HomeMy Public PortalAbout1976_02_25_O003 Amending the Town Code for Rules of Procedure TOWN OF LEESBURG
IN
LOUDOUN COUNTY, VIRGINIA
ORDINANCE NO. 76-0-3
ADOPTED February 25, 1976
AN ORDINANCE:
AMENDING ARTICLE II, COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE,
OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE TOWN CODE.
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Leesburg as
follows:
SECTION I. That Article II, Council Rules of Procedure of
Chapter 2, of the Town Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
ARTICLE II. COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE.
Sec. 2-20. Time and Place of Regular Meetings.
Council shall meet regularly at 7:30 P.M. the second
and fourth Wednesday in each month in the Council chambers.
Sec. 2-21. Quorum; Procedure in absence of quorum.
The majority of the members of council shall constitute
a quorum. If a quorum fails to exist, the meeting shall
stand adjourned to a time and place agreed upon by a ma-
jority of the members present.
Sec. 2-22. Special Meetings, limitation on business.
The mayor, or a majority of the members of council, may
call special meetings, with proper notice to each member.
The clerk shall record in the journal each councilmember's
acknowledgment of the receipt of such notice.
No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of
the council, except that for which it was called.
Sec. 2-23. Journal of proceedings.
The clerk shall keep a journal of the council's proceed-
ings and shall read the minutes recorded in the journal at
the next regular meeting of council following each regular
meeting and intervening special meetings, unless each member
has previously been furnished a copy of such minutes. Council
-2-
shall approve the minutes, which shall be signed by the per-
son presiding when the previous meeting adjourned or, if he
be not then present, by the person presiding when presented.
The name of each member voting and how he voted shall be re-
corded on the final vote on any ordinance or resolution.
Sec. 2-24. Special Committees.
The mayor may appoint such special committees of coun-
cil as deemed desirable.
Sec. 2-25. Application of Robert's Rules of Order.
The provisions of Robert's Rules of Order, Revised,
shall govern the council in its meetings, except insofar
as such provisions are inconsistent with law.
Sec. 2-26. Suspension of provisions of article.
Any of the provisions of this Article may be suspended
uri~g any one session of the council by a vote of two-thirds
2/3) of the members of council.
Sec. 2-27. CoUncil workshops.
The council shall meet in workshop session at 8:00 P.M.
on the first and third Wednesday in each month in the muni-
cipal offices, or at such other time and place as the council
shall determine. Such workshops shall be public but no action
taken or minutes taken.
Sec. 2-28. Order of business.
The order of business at regular meetings shall be as
follows:
Invocation
Salute to the flag
Roll call
Approval of minutes
Petitioners
Legislation
Ordinances
Resolutions
Manager's report
Mayor's report
Committee reports
Old business
New business
Adjournment
Whenever practicable, the agenda, communications, reports,
recommendations, proposed ordinances and proposed resolutions
shall be distributed to members of council five (5) days be-
fore regular meetings and twelve (12) hours before special
meetings.
-3-
Sec. 2-29. Votes.
Upon the request of any member, votes shall be by roll
call. The clerk, on roll call votes, shall call upon members
in alphabetical order, with the mayor voting last.
Sec. 2-30. Adoption of ordinances.
(a) Except as provided by law or in (d) below, every
proposed ordinance, herein called "bills", shall be fully
and distinctly read upon introduction, prior to public hear-
ing thereon and again prior to final passage, unless each
member has been furnished a copy thereof at least twelve
(12) hours previously, in which case it can be read by title
only. A copy of every bill shall be delivered to each member
of council prior to introduction.
(b) After approval of the first reading of a bill,
council shall set the time and place for the second reading
and public hearing thereon to be held at least fifteen (15)
days after its introduction, The clerk shall publish.proper
notice of the hearing, including the title and subject of
the bill, or its full text if council directs, at least seven
(7) days before the hearing.
(c) Bills may be amended at any time during considera-
tion. Amendments to bills shall be fully and distinctly read
prior to final passage of bills unless each member has been
furnished a copy thereof at least twelve (12) hours previously.
Substantive amendments, as determined by council, shall be
treated as new bills.
(d) Bills may be passed on an emergency basis with or
without amendment at the same meeting introduced and no pub-
lication, hearing or specific time interval between intro-
duction and passage shall be necessary. If council deter-
mines that a bill should be passed on an emergency basis, the
emergency shall be declared in one section and the ordinance
shall be passed only with at least two-thirds (2/3) of the
membership voting affirmatively.
SECTION II. That all prior ordinances or resolutions in con-
flict herewith are hereby repealed.
SECTION III. That an emergency exists and this ordinance
shall be in full force and effect from its passage without publi-
cation, hearing or time interval between introduction and passage.
-4-
PASSED this 25th day of February, 1976.
ATTEST:
G. Dewey Hil~/, Mayor
Town of Leesburg
Clerk of Council