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3.02.040 Council Rules.

City Code Section

(Amended by Ordinance 192021, effective January 15, 2025.)

  1. A. President and Vice President election.
    1. 1. At the first regular meeting of the year, whenever the position of President or Vice President becomes vacant, or oftener at Council’s option, the Council elects from its members a President and Vice President by majority vote of those in attendance. 
    2. 2. The Vice President must be from a different district than the President unless no Councilor from another district is willing to serve. 
    3. 3. The President or Vice President may be removed by the affirmative vote of at least nine Councilors. 
    4. 4. The position of President or Vice President becomes vacant if the President or Vice President resigns the position, vacates their Councilor seat, or is removed. 
    5. 5. At the first meeting in 2025 and until the first President is elected, the Auditor, through the Council Clerk and assisted by legal counsel, will serve as a non-voting ex officio presiding officer to facilitate the election of the first President. 
  2. B. President and Vice President duties. 
    1. 1. The President is the presiding officer and will: 
      1. a. Promote efficient Council operations, including the coordination and submission of agenda items to the Auditor, refer items submitted by the Mayor and Auditor, or submitted by a Councilor without a committee preference, to the full Council or a committee, and assist in preparing the agenda. 
      2. b. Preside over Council meetings, including the preservation of order and decorum. The President: 
        1. (1) Assigns seats in Council Chambers. 
        2. (2) Sets limits for public testimony. 
        3. (3) Speaks to points of order before other Councilors. Decides questions of order subject to an appeal to the full Council by three Councilors. A Councilor called to order must immediately stop talking, but may ask the Council to rule without debate on the question of being able to continue talking. 
        4. (4) Names who speaks first when two or more Councilors speak at the same time. 
        5. (5) Allows each Councilor to speak once on an item until every Councilor choosing to speak has spoken unless the requested speech is necessary for others to understand the issue being considered. 
        6. (6) Ensures Councilors confine themselves to the question under debate and refrain from personal criticism. 
        7. (7) Allows sufficient time for an amendment before ordering a roll call vote. No amendment may be made during the vote. 
      3. c. Sign items accepted by and requiring execution or agreement by Council. 
    2. 2. The President may delegate any duties to the Vice President during the President’s absence or at the President’s discretion. 
    3. 3. The Vice President acts as the presiding officer at Council meetings in the President’s absence. If the position of President is vacant, the Vice President acts as President until Council elects a new President. 
    4. 4. When a quorum attends a Council meeting, but the President and Vice President are absent, the presiding officer will be: 
      1. a. The Councilor who most recently served as President; or 
      2. b. If no Councilor in attendance served as President, the Councilor who most recently served as Vice President; or 
      3. c. If no Councilor in attendance served as President or Vice President, the Councilor from the same district as the President whose last name is first in alphabetical order. 
  3. C. General rules of procedure. 
    1. 1. The Committee Chair or elected official submitting an item speaks first on the item. 
    2. 2. Voting order. In roll call votes, the presiding officer votes last. Other Councilors vote by district in numerical order, then by alphabetical order of last name within each district. The district order is rotated the first day of each calendar quarter, with the previously first district rotated to the last position. 
    3. 3. Suspension of rules. At least nine affirmative votes, or the unanimous consent of the Council with at least nine members in attendance, are required to suspend a rule in this Chapter; however, Council may not suspend a rule that reflects a Charter provision. 
  4. D. Motions. 
    1. 1. A motion is only considered if it is seconded. If a motion is seconded, the presiding officer clearly states the motion before debate and, if requested by a Councilor, has the motion reduced to writing. 
    2. 2. Only the following motions, considered in descending priority with Subsection 2.a. having the highest priority, may be made when a question is under debate: 
      1. a. Lay the matter on the table; 
      2. b. Call for the previous question; 
      3. c. Postpone to a date certain or postpone indefinitely; 
      4. d. Refer to a committee; or 
      5. e. Amend. 
    3. 3. A Councilor may withdraw their motion at any time before an amendment is made to it or, if no amendment is made, before a vote is taken on it. 
    4. 4. A motion with several elements may be divided. But the Councilor who made the initial motion may designate which element is voted on first. 
    5. 5. A motion to call the question requires an affirmative vote of at least a majority of Councilors in attendance. 
    6. 6. Motion for reconsideration. 
      1. a. A Councilor who voted with the prevailing side may move for reconsideration. Any Councilor may second the motion. 
      2. b. A motion for reconsideration may only be made once per item. 
      3. c. The motion must be made before the adjournment of the meeting when the item was considered by Council. 
      4. d. The prevailing side for purposes of moving to reconsider an emergency ordinance is the side which prevented the emergency ordinance from passing. 
    7. 7. A motion to recess, adjourn, or compel attendance requires an affirmative vote of at least a majority of the Councilors in attendance. A motion to adjourn is decided without debate. If a motion to adjourn has been put to a vote, and failed, it is not considered again until some other business has been considered. 
  5. E. Robert’s Rules of Order. 
  6. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised resolves procedural questions not covered by these rules. 

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