(A) Seating arrangement. Members shall occupy the seats of the Council chambers around the Council table.
(B) Right to the floor. When recognized by the chair, a member shall confine himself or herself to the question under debate, avoid personalities, and refrain from impugning the motives of any other member’s argument or vote.
(C) Right of appeal. Any member may appeal to the Council from a ruling of the presiding officer. If the appeal is seconded, the member making the appeal may briefly state his or her reason for the same, and the presiding officer may briefly explain his or her ruling; but there shall be no debate on the appeal and no other member shall participate in the discussion. The presiding officer shall then put the question to vote. If a majority of the members present vote “yea,” the ruling of the chair is sustained; otherwise, it is overruled.
(D) Limitation of debate. No member shall be allowed to speak more than once upon any subject until every other member choosing to speak thereon shall have spoken.
(E) Voting. Every member present when a question is put shall vote either “yea” or “nay,” provided, however, that if any member of the Council does not desire to vote on any question, he or she may be shown on the record as having “abstained.” The record shall show whenever the vote is unanimous. In all other cases, the vote shall be called and recorded. No member shall vote or engage in any discussion or debate on any matter in which he or she has a personal interest, other than as a taxpayer of the town.
(F) Personal privilege. The right of a member to address the Council on a question of personal privilege shall be limited to cases in which his or her integrity, character, or motives are assailed, questioned, or impugned.
(G) Excusal during meeting. No member shall leave the Council chambers while in regular session without permission from the presiding officer.
(H) Motions.
(1) Precedence of motions. When a question is before Council, no motion shall be entertained except to lay on the table, for the provision of a question, to postpone to a certain day, to amend, and to postpone indefinitely. These motions shall have precedence in the order indicated. All said motions, except the motion to amend, shall be put to a vote without debate.
(2) Motion to be stated by chair; withdrawal. When a motion is made and seconded, it shall be stated by the chair before debate. A motion may not be withdrawn by the mover without the consent of the member seconding it.
(3) Motion to lay on table. A motion to lay on the table shall preclude all amendments or debate of the subject under consideration. If the motion shall prevail, the consideration of the subject may be resumed at the same meeting, or the next meeting, by a majority vote, after some business has been transacted after the original laying on the table.
(4) The previous question. When the previous question is moved and seconded by one other member, it shall be put as follows: “Shall the main question be considered?” There shall then be no further amendments or debate; but pending amendments shall be put in their order before the main question. If the question “Shall the main question be considered?” be decided in the negative, the main question remains before Council.
(5) Division of question. If the question contains two or more divisible propositions, the presiding officer may, and upon request of a member shall, divide the same.
(6) Amendments. It shall be in order to amend any motion at any time before a final vote.
(7) Amend an amendment. A motion to amend an amendment shall be in order, but one to amend an amendment to an amendment shall not be introduced. An amendment modifying the intention of a motion shall be in order, but a amendment relating to a different matter shall not be in order.
(8) Reconsideration. After the question on any question, any member who voted with the majority may move a reconsideration of any action at the same or next succeeding meeting, provided, however, that a resolution authorizing or relating to any contract may be reconsidered at any time before the final execution thereof. A motion to reconsider shall require the same number of votes as is required to adopt an ordinance or resolution. After a motion for reconsideration has once been acted on, no other motion for a reconsideration thereof shall be made without unanimous consent.
(I) Procedure in absence of rule. In the absence of a rule to govern a point or procedure, reference shall be made to Robert’s Rules of Order - Revised.
(J) Anonymous communications. Unsigned communications shall not be introduced in Council.
(Ord. 99-01, passed 7-12-1999)