(A) The City Council shall have the authority to adopt such rules governing its meetings as it may deem expedient. Except as provided by rules adopted by the City Council, in all matters of procedure the Procedural Rules for Municipal Officials as published by Arkansas Municipal League, newly revised, shall govern and apply.
(B) The City Council’s rules and order of business shall be observed in all cases, unless suspended temporarily for a special purpose of an emergency nature by any rule, and such motions must be seconded to entitle it to consideration.
(C) If any Council member, in speaking or otherwise, transgresses the rules of the Council, the Mayor or presiding officer shall call him or her to order; in which case the Council member so called to order shall immediately cease discussion unless permitted by the presiding officer to explain; and the Council, if appealed to, shall decide the question without debate. If the decision is in favor of the Council member so called to order, he or she shall be at liberty to proceed; if otherwise, he or she shall not proceed without leave of the Council to proceed in order.
(D) A Council member about to speak shall respectfully address the Mayor or presiding officer, and shall not commence to speak until recognized by the Mayor or presiding officer. When two or more Council members request to speak at the same time, the Mayor or presiding officer shall determine which one is recognized. The Mayor or presiding officer shall have the authority and discretion to recognize city officers, agents, contractors or employees to address the City Council to speak about topics related to the business before the City Council.
(E) Every Council member, while speaking, shall confine himself or herself to the subject under debate, refrain from personalities and shall not refer to any other Council member except in a respectful manner.
(F) Unless a Council member who has the floor yields for that purpose, no other Council member shall interrupt another while speaking.
(G) If a Council member speaks more than twice or for more than five minutes continuously to any one question, the Mayor or presiding officer, upon motion and majority consent of the City Council, may conclude the Council member's discussion. The reading of papers desired by any member shall be read by himself or herself or by the City Clerk within the member’s time limitation unless permission for the Clerk-Treasurer to read such paper outside the time limitations is granted by a majority.
(Ord. 2013-02-406, passed 2-5-13; Am. Ord. 2015-01-503, passed 1-6-15; Am. Ord. 2016-07-585, passed 7-5-16; Am. Ord. 2021-02-917, passed 2-2-21)