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Home My WebLink AboutResolution No. 81-09 RESOLliTION NO . f�f- �� A RESOLUTION ADOPTING RULES OF PP.00EDURE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS OF THE CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS , PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY CONTAINED IN ARTICLE III OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD , TEXAS . :�: i�: %� BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD , TEXAS : Section l . The following rules of procedure shall govern all meetings and proceedings of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, and the conduct of all members and other persons in attendance at such meetings : Rule i . I�ieetings , Regular and Special . (a) The City Council shall meet in the Council Chambers of the City Hall on the first and third Monda}�s of each month, commencing at 7 : 30 o ' clock P.M. In the event �ionday falls on a Haliday the meeting for that day shall be rescheduled as deter- minsd by C�uncil. Any such regular meeting may be recessed from hour to hc�r or adjourned from day to day by a majority vote of the members of Council present at such meeting, and such recessed or adjourned meeting shall be held without further notice to any member ; provided howet�er , no recess to a time longer than twenty- four hours from the hour when the `recessed' meeting commenced � shall be vzlid , and provided further that while any meeting i>>ay , be adjourned from day �o day , any such meeting shall be automa- F tically finally adjourned upon the commencement of the next regu- lar meeting or upon the conunencement of any duly called special ; � meeting prior to the next regular meeting . - (b) Special r�eetings of the Council shall be held on the cal� of the i��ayor or o; iour (4) or more Council members . , (c) �our Council mer.ibers shall constitute a quorum for the �ransac�ion of business and no action of the Council , except as provided in Section 3 . 06 of the Charter , shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of four or more mer.:bers of the Council . F.ule 2 Chairman and Call to Oreer . The rlayor , or in his absence the Mayar Yro-tem, shall preside at all meetings of the City Council . If the Mayor and the Mayor pro-tem are absent, any councilman may be appointed by the Mayor or a majority of the Council to preside . At the hour of the meeting the Mayor shall assume the chair , call the Council to order and the Secretary shall call the roll . Rule 3 . Handling of Non-A�enda Subjects . The City Council is the sole judge of its own procedure and in full control of the business before it . Neither the Mayor, the Mayor Pro-tem, nor any Councilman appointed to preside shall have any po�aer to either recess a meeting or adjourn a meeting , or prevent tne City Council from considering an agenda ite�. or ±�;.- the sa�e out for consideration except in strict � accordance with the Texas Qpen Meetings Act , the City Charter , and as enacted herein. Tf , notwithstanding the • positive provi- sions of this rule, the presiding officer , whether Mayor , Mayor Pro-tem or Councilman presiding, shall attempt to prevent City Council from taking any action on any agenda item brought before it , any Councilman present �ay call for a vote of the City Council � to consider the matter. � Rule 4. Conduct of Mavor and Councilmen. Any member of the City Council , including the Mayor , who fails to observc> decorous and orderly behavior during a meeting . and who disturb:� such meeting of Council by such disorderly con- � r duct is subject to being e�-pelled from such meeting upon motion r � passed b�� 2/3 vote of the Council present at this meeting. Any � me�!ber reprimanded by motion or expelled from a meeting by motion � who thereafter commits another breach of decorous and orderly � beh2vior during a subsequer�� meeting and again disturbs any meet- � ing of the Council by such disorderly conduct shall be subject to the same pawer or Council to reprimand him, expel him from the meeting or subject such member to complaint , investigation, and conviction of official misconduct _ , Rule 5 . I�on-interruption. -2- � Each member of the City Council shall be permitted to address the chair while either seated or standing , and after recognition shall not be interrupted while speaking without his consent , except by a call or order of the chair . Rule 6 . Handling of Questions of Order . Al1 questions of order shall be decided by the presiding officer with the right of appeal of his decision by the City Council , and a majority of the Councilmen present may overrule the decision of the chair . When the chair makes a ruling on a point of order and one of the Councilmen states "I appeal the ruling of the chair" , or words to sucfi effect , no other business shall be transacted until the question "Sh�ll the rulir.c of the chair be sustained?" be voted on. The presiding ofiicer shall immediately put such question to vote without debate , and, if he fails to do so , immediately, any member of the Cit_y Council may put the question to a vote. Rule 7 . Procedure for Submitting Agenda Items . Any and ail ordinances , resolutions , motions or other matters to be brought before the City Council for its consideration by the Nlayor or by an�; membex of the Council shall be submittec� by the Mayor or by such member of the Council to the City Secretary not later than noon of the Thursday preceding the regular meeting at which the sarie is to be considered. Tr�e City Secretary :>hall ' then prepare a V,rritten agenda ror the meeting , setting out t_he matters so subLnitted to her , and shall send a copy of such agenda i , by mail or other delivery in sufficient time to be delivered to ' t and received by each member of the City Council not later than 12 : OG o ' clock noon of the Saturday preceding that upon �.hich the recul�: rneeting is to be held. Rule 8 . Motion to Table . � � Since the City Council of the City of Friendswood �,-ill al- ways have meetings , the r.iotion to table , when carried, does not � permanently defeat an ordinance , resolution or other measure . If an ordinance, resolution , motion or other measure is tabled by a majority vote of the City Council , such ordinance , resolution , -3- motion or other measure shall be considered always to be lying upon the table and may be called from the table at any time by a majority vote of the Councilmen present , and again considered . Rule 9 . Procedure to Debate. Upon any ordinance , resolution or other measure being laid out, or any motion being made, any Councilman present , before there is any debate opened on the subject , may make a parliamen- tary objection to the consideration of the subject which need not be secondec. No debate shall then be permitted, and the presiding officer shall immediately put the question "Shall the objection be sustained?" If the objection is sustained by a zTo�c o� ��ao-��_-_�c�. o� �he Councilmen present (four out of five Counci��n er ��re� oLt of four Councilmen) the ordinance , reso- lution, motion or cther measure is permanently defeated for that meeting and shall not be debated (except in accordance with Rule I1) . � Rule 10 . Closing of Debate . If , during debate upon any ordinance , resolution , motion or other matter before the Council , any member moves that the sub- ject under discussion be put to a vote without further debate (and such motion necd not be seconded). , the residing off�cer shall immediately ask the Council "Is there objection to proceed- � ing to a vote on thc� ordinance , resolution, motion or other measure � before the Council heing taken im�ediately?" If any �enber , ob- jects , the presiding officer shall i�ediately and without debate ' put the question "Shall the subject being discussed be put to ' f a vote without debate?" to a vote of the Council , and if two- : t��rds of the Councilmen present (four out of five Councilmen or � t:ree out o� iour Councilmen) vote in favor of ordering the vote , ' dedate on the cuestion sha11 be closed and a vote on the ordinance , resolution , motion or other measure taken immediately. Rule 11 . Reconsideration of a Subject, When an ordinance , resolution , motion or other measure of � any sort has been placed before the City Council and defeated , the same question shall not again be considered b}r the City Council � -4- until a lapse of ninety (90) days . Rule 12. Reducing Motion to Writin� . All oral motions must be seconded before being put to vote by the chair (except where othervaise provided in these rules) , and upon request of any other member of the Council , or Mayor , the party making any such oral �ation (except a motion to order a vote on a subject being considered per Rule 10 , to table , or other such procedural matter) �'::�11 reduce the same to writing , or request the City Secretary to do the same . Zf a motion be made by any member of the Council in �TM i`ing and filed with the residing officer , it shall still require a second . Ru1e 13 . Secret�rial Prc��'e . The Citv Secretar:.� shali = _ ttle Secretary of the Council and shall act as reading and rECO�ding clerk to the Council . By his or her signature the Secretary shall certify the correctness of the minutes and the journals , shall record all actions taken by the Council , sha11 record the vote upon each measure when taken b�- the ayes and nays and sha11 perforn such other duties as may be required of the City Secretary by the Mayor and c�ty Council. _ In the absence of the City Secretary , an5 suitable person may be appointed by a majority of the Councilmen to serve as Secretary pro-tem of any meeting. The Secretary shall keep a copy c, i- these rules in the Council Cha:�ber , available for referencE . Rule 14. Voting. Unless otherwise required by State 1a�: or this Resolution, al1 �ction required of the City Council shall be made by a major- i�-- -:ote of the members of the Council present at such �ouncil .. � ��-:g . All Councilmen prese-� �.� each :::�et�nb r:�� vote on each �}��; �ct presented for council -.�c�e . The ',-�ayor �ay :-ote on every Yrc?Lsition before the Councii, �u� he snall have no power to veto . Rule 15 . Citizens ' Right to be Heard. Any citizen shall have a r��sn��ble opportunit_,� to be heard at a:�_y and all regular and speciGl -��eet�n�s o� the C=t�- Council in r�gard to any and all matte,- � �r� con_ic�r�c a� �r.�>� such meeting. A time shall be set aside during each Council meeting � for the Council to hear from the public . No member of the public shall be heard unless recognized by the presiding officer . Any member of the public who interrupts the Council proceedings and fails to abide by these rules o.f procedure in addressing the Council shall be deemed guilty of disorderly conduct and at the direction of the Council shall be escorted from Council Chambers by the sergeant at arms . Any citizen shall be entitled to visit City Hall and inspect all past Council meeting minutes , city audits , and the agenda to be considered by the Council in advance of the meeting and inform himself or herself as to the matters to be cons�cered. Rule 16 . Order of Business . Unless agreed to otherwise by �ajority vote of Council , the normal order of business before the City Council in any Regular meeting shall be as follows : � (_1) Invocayic� C2 ) The City �°cretary srall call the role and mark the absence of trie Mayor or any member of the Council. (�) The City Secretary shall test and attest to the satis- factory operation of the tape recorder , and maintain proper functioning and tape changes as needed throughout the meeting. (4) The Council sh�ll correct and adopt or table the min- utes of the previous meeting(s) . (5) Communications from the Mayor shall be presented. (6) Reports from the members of the Council shall be pre� � sented. ' ( 7) Any bids called for at such meeting shall be opened and read. ( 8) The Council shall receive petitions and hear any member ef the public as provided in Rule 15 ; and any appeal or other matter specially set for public hearing shall then be heard by the City Council . • (Q) The Council shall then receive reports of special cor�ittees . -n- (10 ) The Council shall then receive reports of standing committees ; and reports of the various City departments . (11) Unfinished business shall then be considered . (12 ) Then the Council shall consider any ordinances and/or resolutions that are currently before them. (13) New business shall then be considered. (l� } The Council shall consider , for approval , warrants authorizing monies for disbursement . Rule 17 . Order of Business for Special Meetings . Unless agreed to otherwise by majority vote of Council , the normal order of business before the City Council in any Special meeting shall be as follows : (1) Tne presiding officer shall call the roll and the City Secretary shall mark the absence of the Mayor or any menber of the Council . (2) The City Secretary shall test , and attest to the satis- f actory operation of the tape recorder , and maintain proper functioning and tape changes as needed throughout each meeting � �� 'if so required by Council . (3) The presiding officer shall state the purpose (s)_ of the meeting. (4) There shall be no business other than that stated above discussed or acted upon at such meeting unless the subject has been duly posted in accordance �aith the Texas Open Neetings Act . : The foregoing order of business shall not be suspended ex- : cept upon a majority vote of tYie Councilmen present . 1 Rule 18 . Suspension of Rules of Procedure. . Any one or all of these rules of procedure may be sus�ended in order to alloti� a particular consideration of a matter , pro� vided that it does not violate the Texas Open Meetings Act and not less than four Councilmen vote in favor of such suspension, Where any rule embodies a provision of State law, identically or in substance, such rule may not be suspended . The requirement of two-thirds to suspend a rule shall not apply to Rules 16 and 17 , but the order of business r�;ay be suspended by a riajority vote . -7- � � Rule 19 . Rules of Procedure . Except where in conflict with any State law, city ordinance or the rules of procedure adopted by this resolution, the rules of procedure laid do��n in Robert ' s Rules of Order, 75th Anniver- sary Edition, shall govern the proceedings of the City Council . ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Friendswood on this the day of , 1981 . Mayor AT�EST: City Secretary i i i s t � -8- �