(a) Standing Committees Established. The following standing committees of Council are hereby established:
Committee of the Whole
Economic Development
Finance
Information
Infrastructure
Recreation and Community Life
Safety and Insurance.
(b) Appointment to Standing Committees. Prior to the second regular Council meeting in January of each year, Council shall meet as a Committee of the Whole, and the President Pro Tem shall at that time appoint members of Council to standing committees and appoint Chairpersons. The President Pro Tem, in making such appointments, shall be guided by the qualifications of the members of Council, as well as by their personal preferences. Each standing committee shall consist of three members each, with the exception of the Finance Committee which shall consist of six members of Council. No member of Council shall serve on more than five standing committees. The President Pro Tem shall be, ex officio, a member of every standing committee of which he or she is not an appointed member, with authority to enter into its deliberations but without authority to vote.
(c) Special Committees. The President Pro Tem shall appoint such special committees as the Mayor or a majority of the members of Council deem necessary, provided, however, that any matter properly the concern of any standing committee, or which is then referred to or pending before such standing committee, may not, without the consent of such standing committee, be referred to or considered by a special committee. A special committee may consist of either one, three or six members of Council.
(d) Committee of the Whole. Council may resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole.
(e) Chairpersons of Committees. No member of Council shall be Chairperson of more than two standing committees. The President Pro Tem shall be Chairperson of the Finance Committee and one additional standing committee.
The President Pro Tem shall appoint the Chairpersons of the special committees.
In the absence of a committee Chairperson the other members present, if constituting a quorum, shall elect a temporary Chairperson.
The Chairperson of any committee shall always be entitled to vote on any matter being considered by such committee.
(f) Committee Secretary. Each committee may elect a secretary from among its members to keep a record of attendance and business transacted.
(g) Meetings. All committees shall meet on the call of the Chairperson, or on request of a majority of the members thereof, upon at least twelve hours' written notice of the date and time of such meeting to each committee member, and to the President Pro Tem, served personally or left at his or her usual place of residence. Any member may waive notice. The presence of any member at any committee meeting shall be deemed a waiver as to such member of any irregularity in notice. By a unanimous vote of all members appointed to a committee, such committee shall have power to vary the notice requirements of these rules, except that in no event shall any such variance eliminate the requirement of notifying the President Pro Tem of any meeting.
A majority of the members of a committee shall constitute a quorum. All questions shall be decided by a majority vote of those members present at any committee meeting at which there is a quorum.
(h) Committee Reports. Committee reports shall be in writing, except when waived by Council. The report of a majority of the members of a committee shall constitute the report of the committee, provided, however, that any member is entitled to prepare and present to Council a minority report. Council may accept or reject any committee report, in whole or in part.
Upon motion and by a majority vote, Council may relieve a committee of further consideration of any question and order it placed on the calendar. When any matter is referred to a committee with instructions to report at a time named in the order or reference, failure to report at such time shall be considered as if reported back without recommendation, unless the time for report is extended by Council. If no such extension is granted, the committee shall forthwith return to the Clerk the documents pertaining thereto, and the matter shall take its appropriate place on the calendar.
(i) Public Hearings. With the approval of a majority of Council, a committee may hold a public hearing in connection with any matter under consideration before it.
(Ord. 2006-2. Passed 1-17-06; Ord. 2006-27. Passed 9-5-06; Ord. 2006-29. Passed 10-17-06; Ord. 2007-3. Passed 1-16-07; Ord. 2008-2. Passed 2-5-08; Ord. 2010-1. Passed 1-19-10; Ord. 2011-9. Passed 4-19-11.)