Appendix A. Rules Of Procedure Of The Town Council

Appendix A RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF TOWN COUNCIL

RESOLVED, that the following Rules be and they are hereby adopted as the Rules of the Town Council of the Town of New Shoreham.

1. The First Warden shall be the presiding officer at all meetings of the Town Council. In the First Warden's temporary absence or disability the Second Warden shall exercise all the duties and prerogatives of the First Warden.

2. The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum at all meetings and shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the Town Council by any other members. The presiding officer may speak from his chair on general questions; and may make motions and vote on all questions.

3. The presiding officer shall propound all questions and motions in the order in which they are moved unless the subsequent motion takes precedence. He or she shall distinctly put every question.

4. Quorum—A majority of the whole number of members of the Town Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. At least 24 hours notice of the holding of an adjourned meeting shall be given to all members who were not present at the meeting for which the adjournment was taken.

5. Voting—A motion shall be carried by the affirmative vote of a majority of the whole number of Councilors. When a conflict of interest arises which prohibits a member from voting on a motion, the motion shall be carried by the affirmative vote of a majority of those members of the whole Town Council eligible to vote. The presiding officer shall declare the passage or defeat of any motion. In the case of a tie the motion shall be defeated. Votes shall be by voice. The chair may not vote twice; once as a member, then again in the chair's capacity as presiding officer—first to make a tie and then cast the deciding vote.

6. Any member may abstain from voting on any matter before the Council and said abstention shall not be construed as a voted for or against any motion. Any motion may be withdrawn by the mover at any time before the taking of a vote thereon, or before an amendment is made to such motion.

7. When a vote has been passed it shall be in order for any member who voted in the majority to move its reconsideration at any time within forty-five (45) days of its initial passage at any special or regular meeting. Any motion to be reconsidered must be carried by a vote of all of the members of the Council.

8. Motions—Order of precedence of Motion shall be:

a. Adjourn

b. Take a recess

c. Raise a question of privilege

d. Suspension of the rules

e. Lay on the table

f. Previous question

g. Limit debate

h. Postpone to a certain time

i. Commit or Refer

j. Amend

k. Postpone Indefinitely

l. Main Motion

The lowest in rank being the last of the list and highest in rank at the beginning of the list. When any motion is pending before the Town Council, any motion higher on this list than said pending shall take precedence and be acted upon first, and those following shall be out of order.

9. The following motions shall be undebatable:

a. Adjourn

b. Recess

c. Raise a question of privilege

d. Lay on the table

e. Suspension of the rules

f. Previous question

g. Limit debate

10. All items for the agenda of a regular or interim meeting must be in the Town Council Agenda folder at noon on Wednesday prior to the meeting. Town Council meeting packets will be ready at noon on Friday prior to the meeting.

11. No items requiring action by the Council may be added to the agenda during a meeting. Items "for discussion only" may be added to the agenda during a meeting by a vote of all of the members of the Council present.

13. All items for the agenda of a work session will be in the Town Council Agenda folder at noon three working days prior to the work session.

14. All Council Meetings will adjourn at 11:30 p.m. unless the Council votes unanimously to continue.

15. There shall be provided a place for the Clerk of the Council, the Town Manager and the Town Solicitor at Council meetings. No other person may occupy the immediate Council meeting area, except by invitation of the Town Council. The Town Solicitor may at any time ask to be recognized but shall not presume to speak on any matters before the Council unless so requested.

16. Members of the audience MAY be recognized to speak briefly on any matter on the agenda that may be before and under discussion by the Council prior to a vote thereon. Remarks, if any, shall be confined to the question under consideration and shall avoid personalities. Anything to the contrary shall be considered out of order.

17. Anyone in the audience requesting permission to read a written statement or letter shall first supply a copy of same to the Clerk for the records.

18. Public comment shall be provided for at the beginning of the Council agenda at regular meetings. A period of time prior to the closing of Regular Council Meetings may be set aside to entertain questions, comments and suggestions on any subject from the audience in an orderly manner. There will be no action taken thereon.

19. Regular meetings of the Town Council shall be held on the first Monday and third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. The date of any meeting may be changed by majority vote of the Council at the prior Town Council meeting. A special meeting of the Town Council may be called by the Town Clerk at the request of the First Warden, or a majority of the members of the Town Council. The agenda for all meetings shall be posted at least 48 hours prior to the time of such meeting unless the Town Council decides that an emergency exists.

All meetings of the Town Council shall be open to the public except that this provision shall not be deemed to prevent holding of executive sessions, provided all votes are taken in public or closed meeting with recorded vote taken in accordance with Chapter 330 Section 42-46-5 [G.L. 1956, § 42-46-5] (Closed Meetings) of the R.I. Open Meetings Law [G.L. 1956, § 42-46-1 et seq.].

Council Order of Business

a. Call to Order

b. Wardens Report

c. Public Comment

d. Approval of minutes of previous meeting(s)

e. Public Hearing (if any)

f. Tabled Items

g. All Other Business

h. Adjourn

20. Robert's Rules of Parliamentary Procedure shall prevail in the absence of any specific rule as set forth herein. The Town Solicitor is designated as parliamentarian for the purpose of interpreting these rules of procedure.

21. These rules may be amended from time to time by the Town Council at any regular meeting or any special meeting called for that purpose. A majority vote of all members elected will be required to amend any of these rules. Any rule may be temporarily suspended, but in no event for longer than one meeting, by a majority vote of the Council membership present.

22. A copy of the minutes of all Town Council meetings will be provided in accordance with the provisions of the Open Meetings Law.

23. When filling Town Council appointed Board, Committee and Commission positions or vacancies the Town Council:

A) In the case of vacancies occurring before a term is due to expire will notify the public of such vacancy by public announcement in the Block Island Times at least one month prior to the appointment, and will announce such openings at each Town Council meeting prior to an appointment to the vacancy. In addition there shall be a list of any and all Board, Committee and Commission vacancies maintained at all regular Town Council agenda posting places;

B) In the case of annual term expirations the Town Council will announce the availability of all expiring terms by public announcement in the Block Island Times at least one month prior to the expiring term, by announcement at Town Council and Interim November meeting and by listing all potential openings at the regular posting places.