Municipal Code
CHAPTER 220 Council
220.01 Rules of conduct.
CROSS REFERENCES
Council generally - see CHTR. Ch. III, §§1 et seq.
Authority re elections - see CHTR. Ch. IV, §§16, 23, 24
Authority re finance, budget and funds - see CHTR. Ch.
IX, §§2 et seq.
Overruling Planning Commission recommendations - see P.
& Z. 1220.08
Authority re subdivision proposals - see P. & Z.
1225.08, 1225.10
Council as Board of Appeals under Fire Prevention Code -
see F.P. 1610.04 (BOCA ''F-113.2 et seq.)
220.01 RULES OF CONDUCT.
MEETINGS
Rule 1. Regular meetings of the Council shall be held on
the second Monday of each calendar month, or more
frequently as shall be required, at the hour of 8:00
p.m. Any regular meeting falling upon a legal holiday
shall be held on the next following Monday, at the same
hour and place. Council meetings shall be held upon such
premises as the Council may, from time to time, decide,
provided, however, that the premises of the meeting
shall always be sufficient to accommodate, insofar as
practical, all members of the public who may wish to
attend. The agenda for each regular meeting of the
Council shall be posted at least twenty-four hours prior
to the scheduled time of such meeting.
Rule 2. Special meetings of the Council may be called by
the President or any two Trustees upon at least
twenty-four hours written notice given to each member
and the Clerk, served personally or left at his or her
usual place of residence, provided, however, that any
special meeting at which all members of the Council are
present shall be a legal meeting for all purposes
without such written notice. The Clerk shall post notice
of the date, time, place and agenda of the special
meeting, at least eighteen hours before the convening of
the meeting, on the Village Office bulletin board and,
when possible, at up to three other public places in the
Village.
Rule 3. All meetings of the Council shall be public.
Proposed minutes of each regular and special meeting
shall be available for public inspection during regular
business hours at the Village Offices not more than
eight business days after the date of said meeting.
Approved minutes of each meeting shall be available for
public inspection during regular business hours, at the
same location, not more than five business days after
the meeting at which the minutes are approved. Tapes of
regular and special meetings shall be available to the
public at the Village Offices during regular business
hours after transcription by the Clerk and shall be
available to members of the Council at the Village
Offices at any time during regular business hours.
Rule 4. Each Trustee and the President shall have the
right to have any item of business placed on the agenda
of a regular meeting. Residents may also request that
any item of business be placed on the agenda of a
regular meeting by notifying the Clerk at least
forty-eight hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and
holidays) prior to the convening of the meeting.
Rule 5. Council meetings shall conclude no later than
11:00 p.m., subject to Council's review and a conclusion
that it should reconvene.
ORDER OF BUSINESS
Rule 6. The President shall preside at the meetings of
the Council, and, in the absence of the President, the
President Pro-Tempore shall preside. If both the
President and the President Pro Tem are absent, Council
may temporarily appoint one of its members to preside.
Rule 7. The regular order of business shall be as
follows:
1. Call to order
2. Roll call
3. Adoption of agenda
4. Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting
5. Reports of Village officers and agents
6. Submission of current bills
7. Public requests and comments
8. Unfinished business
9. New business
10. Adjournment
Rule 8. These Rules and Robert's Rules of Order (the
current edition) (where Robert's does not conflict with
these rules) will comprise the parliamentary authority
for the Council. The Chair shall decide all questions
arising under this parliamentary authority, subject to
appeal, by any Council Trustee, which appeal shall be
determined by a majority vote of the Trustees present.
(The form used is: "I appeal from the decision of the
Chair.") The Chair shall preserve order and decorum and
may speak to points of order in preference to other
Trustees.
Rule 9. After all Council Trustees have had the
opportunity to speak, the Chair may express his or her
opinion on any subject under debate without
relinquishing the Chair.
Rule 10. Any Trustee desiring to speak shall address the
Chair, and, after his or her right to speak has been
granted, shall not be interrupted except by a point of
order raised by another Trustee. When two or more
Trustees seek recognition, the Chair shall name the
Trustee who is to speak first. No Trustee shall speak
more than once on the same question unless every Trustee
desiring to speak to that question shall have had the
opportunity to do so. No person other than a Trustee
shall address the Council except as otherwise provided
herein.
PARTICIPATION BY THE PUBLIC
Rule 11. The Chair, at his or her discretion and subject
to appeal as provided in Rule 8 hereof, may permit any
person to address the Council during its consideration
of any item of business. Likewise, the Chair's refusal
to recognize any person shall also be subject to appeal.
Rule 12. Any resident or, with the permission of the
Chair, any other person, may address the Council at the
time it is considering public requests.
Rule 13. A person addressing the Council shall be
requested to state his or her name and residential
address. The Clerk shall summarize the comments made by
the person insofar as possible and enter them in the
minutes of the proceedings.
Rule 14. A person addressing the Council shall limit his
or her remarks on a particular subject to three minutes.
Communications of greater length shall be reduced to
writing. No person shall have the right to speak more
than once on any particular subject until all other
persons wishing to be heard on that subject have had the
opportunity to speak.
Rule 15. Any person who shall have a specific question
for which he or she desires an answer from the President
or any Trustee during consideration of public requests
shall submit the same in writing to the Clerk at least
three days prior to the scheduled date of the meeting.
The Clerk shall immediately transmit the same to those
to whom such questions are addressed. The President and
Trustees shall endeavor to answer all questions posed,
and, in the event of a refusal to answer any such
question, the reason therefor shall be publicly stated.
MOTIONS
Rule 16. Verbal motions shall be restated by the Chair
and written motions shall be read by the Clerk prior to
voting on such motion. At the request of a Trustee, any
motion shall be reduced to writing.
Rule 17. The previous question shall be put in this
form: "I move the previous question," and, until
decided, such motion shall preclude all amendments and
debate on the main question. Moving the previous
question requires a second and a two-thirds majority of
those Trustees present for passage.
Rule 18. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order
(except when a vote is being taken or when a Trustee has
the floor), provided that there shall always be some
intervening business proposed between two motions to
adjourn. Motions to adjourn, to lay on the table and to
move the previous question, and all motions relating to
questions of order, must be decided without debate.
Rule 19. It shall be in order for any Trustee voting in
the majority to move for a reconsideration of the vote
on any question at that meeting or at the next meeting.
A motion to reconsider, being considered and lost, shall
not be renewed.
Rule 20. Any Trustee may demand a roll call vote, which
vote shall be taken by the Clerk in alphabetical order,
and such vote shall be entered in the minutes of the
proceedings.
Rule 21. A majority of all Trustees voting in favor of
any proposed motion, resolution, ordinance or
appointment shall be necessary for passage or approval,
unless a larger number is required by law or by the
Village Charter. A majority is defined to be four votes,
including the vote of the President.
Rule 22. Any ordinance proposed pursuant to Chapter VI
of the Village Charter shall be proposed at a regular or
special meeting of the Council, be laid upon the table
for not less than thirty days and, prior to becoming
operative, be published in accordance with State law and
posted in two of the most public places in the Village.
MISCELLANEOUS
Rule 23. These Rules or any part thereof may be
suspended temporarily in connection with any matter
under consideration, except insofar as the same embody
mandatory provisions of the Village Charter, by a
majority vote of the Trustees, as defined in Rule 21.
Rule 24. These Rules may be altered or amended by a
two-thirds vote of the Trustees, notice having been
given in writing of the proposed alteration or amendment
at a previous session.
Rule 25. A copy of the current series of these Rules
shall be placed in the ordinance book provided to each
Councilman at the commencement of the term of his or her
office. Extra copies of the current rules shall also be
maintained by the Clerk in the Village Offices for
distribution to residents of the Village upon request.
Rule 26. A Sergeant at Arms shall be provided for all
Council meetings.
Rule 27. No Village Trustee shall vote (including
abstaining) with regard to any question, issue or
decision wherein said Trustee has knowledge that the
question, issue or decision will provide the Trustee, a
member of his or her immediate family, or a business
with which he or she is associated, with direct or
indirect private benefit (financial or otherwise) which
is distinguishable from the benefit to the public or a
broad segment of the public.
Rule 28. Public requests and comments shall be limited
to those items that do not appear on the meeting's
agenda. Public requests and comments on listed agenda
items shall be allowed for a time period of three
minutes after discussion by Council, but before a motion
is voted upon.
Rule 29. The Fire Marshall and the Chief of Police shall
be present at all regular Council meetings to verbally
report to Council on the monthly activities of the Fire
Department and the Police Department.
Rule 30. There will be no smoking in the Broughton House
during Council meetings. (Res. 2000-21. Passed 3-27-00.)
