A. The aldermen shall be the representatives of the people of their wards at the city council meetings. The aldermen shall be responsible to the people of their wards and the citizens of the city for their actions at council meetings.
B. Aldermen shall be required to attend every scheduled regular meeting of the city council and standing committees of which they are members. If an alderman fails to attend any scheduled regular meeting of the city council or standing committee of which the alderman is a member, such absence shall be recorded in the record of proceedings of said meeting by the city clerk as follows:
1. Excused Absences: An alderman's absence shall be deemed excused if the alderman contacts the city clerk prior to five o'clock (5:00) P.M. on the day of the scheduled meeting and indicates he/she will not be in attendance. Aldermen are limited to five (5) excused absences per calendar year, and absences in excess of ten (10) per calendar year shall be deemed to be unexcused unless the alderman's absence is due to attendance at any meeting or function whose purpose is to promote, serve or advance the business of the city, which absence shall be counted as excused, and the limitation of five (5) unexcused absences shall not apply.
2. Unexcused Absences: An alderman's absence shall be deemed unexcused if that alderman fails to contact the city clerk prior to five o'clock (5:00) P.M. on the day of the scheduled meeting; or if the alderman has already accumulated five (5) absences in the current calendar year, regardless of the reason for said absences.
3. Absence Accumulation: Should an alderman accumulate ten (10) excused and/or unexcused absences during a calendar year, then said alderman will be subject to censure by the city council. (Ord. 2040, 2-18-2003)