(a) When a question is before Council, no motion shall be entertained except the following, and they shall have precedence in the order in which they are set forth in this subsection:
(1) To adjourn. A motion to adjourn shall be put to a vote without debate. Such motion shall be in order at any time without a second except as follows:
A. When repeated without intervening business or discussion;
B. When made as an interruption of a member while speaking;
C. When the previous questions have been ordered; or
D. While a vote is being taken.
(2) To fix the hour of adjournment. The motion to fix the hour of adjournment shall be debatable only as to the time of such adjournment.
(3) For the previous question. A motion for the previous question to request that discussion end and that any motion being considered be voted upon shall require a majority vote of the Council members present. Such motion shall be considered only once and may be renewed after intervening business. Such motion shall take precedence over all debatable questions. When the previous question is moved and seconded by another member, the presiding officer shall state, “Shall the main question be now put?” There shall be no further amendment or debate, but pending amendments shall be put in their order before the main question. If the question, “Shall the main question be now put?” is decided in the negative, the main question remains debatable before Council.
(4) To lay on the table. A motion to lay on the table (to table) shall dispose finally of all legislation against which it is invoked, but a motion to lay on a pending amendment to an ordinance or resolution shall not carry the ordinance or resolution with it. The motion to lay on the table shall require a majority vote of the Council members present.
(5) To postpone to a certain date. A motion to postpone to a certain date shall require a majority vote of the Council members present. Such motion shall be subject to reconsideration, may be renewed after intervening business, shall be debatable as to the propriety of the postponement, but not upon the merits of the legislation, and may be amended by changing the date. Upon the arrival of the date to which action upon legislation has been postponed, the legislation shall be considered in the regular order of business.
(6) To postpone indefinitely. A motion to postpone indefinitely shall have the same effect as the motion to lay on the table and shall require a majority vote of all the Council members present. Such motion shall not be reconsidered, shall be debatable, shall open the legislation to debate, may be renewed after intervening business, may not be amended or laid on the table and shall be subject to the previous question.
(7) To refer to a committee.
(8) To amend. A motion to amend shall be susceptible to only one amendment. Once rejected an amendment may not be moved again in the same form.
(b) All motions, unless otherwise provided for in subsection (a) hereof, are debatable.
(c) Any Council member may call for a division of the question for decision, or the presiding officer may direct the same. In either case, a question shall be divided if it comprehends parts so distinct that, one being taken away, the other will stand as an entire question.
(d) A question of privilege shall have precedence over all questions except a motion to adjourn. Questions of privilege shall be considered in the following order:
(1) Those affecting the rights of Council collectively, its safety and dignity and the integrity of its proceedings; and
(2) Those affecting the rights, the reputation and the conduct of the individual members of Council in their capacity as Council members.
(Res. 82-05. Passed 6-7-82.)