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Home My Public Portal About004 Council Rules of ProcedureMonoN zoio-ooa Adopting Revised Council Rules of Procedure RULES OF PROCEDURE Section 1 Time and Place of Regular Business Meetings. The council shall meet in formal session at 7:30 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday in each month in the Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street. The Council does not meet the fourth Tuesdays of August and December. (Ord. No. 83-0-41, § 1, 12-14-83; Ord. No. 88-0-24, § I, 7-1-88; Ord. No. 90-0-7, § 1, 3-27-90; Ord. No. 90-0-7, § 1, 3-27-90; Ord. No. 90-0-37, § I, 11-14-90) Charter references: One regular monthly meeting of council required and authority of council to adopt rules for time of its meeting, § 2-7. Section 1.1 Cancellation of Meetings AI its annual meeting the governing body may fix the day or days [o which a regular business meeting shall be continued if the chairman or mayor, orvice-chairman or vice-mayor if the chairman or mayor is unable to act, finds and declares that weather or other conditions are such that it is hazardous for members to attend the regular business meeting. Such finding shall be communicated to the members and the press as promptly as possible. All hearings and other matters previously advertised shall be conducted at the continued meeting and no further advertisement is required. Section 2 Special Meetings and Alternate Locations The Council may determine that from time to time it may wish to meet at alternate locations within the Town of Leesburg. The Council may also establish special meetings at a time and location to be duly advertised in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. Section 3 Mayor Presides over Meetings As referenced in the Town Charter, the Mayor shall preside at all meetings unless absent or must relinquish the chair due to a conflict of interest. The Vice-Mayor shall preside at meetings when the Mayor is no[ present. Should the Mayor or V ice-Mayor not be present to preside at a meeting, then the member of Council with the most seniority will chair the meeting. Section 4 Order of Business at Regular Business Meetings The order of business at regular business meetings of the Town Council shall be set out in the printed agenda and shall include, but not be limited to the following items: 1. Call [o order 2. Invocation 3. Salute to the flag 4. Roll call 5. Minutes 6. Adopt meeting agenda- Amendments/Deletions to the Agenda 7. Presentations 8. Petitioners 9. Approval of [he Consent Agenda 10. Public Hearings ll. Ordinances 12. Resolutions 13. Unfinished business 14. New business I5. Council Comments 16. Mayor's Comments 17. Manager s comments 18. Closed Session (as needed) 19. Adjournment Section 5 Time limits [or speakers. The chair shall at the beginning of each meeting, have the authority to establish a time limit for petitioners of no less than 3 minutes and no more than five minutes, whether speaking as an individual or as representing any group or organization. Time allotted will be determined by the number of people who have signed up [o speak. Any member of the council may appeal the ruling and overturn the time limit by a majority vote of the members present without debate. This rule shall further apply to all meetings of committees, boards, and commissions appointed by the council. Order of speakers will be determined on firs[ register, firs[ speak basis. (Ord. No. 94-0-5, 2-22-94) Section 6 Mayor and Council Comment At each regular business meeting of the Town Council an item will be included on the agenda for "Council Comment" and "Mayor's Comments" At that time the Mayor and Council members shall have up to five minutes to make comments of general interest on matters such as public issues, community events or milestones, or constituent concerns. With the consent of the Council, the Chair may delete or reduce the time for Comments in the event the time for the Council to conduct its business is constrained or the agenda is unusually lengthy. Section 7. Unfinished Business Items Unfinished Business shall include all business no[ concluded at [he previous two regular business meetings. The Town Manager shall automatically place unfinished business items, including tabled motions, under this agenda item. (Ord. No. 83-0-41, § 1, 12-14-83; Ord. No. 95-0-5, § 1, 2-28-95) Section 8. New Business Items New business, not on the adopted agenda, may be transacted during regular or special town council meetings if all members of town council present vote to consider new business by suspension of the rules Section 9. Application of Robert's Rules of Order The provisions of Robert's Rules of Order, revised, I?dition date shall govern the council in its meetings, except insofar as such provisions are inconsistent with law and modified by the special rules of rider as set forth below. In the event that there is an inconsistency between the respective rules of order the special rules shall control. Section 8.1 -Special Rules of Order - The Chair shall vote on all matters before the Council unless contrary to law or the Chair abstains from the vote. - During Council meetings, Council deliberations will be held amongst Council members; unless the Chair consents and [here are no objections [o invite other participants. - Rulings of the Chair may be overturned by a majority of the members present and voting. -Any motion, amendment, or resolution may be withdrawn or modified by the mover at any time before a decision, (with the concurrence of the seconder) of an amendment or ordering of the yeas and nays, except a motion to reconsider, which shall no[ be withdrawn without leave. - The maker of the Motion shall be allowed to provide opening and closing discussion during debate. - On the demand of any Member, before the question is put by the Chair, a question shall be divided, if it includes propositions so distinct in substance that, one being taken away, a substantive proposition shall remain. Section 10. Committee of the Whole /Council Work session The council shall sit as a "committee of the whole" in a Council Work Session convening at 7:30 p.m. on the Monday preceding the regular council business meeting, with the Chair presiding at the Town Council Chambers. The committee of [he whole may consider such business as may come before it, for study purposes only. The council members may review upcoming agenda items, hear staff reports and public comment and take other non-legislative action as it deems necessary. No formal action may be taken at the committee of the whole work session. The time and place may be changed by atwo-thirds majority of the committee of the whole. Notification shall be in compliance with the Code of Virginia. (Ord. No. 99-0-36, § 1, 12-14-99) Section 11. Order of Business at Regular Committee of the Whole Work Sessions The order of business at regular Committee of the Whole Work Sessions of the Town Council shall be set out in the printed agenda and shall include, but not be limited to, the following items: I. Work session items for discussion 2.Additions to current Council meetings 3. Additions to Pu[ure Council Meetings 4. Information Memoranda in the Pocket 5. Council Invitations Section 12. Additions to Current Council Meetings Council members, at this time, may request items to be included in the next-day's regular business meeting. Items will only be added to the agenda if agreed to by a majority of Council present. As a guideline, additions to next-day meetings should be limited to items requiring minimal staff time and, as there would be limited time to inform constituents, items that are likely to be without controversy. Section 13: Additions to Futore Council Meetings Other than in section 12, agenda items to future Council meetings may be added in the following ways: 1. The Town Manager may add any items to business meetings or work sessions as previously directed by Council, that are of a legal nature, or that are required for normal Town operations. 2. Any Council member may request an item be placed on an agenda of a future work session. The Chair shall rule whether the item will be added as (a) an information item, that is information provided to Council but not discussed at the meeting; (b) an item for discussion; or (c) an item for discussion with potential action the following day. 3. In addition, any Council member may request a motion or resolution moved directly to the next regular business meeting, bypassing a work session, as long as it requires no staff time other than the actual crafting of the motion or resolution. Section 14. Quorum; procedure in absence of quorum The majority of the members of the council shall constitute a quomm. If a quorum fails to exist, the meeting shall stand adjourned to a time and place agreed upon by a majority of the members present. At the discretion of the presiding officer, the members present may conduct briefings at the Committee of the Whole Work session (Adjourned to next regularly scheduled meeting. (Ord. No. 83-041, § 1, 12-1483) Section 15. Journal of proceedings The clerk shall keep a journal of the council's proceedings. As a general practice Council members shall be furnished with a copy of the minutes for action and approval prior to the next regular meeting Council shall approve the minutes, which shall be signed by the person presiding when the previous meeting adjourned or, if he is not then present, by the person presiding when presented. The name of each member voting and how he voted shall recorded on the final vote on any ordinance or resolution. (Ord. No. 83-0-41, § 1, 12-14-83)