(A) A quorum shall be required for all meetings of the Town Council in order for the Council to conduct any official business. A quorum shall be defined as a majority of the membership of the Council. The Council shall elect at its first regular meeting of the year the officers for that year.
(B) All Council meetings shall be open to the general public and to all news media as set forth in the statutes of the Indiana Code; except those sessions of the Council which have been previously announced as Executive Sessions. Such executive sessions shall be closed to the general public and the news media so long as at least 48- hours prior notice has been given and the topics to be discussed are restricted to such items as provided for in the Indiana Code.
(C) Contempt and disorder in the Council Room. No person shall use violent or contemptuous language, behave in a disorderly manner, or refuse to obey the orders of the President or presiding officer in the Council Room while the Council is in session. The President or presiding officer may order the removal from the Council Room of anyone who intentionally disturbs the decorum of a council meeting.
(D) A simple majority shall be required to pass any motion, resolution, and/or ordinance or amendments thereto pending before the Council, unless otherwise stipulated in this chapter or in the constitution or statutes of the state. A simple majority shall be defined as three council members.
(E) A two-thirds majority shall be defined as four members of the Council voting in the affirmative.
(F) A three-fourths majority shall be defined as four members of the Council voting in the affirmative.
(G) All appointments made by the Council to boards, commissions, special ad hoc committees, standing committees, task forces and the like, shall be made by a simple majority vote of the Council.
(H) All ordinances brought before the Council must have two readings which must occur at two different meetings of the Council. This provision may be waived if the Council votes unanimously in the affirmative to suspend the rules following first reading and act upon the ordinance at the same meeting in which it is introduced. A unanimous vote shall be defined as all of members present voting in the affirmative. Abstentions shall be considered as voting in the negative in this instance. A two-thirds majority vote of the Council is then required to enact an ordinance on a second reading which occurs the day an ordinance is introduced.
(I) First reading of any ordinance shall be its introduction, whereupon one Council member shall move it to be introduced and one other shall second said motion. Following said motion, the presiding officer shall read the ordinance by title only and give a brief description of its contents. Copies of the entire ordinance shall be available upon request. No vote shall be taken on the first reading of the ordinance except motions to amend the ordinance, or as otherwise provided by these rules.
(J) Amendments to ordinance may be added at either first or second reading by simple majority vote.
(K) Resolutions and motions by the Council may be passed by simple majority vote in the affirmative at the same meeting of their introduction.
(1) With regard to ordinance containing penalties, the publication requirement under IC 5-3-1-2 is one publication within 30 days after the ordinance is passed. The ordinance will then become effective upon that publication.
(Ord. 1991-05, passed 5-21-91)