Appendix B. Rules Of Procedure Of Appointed Boards, Committees And Commissions
Appendix B RULES OF PROCEDURE OF APPOINTED BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS
RULES OF PROCEDURE
APPOINTED BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONSThe following rules of procedure are to be adopted and used by all Town Council appointed Boards, Committees and Commissions. Modified versions may be adopted by any Board, Committee or Commission after approval by the town Council of any proposed modifications.
1. Upon the formation of a newly appointed Town Board, Committee and/or Commission, an organizational meeting will be called to order at which time the Board, Committee, or Commission will elect a Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary which officers shall serve for a one year term.
2. The Chair will be the presiding officer at all meetings. In the temporary absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall exercise all the duties and prerogatives of the Chair.
3. The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum at all meetings and shall decide all questions of order (subject to an appeal by any other members of the Board, Committee, or Commission). The presiding officer may speak on general questions, may make motions and vote on all questions.
4. The presiding officer shall propound all questions and motions in the order in which they are moved unless the subsequent motion be previous in nature. The presiding officer shall distinctly put every question to vote.
5. QUORUM—A majority of the whole number of members of the Board, Committee, or Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business unless otherwise specified by law. 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.
6. VOTING—A motion shall be carried by the affirmative vote of a majority of the whole number of members of the Board, Committee, or Commission and 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 presiding officer cannot vote twice (once as member, then again in the Chair's capacity as presiding officer). 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 Board, Committee or Commission eligible to vote.
7. It is impermissible for members of any Board, Committee or Commission to abstain from a vote unless a conflict of interest exists. Said abstention shall not be construed as a vote for or against any motion. Any motion may be withdrawn by the moving member at any time before the taking of a vote thereon, or before an amendment is made to such motion.
8. When a vote has been passed, it shall be in order for the Board, Committee or Commission to move its reconsideration at any time within forty-five (45) days of its initial passage at any special or regular meeting. A motion for reconsideration must be carried by a vote of all of the members of the Board, Committee, or Commission. All quasi-judicial Boards, Committees and Commissions are exempt from this provision. Decisions of a quasi-judicial nature cannot be reconsidered once a formal vote has been taken.
9. MOTIONS—(Robert's Rules of Order shall take precedence.) Order of Motions of precedence 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 the highest in rank at the beginning of the list. When any motion is pending before the Board, Committee, or Commission, 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.
10. 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
11. A regular meeting time shall be set by a majority of all members of the Board, Committee, or Commission.
12. Each Board, Committee, or Commission shall set a closing date for the agenda of any scheduled meeting.
13. All meetings will convene in the Town Hall, Old Town Road; Island Free Library, Dodge Street, Block Island School, High Street; or at the Sewer Plant, Spring Street, unless other arrangements are made. All meetings should adjourn at an established time.
14. All Boards, Committees, or Commissions shall have a Clerk of meetings to record all action and vote of the Board, Committee or Commission. It will be the responsibility of the Clerk to notify all members of the Board, Committee, or Commission of meetings scheduled and to post publicly notice of same in accordance with law.
15. All requests or opinions of the Town Solicitor, or any other special legal counsel by the Board, Committee, or Commission must be approved by the New Shoreham Town Manager or the New Shoreham Town Council (with exception of the Planning and Zoning Boards).
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 Board, Committee, or Commission. Remarks, if any, shall be confined to the question under consideration and shall avoid personalities.
17. Anyone in the audience requesting permission to read a written statement or letter, shall first supply a copy of same to the Clerk/Secretary for the records.
18. A period of time prior to the closing of the regular meeting shall 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. A special meeting of the Board, Committee, or Commission may be called by the presiding officer or by a majority of the members of the Board, Committee, or Commission. The agenda for all meetings of the Board, Committee, or Commission shall be posted at least 48 hours prior to the time of such meeting unless it is decided by the Town Manager/Town Council that an emergency exists. Public notices shall contain the date, time, location and subject (agenda) of the meeting. Any regular meeting of the Board, Committee, or Commission can be canceled by a majority vote of the members.
20. All meetings shall be open and accessible to the public pursuant to Title 42, Chapter 46 of the Rhode Island General Laws [G.L. 1956, § 42-46-1 et seq.].
21. Regular Order of Business:
a. Call to order
b. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting
c. Public Hearing
d. Tabled items
e. All other business
22. Smoking will not be permitted within the building, neither by members of the Board, Committee, or Commission nor by the General Public.
23. A copy of the minutes of all meetings will be in the hands of each member within two weeks after every meeting, and shall be approved by a majority vote of the Board, Committee or Commission at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Once approved, a copy of same shall be forwarded to the Town Manager and Town Council for review. The original shall be filed permanently for public review.
24. The Clerk or Secretary shall be required to notify the Town Manager/Town Council of any member who has been absent for three consecutive regularly scheduled meetings, or a member has been absent for 20% of all scheduled meetings of the Board, Committee or Commission within the previous year, or failure of a quorum to meet.
25. Robert's Rules of Order shall prevail in the absence of any specific rules as set forth herein. Legal notification of all meetings as aforementioned shall not be deemed to prevent legal notification as required by Rhode Island General Law, where applicable.
26. These general Rules of Procedure shall be superseded in any specific requirements of the Town's Charter, Ordinances or Laws of the State of Rhode Island or by such modification as may be adopted by any Board, Committee or Commission after prior approval by the Town Council.
27. Boards, Committees and Commissions may appoint subcommittees composed of its own members to further its charge, but may not appoint any members from outside their respective Board, Committee or Commission, unless specifically authorized by the Town Council.