(A) Voting by Council shall be by voice roll call vote recorded in the journal and Council meeting minutes. Every member present when a question is put shall vote either “yes” or “no”. Four members of the Council shall constitute a quorum. But a smaller number of Councilmembers than a quorum may adjourn from time to time, and during adjournment seek out and communicate with absent Councilmembers and request their presence at a reconvened Council meeting to secure enough Councilmembers present to then constitute a quorum. Those absent Councilmembers so communicated with shall then attend the reconvened Council meeting or provide reasons to the satisfaction of those Councilmembers who were present initially as to why the absent Councilmember cannot, after such communication, attend a reconvened meeting. If it is the unanimous decision of those attending Councilmembers that the absent Councilmember is not justified in not attending the reconvened meeting, they may declare an unexcused absence to such Councilmember and no previous or subsequent actions by Council shall be sufficient in removing such determination and tabulation on the record of the absent Councilmember of the unexcused absence. No action of the Council except as otherwise provided herein and in Section 4.08 (D) of the Charter shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of four or more members of the Council. (See § 31.15 and Section 4.12(C) - Charter)
(B) A member of Council may abstain from voting stating his or her reason for abstention. If said abstention results in less than a quorum voting on the measure, the matter shall be tabled until the next meeting where a quorum of Councilmembers are present, or until such time as determined by Council President. Another member of Council can object to the reasons stated for the abstention and said objecting Councilmember may move for a roll call vote to determine if the member of Council requesting to abstain shall be permitted to do so. If there is a second to the motion, a roll call vote shall be taken. If four or more members of Council vote to allow the abstention, the member of Council requesting to abstain shall be permitted to do so. If four or more members of Council vote to not allow the abstention, the member of Council requesting to abstain shall vote "yes" or "no" on the matter upon which the abstention was requested. At that point an abstention shall be counted with majority.
(Ord. 1-93, passed 1-4-1993; Am. Ord. 06-02, passed 2-19-2002; Am. Ord. 47-15, passed 11-16-2015)