The following rules are hereby adopted governing the deliberations of the Town Council:
(A) The presiding officer shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to Council by any member thereof, whose appeal must be seconded.
(B) The presiding officer shall decide whether any question is carried; but if he is in doubt, or a division is called for, Council shall decide, those in the affirmative first rising and being counted, and then those in the negative rising and being counted.
(C) All questions relating to priority of business shall be decided without a debate.
(D) When any member wants to speak, he shall respectfully address himself to the presiding officer, confine what is said to the question and debate, and avoid personalities.
(E) No member shall impeach the motive of any member's vote or argument.
(F) If any member in any way transgresses the rules of Council, any other member, or the presiding officer, may call him to order, in which case the alleged offender shall immediately be seated unless permitted to explain.
(G) When two or more members rise at once, the presiding officer shall decide which shall speak first.
(H) When the presiding officer is putting a question or addressing Council, Council or when any member is speaking, no member shall engage in any private discourse, or walk across or leave the room unnecessarily.
(I) When any motion is made and seconded, it shall be stated by the presiding officer; or, being in writing, it shall be handed to the Clerk-Treasurer, and he shall read it aloud before debate.
(J) Every motion shall be reduced to writing if any member or the presiding officer requires it, and after being stated or read shall be considered, but may be withdrawn at any time before decision or amendment.
(K) When any question has once been decided in the affirmative or negative, any member may move a reconsideration thereof at the same or the next subsequent meeting.
(L) When any matter is postponed indefinitely, it shall not be voted upon during that or the next succeeding meeting.
(M) Upon unanimous consent of the Council members present, an ordinance may be adopted on the same day or at the same meeting at which the ordinance is introduced, only if two-thirds of all elected members vote to adopt that ordinance.
(N) The vote on ordinances and resolutions must be decided by the call of the roll, but any member may call the ayes and nays upon any question or motion.
(O) Each ordinance introduced shall be numbered as introduced, ordinances shall be taken up in the order of their numbers unless Council shall, by vote upon motion, determine otherwise.
(P) It shall be the duty of the presiding officer to prohibit loud talking in the Council Chambers during the session of the Town Council.
(Q) It shall be the duty of the Town Marshal to attend all meetings of the Town Council by himself or by deputy, except as otherwise authorized by Council.
(R) Whenever any matter is referred to any standing or special committee for investigation, the motion or resolution containing such reference shall state the date, hour and place of the meeting for that purpose.
(S) A majority of the Council present shall constitute a quorum to transact business, but if only two members are present at a regular meeting, they may adjourn to meet no later than one week hence.
(T) The general rules of parliamentary law, so far as applicable, are to be considered the rules of Council, unless they conflict with some of the rules herein prescribed, in which event the rules herein set out shall prevail.
(U) At any meeting of the Town Council if the President is absent a member shall be elected to preside in his absence only. If the Clerk is absent, a Clerk pro tempore shall be appointed.
(V) The regular meetings of the Town Council shall be held in the Warren Fire Station Meeting Room at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month unless otherwise noticed under applicable law. The President or Clerk-Treasurer may call a special meeting when he deems it advisable by serving personal notice on all members or by mailing to, or leaving written notice with a person of suitable age and discretion at, the residence of all members at least 48 hours before the special meeting. All such notices shall state the time, place, and purpose of the meeting. In an emergency requiring less notice, only such good faith lesser notice as is practical in the circumstances is required.
('83 Code, § 2-1 I. A.) (Ord. 1984-1, passed 2-28-84; Am. Ord. 85-10, passed 12-17-85; Am. Ord. 1987-8, passed 12-7-87; Am. Ord. 1992-01, passed 1-13-92; Am. Ord. 1995-20, passed 10-25-95; Am. Ord. 1997-3, passed - - 97)