HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 2012-51 - City Council Procedures*RDINANCE NO.-
AN ORDINANCE OF • OF OF
GEORGETOWN,! OF
CODE OF ! TO CITY COUNCIL
PROCEDURES; OTHER FINDINGSAND
PROVISIONS! AND DECLARING AN
WHEREAS, at the June 27, 2012 City Council meeting, Chapter 2.24 of the Code of Ordinances related
to City Council Procedures was presented, reviewed and discussed; and
WHEREAS, at the July 10, 2012 City Council meeting, the City Council directed Staff to make certain
revisions and amendments to Chapter 2.24 of the Code of Ordinances related to City Council
Procedures.
!THEREFORE IT ORDAINED C i OF OR
GEORGETOWN, ,,
Section 1. The meeting at which this ordinance was approved was in all things conducted in compliance
with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551.
Section 2. Chapter 2.24 of the Code of Ordinances is. amended as shown on Exhibit A.
Section 3. If any provision of this ordinance or application thereof to any person or circumstance
shall be held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions, or application thereof, of this
ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the
provisions of this ordinance are hereby declared to be severable.
Section
4.
The
Mayor is
hereby authorized to sign this
ordinance and the
City
Secretary to attest. This
ordinance
shall
become
effective in accordance with
the provisions of
the
Charter of the City of
Georgetown.
Ordinance Number: c2ot l � IS Page 1 of 8
Description: Chapter_ 2.24 City Council Procedures Ordinance
Date Approved: - IN 2012
PASSED AND APPROVED ON SECOND READING on the day of aS4S
m
Bridget Chapman, Acting City Attorney
THE
George G
Mayor
Garver,
Ordinance Number: Page 2 of 8
Description: Chapter 2.24 City Counc*1 Procedures Ordinance
Date Approved: n ` ` , 2012
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Three types of meetings are recognized:
A. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings will be held on the second and fourth Tuesday nights of
each month. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers commencing no earlier than 6:00
p.m., unless otherwise posted. The Council may reschedule or cancel meetings in order to avoid
conflicts, holidays and vacation schedules.
B. Workshop Meetings. The purpose of Workshop meetings shall be for the Council to discuss
or to explore matters of interest to the City without taking specific action beyond general direction
to City Staff. The general public is invited to attend Workshop Meetings if they wish, but they may
not participate in the proceedings unless invited to do so.
C. Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called at any time by the City Secretary upon the
request of the Mayor, the City Manager or three Councilmembers. Notice of Special Meetings shall
be given to all members of the Council who are not absent from the City; provided, however, that
any member of the Council who did not receive notice of a special meeting may, either before or
after such special meeting is held, waive such notice. It shall not be necessary to give notice to a
Councilmember of a special meeting held at a time when such Councilmember is absent from the
City, and it shall not be necessary for such absent Councilmember to waive such notice.
A. The Mayor, a Councilmember; or the City Manager may request an item be placed on the
agenda. Agenda items, including any supporting materials to be included in the agenda packets,
must be received by the City Secretary's office by the Agenda deadline, 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday of
the week preceding the meeting at which the item is to be considered.
B. A Councilmember or the Mayor requesting an agenda item shall be responsible for the
preparation of an appropriate agenda item cover sheet, supporting information and documentation,
and for presentation of the item at the meeting. If the Mayor or a Councilmember requires City
Staff assistance to prepare the agenda item, assistance shall be requested through the City
Manager's office in a timely manner to provide staff enough time to prepare agenda materials in
advance of the desired meeting. If the Mayor's or a Councilmember's agenda item is not properly
submitted or cannot be placed on the desired meeting agenda, the City Attorney will advise the
Mayor or Councilmember who submitted the item as soon as possible, and will assist the Mayor or
Councilmember to correct the agenda item for presentation.
C. Any member of the City Staff wishing to have an item placed on the agenda shall submit that
item to the City Manager's office for approval. The City Manager may establish procedures for
submission of routine items without his approval.
Ordinance Dumber: a7 0 I 1 Page 3 of 8
Description: Chapter 2.24 City Council Procedures Ordinance
Date Approved: , 2012
1 4 1
Routine matters may be placed on a consent agenda which will be treated as one agenda item. Each item
included on the consent agenda must be numbered separately and be reasonably explained. Questions
and explanation of consent agenda items will be permitted, but there will be no general discussion or
debate. Before the consent agenda is voted upon, any item included can be removed upon the request of
any Councilmember. Any item removed from the consent agenda upon request will be handled
separately in the same manner as an agenda item. Council will vote on the consent agenda as one item;
passage of the consent agenda will be passage of each item included thereon. Failure to pass the consent
agenda will not defeat each item included thereon, in such event, each item will be considered
individually.
i
The agenda packets for all regular, workshop, and special meetings will be made available to
Councilmembers and for public review on the City's website by 5:00 p.m. on_ the Friday preceding the
meeting.
The agenda for all meetings shall be posted by the City Secretary or his/her designee on the City's
official bulletin board and on the City's website. Notice of all meetings shall be given by the City
Secretary pursuant to State law.
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The Mayor, or in his/her absence, the Mayor Pro Tem, shall preside as Chair at all meetings of the
Council. In the absence of both the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tern, the Council shall elect a temporary
Chairperson.
Sec. 2.24.070. - General rules—Quorum.
Four Councilmembers plus the Mayor or five Councilmembers shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business.
Notification shall be made to the Mayor, the City Manager and the City Secretary if a Councilmember is
unable to attend a meeting.
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The meetings of the Council shall be called to order by the Mayor, or in his/her absence, by the Mayor
Pro Tem. In the absence of both the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tem, the meeting shall be called to order
by the City Secretary, and a temporary Chairperson shall be elected as provided in Section 2.24.070,
Ordinance Number: .201 ,3791 4 of 8
Description: Chapter 2.24 City Coun it Procedures Ordinance
Date Approved: .. �" , 2012
(' lU.I 1 i i
A. Councilmembers
Any Councilmember desiring to speak shall be recognized by the Chairperson, and shall confine his or
her remarks to the subject under consideration or to be considered. No Councilmember shall be allowed
to speak more than once on any one subject until every Councilmember wishing to speak has spoken.
No Councilmember shall be permitted to interrupt another.
B. Citizens
Citizens are welcome and invited to attend all meetings of the Council and will be admitted to the
Council Chamber up to the fire safety capacity of the room. Citizens wishing to address the Council
must sign up to speak in accordance with the policy of the Council concerning citizen participation and
general public comment at public meetings. Citizens shall be allowed a maximum of three minutes to
speak, but may take up to a maximum of six minutes, if another citizen who has signed up to speak and
is present at the meeting yields his/her time to that citizen speaker. Persons who disrupt the meeting may
be asked to leave and be removed. A citizen may address the Council up to three times during any
calendar quarter by: (a) submitting to the City Secretary, at a Council Meeting, the Registration Form
stating the agenda item to be addressed, or (b) filing a request with the City Secretary by noon of the
Wednesday prior to the Tuesday Council Meeting stating the subject to be addressed; and a person may
address the Council more than three times in the quarter by, in addition to the requirements of (a) or (b)
above, obtaining express approval of the Mayor or any Councilmember for the fourth and subsequent
times.
C. Special Presentations
Certain topics under consideration of Council may require detailed communication from an individual or
organization. Prior approval for consideration as a Special Presentation must be obtained from the City
Manager's office by the Agenda deadline of 5pm Tuesday preceding the meeting.
In order to qualify as a Special Presentation, the item should relate to or involve:
1. an economic development project;
2. a development project;
3. job growth and maintenance;
4. health and welfare of the community;
5. state or federal legislative update;
6. an organization to which Councilmembers belong as representatives of the City; or
7. other matters of concern to the City as determined by the City Manager in his discretion.
' r i�• i i i i ,•;
A. During Council meetings, Councilmembers shall preserve order and decorum and shall, neither by
conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings nor refuse to obey the orders of the Mayor
or presiding officer or the rules of the Council.
B. The Mayor and Councilmembers shall treat each other with dignity, respect and civility.
Ordinance Number: Page 5 of 8
Description: Chapter 2.24 City Council Procedures Ordinance
Date Approved: 4 a&- 1 , 2012
C. If a member is speaking out of turn or otherwise transgressing the rules of the Council, the
presiding officer shall, or any Councilmember may, call him/her to order, in which case he/she shall
immediately refrain from such transgression, unless permitted to explain. The Council shall, if appealed
to, decide the case without debate. If the decision is in favor of the member called to order, he/she may
proceed, but not otherwise.
A. Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, is adopted and shall prevail if there are procedural
questions not addressed by provisions of the City Charter an&or the rules of procedure contained in this
Chapter. In the event of conflict between the Charter or Code of Ordinances and Robert's Rules of
Order, Newly Revised, the Charter and/or Code of Ordinances shall prevail.
E. Motion to Approve. To approve, or ratify, an agenda item, a Councilmember shall make a motion to
Approve. Any Councilmember, except the original mover, may second the motion. The Chair shall
identify the question before Council and call for the vote.
C. Motion to Adjourn. To close a meeting, a Councilmember shall make a motion to Adjourn. Any
Councilmember, except the original mover, may second the motion. The Chair shall identify the
question before Council and call for the vote. Interruptions of the speaker, debate, and amendments are
not allowed. A majority vote is required.
D. Motion to Recess. To take a break, a Councilmember shall make a motion to Recess. Any
Councilmember, except the original mover, may second the motion. The Chair shall identify the
question before Council and call for the vote. Interruptions of the speaker and debate are not allowed.
Amendments may be made if necessary. A majority vote is required.
E. Motion to Table. To postpone the question under discussion, a Councilmember shall make a motion
to Table. Any Councilmember, except the original mover, may second the motion. The Chair shall
identify the question before Council and call for the vote. Interruptions of the speaker, debate, and
amendments are not allowed. A majority vote is required.
F. Motion for Previous Question. To end debate and amendments after each Councilmember has had
an opportunity to speak, a Councilmember shall make a motion for Previous Question. Any
Councilmember, except the original mover, may second the motion. The Chair shall identify the
question before Council and call for the vote. Interruptions of the speaker, debate, and amendments are
not allowed. A two-thirds vote is required.
G. Motion to Amend. To alter the wording of a motion, a Councilmember shall make a motion to
Amend. Any Councilmember, except the original mover, may second the motion. The Chair shall
identify the question before Council and call for the vote. Interruptions of the speaker are not allowed.
Debate and amendments are allowed. A majority vote is required.
H. Motion to Withdraw. To retract a motion, a Councilmember shall make a motion to Withdraw. A
second is not required. Interruptions of the speaker, debate, and amendments are not allowed. No vote
Ordinance Number: Page 6 of 8
Description: Chapter 2.24 City Council Procedures Ordinance
Date Approved: &d 14 , 2012
I
s necessary.
I. Take from the 'fable. To call up a question previously tabled, a Councilmember shall make a motion
to Take from the Table. Any Councilmember, except the original mover, may second the motion. The
Chair shall identify the question before Council and call for the vote. Interruptions of the speaker,
debate, and amendments are not allowed. A majority vote is required.
When a question has once been determined by the Council, the same question shall not again be
considered until either 90 days thereafter or by motion to reconsider made by a member who voted with
the prevailing side of such question.
A.
The Mayor shall be
entitled to vote only
in case of a
tie upon
all affairs considered by the
Council
and shall have no veto
power as provided in
the Charter,
Article II,
Section 2.06.
B. The Mayor Pro Tem , or Councilmember serving as Chair, shall be entitled to vote as provided
in the Charter, Article 1I, Section 2.06,
C. No Councilmember shall be excused from voting, except as provided in this Section.
D. Councilmembers shall abstain from voting on matters involving the consideration of his/her
own official conduct, or where his/her personal interests are involved. Any member prohibited from
voting by this section, other ordinance or state law shall:
1. File a Conflict of Interest Affidavit with the City Secretary stating the nature of the
conflict;
2. Upon commencement of consideration of the matter, announce that he/she is excused
from voting on the matter; and
3. Shall not enter into discussion or debate on the matter.
E. Any member who reasonably believes that his/her voting on a matter would create an
appearance of impropriety shall be excused from voting. Such member shall state publicly the reason(s)
she/he believes voting would be improper.
F. Any Councilmember excused from voting shall be treated as if that member was absent.
G. An affirmative vote of a majority of the Council present and qualified to vote is necessary to
repeal or approve any ordinance or take any official action in the name of the City, except as otherwise
provided in the Charter, other City ordinances, or the laws of the State of Texas.
H. When considering planning, zoning and development applications, the failure of a positive
Ordinance Number: ZPD#Page i of 8
Description: Chapter 2.24 City Council Procedures Ordinance
Date Approved: 194 2012
motion to receive an affirmative vote by the required number of Councilmembers (majority, 3/4 vote, or
supermajority) shall be deemed to be a denial of the application by the City Council, unless a subsequent
positive motion is affirmatively passed during discussion of the agenda item on the day of the failed
motion, or such subsequent meeting of the City Council, if the item is deferred for further consideration.
Any one or all of the provisions of this chapter may be suspended by a vote of a majority plus one of the
members of the Council present and qualified to vote, except such provisions that embody provisions of
the Charter, identically or substantially.
The City Council may adopt a Governance Policy by Resolution consistent with and in furtherance of
this Ordinance.
Ordinance Number: 01,;? rage 8 of 8
Description: Chapter 2.24 City Council procedures Ordinance
Date Approved: , 2012