HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 1959-003
A RESOLUTION
PRESCRIBING CERTAIN PROCEDURAL RULES
FOR THE CITY COUNCIL
WHEREAS, The Council h as not heretofore prescribed procedural rules
for its own government as authorized by Article 1008 of the Texas Statutes; and,
WHEREAS, some such rules should be adopted in the interest of orderly
procedure in the conduct of the City.s business,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the following rules be
adopted and observed by the Council in all of its deliberations:
1. The rules of parlimentary procedure as set out in ROBERTS RULES
OF ORDER shall govern and be generally applied except in such instances as
said Rules may be in conflict with any rule herein contained, in which case
these rules shall apply.
2. The order of business at each regular meeting shall be:
(1) Call to order; (2) Reading of the minutes of the last regular meeting and
any special meetings of the Council; (3) Additions, correction and approval
of minutes; (4) financial report and approval; (5) pending business carried
over from last meeting; (6) new business; (7) recommendations of City
Engineer; (8) recommendations of Zoning Commission; (9) recommendations
of Zoning Board of Adjustment; (10) petitions, complaints or remonstrances
theretofore timely filed with the City Secretary and placed on the agenda by
the Mayor; (11) recess or adjournment.
3. Variation from the order of business shall be permitted only on
majority vote of the Council.
4. Any three members of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of any and all business.
5. The Mayor shall vote only in case of a tie. He shall approve all
ordinances, or other acts of the Council requiring either his signature or
approval upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present of
the Council. It is the intention of this rule only to affirm existing rules and
applicable law. ~
6. Audience participation in the deliberations of the Council shall not
be permitted except on invitiation of the Council given and extended by
majority vote of the Council, and no member of the audience shall be per-
mitted to address the Council until first recognized by the presiding officer.
7. When audience participation in the deliberations of the Council is
given by the Council as provided in the preceding rule, 1),0 member of the
audience shall be permitted to address the. Council more than one time and
then not in excess of five minutes of time.
8. The Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem or other presiding officer, and no
member of the Council who is present and in attendance at a Council meeting
shall leave said meeting until the official recess or adjournment thereof
except by a majority vote of the remaining members of the City Council;
''\--.
· P titions, complaints and remonstrances may be presc1ted to
the Council in writinJ only, and provided that such written petitions,
complaints or remonstrances have been filed in the office of the City
Secretary at least fort/-eight hours in advance of any regular stated
meeting. Any such petition, complaint or remonstrance mayor may not
be placed on the agenda to be considered at the succeeding regular
meeting, but if not placed upon such agenda, the parties thereto shall
be notified at least six hours in advance of the time fixed for such
rne e tin g .
10. P~titioners and complainants when presenting their petition,
complaint or remonstrance, shall select one member of their group a~
spokesman who shall present the same in not exceeding ten (10) minutes
and one additional member of their group who shall be allowed to com-
ment thereon for not exceeding seven (7) minutes. At the end of the
allotted time no other member of the group shall be allowed to speak
and the petition, complaint or remonstrance shall be deemed submitted
to the Council for such further consideration as the Council shall
sive to it either at that or at some subsequent regular or special
meeting. If and when the Council has taken any final action thereon
the City S~cretary is hereby required to advise the selected spokes-
Ii~ a n 0 fan )1 9 r 0 u P b y 1 e t t e r 0 f sue h fin a 1 act ion and the r e 5 u 1 t the reo 1.
11. It shall be the duty of the Mayor or other presiding officer
to enforce these rules. Failure to enforce such rules may be raised
by any member of the Council by "point of order" after which the pre-
siding officer shall enforce the rules or be removed as such presiding
officer for the remainder of that meeting. In event of such removal
of the Mayor as presiding officer the Mayor Pro Tern shall preside. In
event of removal of the Mayor Pro Tem the remaining members of the
Council shal1 elect a presiding officer for the remeainder of that
meeting.
12. Any member of a spectator audience who refuses to abide by
these rules or becomes rude, boisterious, contemptious or is guilty of
other disorderly conduct ~"hall be bodily removed from the Council meet in].
13. Any ordinance, proposed ordinance, or other matter having
been presented to, considered by the Council, and acted upon, shal1
not again be considered or reconsidered within a peri~d of six (5J
months except upon affirmative vote of four-fifths (4/5) of the
members of the Council to suspend this rule for that purpose.
14. These rules are supplementary to any other procedural rule
contained i~ any other ordinance and in any state statute, and shall
be interpreted consistently therewith.
15. These rules may be amended from time to time consistently
with the requirements of the business of the Council; provided, how-
ever, that any proposed amendment shall first be offered at a regular
meeting of the Council and sha11 not be voted upon until the next
succeeding regular meeting, at which time it shall be the first order
of business under the heading of "Pending Business" as prescribed in
Rule No.2 of the "Order of Business" of these rules.
16. These rules shall be effective from and after their adoption.
PASSED AND APPI\OVED, the 12- day of ~
, 1 5~,.
ATTEST:
~~ ff~
ee a y
APPR~~ __
waY~
-2-