor may recommend its disposal;
(D) Motions, resolutions, and ordinances. Every motion or resolution shall, if the Mayor or any member requires it, be reduced to writing and the name of the member offering the resolution or motion shall be entered with it on the journal.
(1) When a motion is made and seconded it shall be deemed to be in possession of the City Council, and may be stated by the Mayor, or, if in writing, read by the City Clerk, previous to the debate thereon. After a motion is stated by the Mayor or read by the City Clerk, it may be withdrawn by the mover at any time before amendment thereto, or decision thereon but not afterwards, except by unanimous consent of the City Council.
(2) All questions shall be put to the City Council by the Mayor, and in doubtful cases, or when called for by any member, he or she shall direct a division.
(3) When demanded by any member present the “yeas” and “nays” may be called for and entered on the journal upon any question before the City Council. The “yeas” and “nays” shall be called upon the passage or rejection of an ordinance, and shall be entered upon the journal.
(4) When a question is before the City Council, no motion shall be received or entertained, except to amend, to postpone, to refer to a committee the previous or main question, to lay on the table or to adjourn.
(5) A motion to adjourn shall always be in order unless the City Council be engaged in voting, and shall be decided without debate.
(6) The previous question shall be put in these words: “Shall the main question now be put?” Until decided, all debate on or amendment to the main question shall be suspended. An ordinance, after commitment and report thereon, may be recommitted at any time previous to its final passage.
(7) All resolutions and motions which create any liability against the city; or provide for the expenditure or appropriations of its money; or sell any city property; and all ordinances, passed by the City Council, shall be deposited with the City Clerk. If the Mayor approves of them, he or she shall sign them. Those of which he or she disapproves he or she shall return to the City Council, with his or her written objections, at the next regular meeting of the City Council not less than five days after its passage. The Mayor may disapprove of any one or more sums appropriated in any ordinance, resolution or motion making an appropriation, and if so the remainder shall be effective. However, the Mayor may disapprove entirely of an ordinance, resolution or motion making an appropriation. If the Mayor fails to return any ordinance or any specified resolution or motion with his or her written objections, at the next regular meeting of the City Council occurring not less than five days after its passage, it shall become effective despite the absence of his or her signature;
(E) Voting. Every member present when a question is put, shall vote, unless interested or the City Council shall for special reasons, excuse him or her from voting.
(1) No member shall vote when personally interested in the decision of a question before the City Council.
(2) No vote of the City Council shall be reconsidered or rescinded at a special meeting of the City Council, unless the meeting be called for that purpose, and the Alderpersons be so notified, and unless at the special meeting there be present as large a number of Alderpersons as were present when the vote was taken;
(F) Miscellaneous rules. Unfinished business shall follow the call to order, the reading of the minutes and submission of reports and shall include anything not specified therein.
(1) Miscellaneous matters, including appointments, petitions, remonstrances, resolutions, ordinances not yet acted upon or any other matter that any officer or member is desirous to bring before the City Council shall follow the transaction of unfinished business.
(2) The Mayor shall have the right to decide all questions of order.
(3) Every member, when addressing the Mayor or City Council on any subject before the City Council shall address the chair in a courteous manner.
(4) When the roll of the City Council is called, or the “yeas” and “nays” called for, the names of the members shall be called in alphabetical order;
(G) Rule changes. Neither the foregoing rules of this section, nor any part thereof, shall be suspended, changed, modified, repealed or annulled, unless by consent of three-fourths of all the Alderpersons to which the city is entitled.
(1977 Code, § 2-1-3)