(a) Meetings.
(1) Regular meetings of Council shall be held in the Village Hall at 7:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every calendar month.
(2) Special meetings of Council may be called by the Mayor or by any three members of Council by having the Clerk serve written notice of the call of such meeting upon each member of Council and upon the Mayor in person or by delivering a copy thereof to the usual place of residence of such persons not less than twelve hours prior to the holding of such meeting. Such notice shall specify the time and place for the holding of such meeting.
(3) When any regular meeting of Council falls due on a legal holiday or on an election day, no meeting shall be held on such holiday or election day but instead Council shall meet in regular session on the day following and at the place and hour fixed for regular meetings.
(4) A majority of all the members elected shall be a quorum to do business but a lesser number may adjourn the meeting from time to time and compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as may from time to time be prescribed by rules of Council.
(b) Call to Order. The Mayor shall take the chair at the time appointed for meetings of Council and shall immediately call the members to order, shall cause the roll to be called and when a quorum is present shall cause the Journal of the preceding session to be read and disposed of unless otherwise directed and ordered by Council. In the absence of the Mayor, the President of Council shall perform such duties as are imposed upon the Mayor.
(c) Presiding Officer. The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum and confine members of Council, in debate, to the question. The presiding officer may, in common with any other member, call any member of Council to order when any such member violates any of the rules governing the proceedings of Council and shall, when in the chair, decide all questions of order subject to the right of appeal to Council on the demand of two members. On such appeal there shall be no debate but the member instituting the appeal may briefly state his or her reasons for the same and the presiding officer shall have the same right to a similar statement as to his or her ruling.
(d) Planning Commission and Standing Committees. At the organizational meeting of Council each year, the Council in accordance with the Charter, shall appoint the two members of Council to serve on the Planning Commission and shall designate one such member as the Chair of the Planning Commission. At the organizational meeting of the Council each year, the Council President shall appoint the standing committees and their chair. Unless otherwise provided by Council, the standing committees are: Facilities, Roads and Safety, and Council Committee of the Whole and Finance. The Mayor shall serve as an ex- officio member of each standing committee.
(1) The Facilities Committee shall be comprised of two Council members, the Service Director or the Service Director’s designee, the Building Commissioner, and the Village Engineer. One of the two Council members shall serve as Chair. The Facilities Committee shall review matters relating to Village buildings, Village property and utilities.
(Ord. 2012-06. Passed 1-11-12.)
(2) The Roads and Safety Committee shall be comprised of two Council members, the Service Director, the Village Engineer, and the Police Chief. One of the two Council members shall serve as chair. The Roads and Safety Committee shall review matters relating to public roads.
(Ord. 2017-56. Passed 11-8-17.)
(3) The Council Committee of the Whole and Finance shall be comprised of all members of Council and the Mayor. The Chair of the Committee shall be the Council President. In the absence of the Council President, the Planning Chair shall preside. The Clerk of Council shall attend all meetings and take the minutes. The Council Committee of the Whole and Finance shall review the Village budget and other matters.
(e) Order of Business. The business of regular meetings of Council shall be transacted insofar as the same is applicable, in the following manner:
(1) Roll call;
(2) Reading and disposal of the Journal;
(3) Action upon any matter which any citizen present may wish to present to Council;
(4) Reports and communications from the Mayor and other Municipal officials;
(5) Reports of committees;
(6) Communications, petitions and claims;
(7) Approval of bonds, contracts, plats, etc.;
(8) Ordinances and resolutions;
(9) Appointments and confirmations;
(10) Miscellaneous business:
A. By members of Council;
B. By any citizen; and
(11) Adjournment.
The presiding officer of Council may at any time permit a member to introduce an ordinance, resolution or motion out of the regular order unless objection thereto be made by a majority of the members present.
(f) Reports of Committees. The report of committees of Council or of any Municipal officer shall be brief and in any case, when specifically required by Council, shall be in writing and any documents or writings submitted to any committee or officer shall be returned with such report. It shall be the duty of any committee or officer to report upon any matter referred to it or him, at the meeting of Council next following such reference unless further time is granted by Council and any failure to comply with this rule may, within the judgment of the members of Council, be sufficient cause to withdraw such matter from any officer or committee to whom or which it has been referred.
(g) Motions - When Debatable, Withdrawal. When a motion is made and seconded, it shall be stated by the presiding officer before debate. Any such motion, and any amendment thereto, may be withdrawn by the movers thereof at any time before decision, unless a majority of the members of Council then present object to such withdrawal.
(h) Division of Question. Any member may call for a division of the question, or the presiding officer may direct such division at any time. In either case, the same shall be divided if it comprehends questions so distinct that one being taken away will leave the other standing as an entire question for decision.
(i) Question of Reference to Committee. Whenever there exists any question as to whether a given subject be referred to a standing committee or to a special committee, the question of reference to a standing committee shall be put first.
(j) Adjournment. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order unless Council is engaged in voting. A motion to adjourn shall never be subject to debate.
(k) Introduction of Ordinances and Resolutions. Ordinances and resolutions shall be introduced by members of Council present, or the Mayor, and shall bear the name of the introducer thereon except ordinances and resolutions presented to Council as provided by law. Such ordinances and resolutions shall be introduced in the name of the entire Council.
(l) Reference to Committees. Any report, resolution, ordinance or matter before Council for consideration, prior to its final passage, may be referred either to the standing committee to which the subject matter is most closely related or to a committee especially appointed by the Mayor or the presiding officer of Council. Any such committee shall consider the matter thus referred to it and report thereon to Council at its next regular meeting following such reference.
Any matter referred to any committee under this rule may, by a two-thirds vote of Council, at any time prior to the report of such committee, be taken from the hands of such committee for consideration by Council.
(m) Debate and Discussion. No member of Council, while Council is in session, shall engage in debate or discussion with any person except another member of Council or the President of Council or some person who has either been granted by Council the privilege of addressing Council or is present at the Council meeting for discussion of any matter on invitation of Council. No member of the general public shall address Council or in any manner interfere with its discussion or action, except upon invitation of Council itself or upon the granting of a request by a majority of Council present at the moment or by the Mayor.
(n) Request for Hearing. If any elector, electors or taxpayers of the Municipality or other person or persons desire to have a public hearing involving any considerable time on any matter pending before Council, an application may be made to Council and Council may, by a two-thirds vote of all its members, grant such public hearing and arrange for a special time and place therefor. Such time shall be a time other than that set for any regular or special meeting of Council.
(o) Amendments. The Rules of Council may be amended or changed or new rules adopted by ordinance of Council duly enacted at any meeting of Council.
(p) Suspension of Rules. The rules provided for herein may be temporarily suspended at any meeting of Council by a concurrent vote of a majority of all members elected thereto, except when a greater number is required by law or by these rules. The vote on such suspension shall be taken by the yeas and nays and entered on the Journal. In case any action is taken without strict adherence to any of these rules, but which action is otherwise regular and lawful, these rules shall be regarded as having been suspended to that extent.
(q) Rules of Conduct. Each year, not later than the monthly Council meeting in March, Council shall adopt Rules of Conduct generally governing the conduct of meetings, and establishing appropriate time limitations for such matters as submission of agenda items, presentation of committee reports, and public participation and debate. Said rules shall remain in effect for the twelve months following their adoption, and until revised or superseded by further Council action.
(r) Robert's Rules of Order. In any matters or proceedings not covered by the foregoing rules and not governed by law or other ordinances of Council, the proceedings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.
(s) Committee Attendance. Any Council member missing three (3) or more committee meetings in a calendar year or, if appointed to the Planning Commission, missing three (3) or more Planning Commission meetings in a calendar year, at the discretion of the appointing authority, may be removed from such committee or the Planning Commission.
(t) Attendance at Village Board and Commission Meetings. Any individual member of a board or commission of the Village missing three (3) or more meetings in a calendar year, at the discretion of the appointing authority, may be removed from such board or commission. (Ord. 2012-06. Passed 1-11-12.)