Council shall be the judge of the election and qualification of its own members. It may remove any member for gross misconduct, malfeasance in or disqualification for office, or for gross neglect of duty in office; or for the conviction while in office of a crime involving moral turpitude, or if adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to be legally incompetent, or for violation of the oath of office, or for persistent failure to abide by the rules of Council; provided, that removal for such grounds shall not take place without the affirmative vote of five (5) other members of Council, nor until the accused shall have been notified in writing by certified mail of the charges at least twenty (20) days in advance of a public hearing upon such charges. The accused member and his or her counsel shall be given an opportunity at such hearing to be heard, to present evidence and to examine any witnesses appearing in support of the charge(s). The accused member shall not vote on the removal. Absence of a member of Council from three (3) regular meetings of Council, in one (1) calendar year without such absence being authorized by an affirmative vote of four (4) of the remaining members of Council, shall be grounds for removal.
(Amended 11-5-96)