Rules of Procedure
City of Florence
City Council
RULES OF PROCEDURE
Adopted February 6, 2006
1. AUTHORITY
1. Charter: As authorized by the Charter of the City of Florence, Oregon, The Florence City Council establishes the following rules for the governance of its members and proceedings. (See City Charter, Chapter IV, Section 15)
2. Prior Rules Repealed: Upon adoption of these rules, any prior rules are hereby repealed.
2. GENERAL RULES
1. Meetings to be Public: All meetings of the council shall be open to the public except for executive sessions as allowed by Oregon Public Meeting laws.
2. Quorum: Three members of the council shall constitute a quorum and be necessary for the transaction of business.
3. Compelling Attendance: The council may adjourn from time to time to compel the attendance of absent members.
4. Journal of Proceedings: An account of all proceedings of the council shall be kept as required by the public meetings and public records laws. Only the Mayor and Councilors have the authority to make substantive revision to the minutes subject to a majority vote of the Council. The minutes, upon approval, shall constitute the official record of the council.
5. Rules of Order: State Statutes, the City Charter, and these rules shall govern the proceedings of the council. The Council shall resolve any question about any question involving a rule of order by taking a vote of the Council members present at the meeting. (Amended May 2008)
3. TYPES OF MEETINGS
1. Regular Meetings: Regular Meetings: Regular meetings of the council shall be held at 7:00 p.m. on the first and third Monday of each month. A change of any regular meeting date may be made by consensus. All regular meetings shall be held in the Council Chamber unless another facility is needed for a stated, specific purpose.
2. Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the mayor, city manager, two councilors or by announcement during any regular meeting. The call for a special meeting shall specify the time and place and shall list one or more of the subjects to be considered. No special meeting shall be held until at least twenty-four (24) hours after the call is issued except in the case of actual emergency.
3. Adjourned Meetings: Any meeting of the council may be adjourned to a later date and time provided that no adjournment shall be for a longer period than until the next regular meeting.
4. Executive Sessions: Executive sessions may be held in accordance with the provisions of state law.
5. Attendance of Media at Council Meetings: Except as provided for by state law all meetings of the council and its committees shall be open to the media and freely subject to recording by tape, radio, television and photographic services at any time, provided that such arrangements do not interfere with the orderly conduct of the meetings as determined by the presiding officer.
4. PRESIDING OFFICER AND DUTIES
1. Presiding Officer: At the first meeting of each odd number year, the council shall elect a President and a Vice President from its membership. The mayor presides over all meetings of the council. In the absence of the mayor, the council president shall preside. In the absence of both the mayor and the council president, the council vice president shall preside. The presiding officer may take part in debate and may make or second a motion. The presiding officer shall vote on all questions before the council except in cases of conflict of interest.
2. Preservation of Order: The presiding officer has the authority to preserve order at all meetings of the Council, to cause the removal of any person from any meeting for disorderly conduct, and to enforce the rules of the Council. The presiding officer may limit debate with council consensus.
3. Questions to be stated: The presiding officer shall state all questions submitted for a vote and announce the result. A roll call vote shall be taken upon the request of any member.
4. Tie Vote: In the event of a tie in votes on any motion the motion shall be considered lost.
5. ORDER OF BUSINESS AND AGENDA
1. Agenda: The order of business of each meeting shall be as contained in the agenda prepared by the city manager and mayor. Any council member may request an item to be placed on the agenda, relating to any matter over which the council has control. The Mayor may determine which agenda depending on agenda time available, but must be done in a timely manner. The agenda shall be a listing by topic of subjects to be considered by the council and shall be delivered to members of the council at least twenty-four (24) hours preceding the meeting to which it pertains, except in case of emergency. Failure to make timely delivery shall not invalidate any action by the council.
2. Order of Business: The order of business on the agenda may be adjusted at the discretion of the presiding officer.
3. Agenda Available to Press and Public: Agenda Available to Press and Public: Copies of the agenda shall be made available to the press; the public and one copy shall be posted on the bulletin board at City Hall. This public notice shall be reasonably calculated to provide a list of the principle subjects anticipated to be considered at the meeting, but this requirement shall not limit the ability of the council to consider additional subjects, unless such items are otherwise governed by specific noticing requirements under state or city law. (ORS 192.640) (Amended May 2008)
4. Presentation by Members of Council: The agenda shall provide a time when the mayor or any council member may bring before the council any business that he/she feels should be deliberated upon by the council. These matters need not be specifically listed on the agenda. These matters shall not be acted on by the city council until a subsequent meeting, unless there is compelling reason. This excludes direction to the city manager.
5. Consent Agenda: Consent agenda items are generally business items about which there is expected to be no conflict. There will be no debate on consent agenda items and the consent agenda will be voted upon as a single group. Any councilor may request a specific item be pulled from the consent agenda. If an item is pulled, it will be considered as an item of council business.
6. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND MOTION
1. The enacting of ordinances shall follow Chapter VIII of City of Florence Charter, City Code (Title 1 Chapter 2) and State Law. (ORS. 221.926, 221.927, 221.928, 221.310, and 221.315)
7. CREATION OF COMMITTEES
1. Citizen Committees: The council may create temporary committees to assist in the conduct of the operation of the city government with such duties as the council may specify not inconsistent with the city's charter or code.
2. Membership and Selections: Membership and Selections: Membership and selection of members shall be as provided by the city's charter or code. Any committee so created shall cease to exist upon the accomplishment of the special purpose for which it was created or when abolished by a majority vote of the council. No committee so appointed shall have powers other than advisory to the council or to the city manager and shall conduct their meetings in accordance with state law.
8. CITIZENS' RIGHTS
1. Addressing the Council: Citizen comments on non-agenda issues are to be heard at the specified time in the agenda. Each speaker will be limited to a three (3) minute comment period. Council may in its discretion and by consensus terminate public comment or lengthen or shorten the individual comment period. All speaking will sign in with printed name, address and state same for the record. Citizen comment made in support of or in opposition to an agenda item may be heard at the time of that agenda item with the same sign in and 3 minute rules. Oregon Public Meeting Law guarantees the public a right to monitor the meetings of public bodies. It does not grant the public the right to interact with the public bodies during those meetings. Nevertheless, the presiding officer shall generally allow citizen comment within the orderly conduct of council meetings, but the presiding officer has the right to deny it. (Amended May 5, 2008)
2. Written Communications: Interested parties or their authorized representatives may address the council by written communication in regard to any matter concerning the cityâs business or over which the council has control at any time by direct mail or by addressing the city manager and requesting that copies be distributed to the council members.
3. Anonymous Communications: Anonymous Communications: Anonymous communications delivered to the Florence City Council, through whatever means, regarding employees, appointed committees or elected officials, cannot be used as a basis for discussion, administrative action or Council decision making. (Amended May, 2008)
9. CONDUCT OF HEARINGS
1. The conduct of hearings will be governed by current City Charter, City Code (Title 2 Chapter 10 and Title 10, Chapter 1) and State Ordinances. (ORS. 197.222, ORS. 197.195, ORS. 197.763, ORS. 227.170, and ORS. 227.180, 224.020, 244.120, 244.130 as attached.)
10. ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT OF THESE RULES
1. See section 1.2
2. Suspension of these Rules: Suspension of these Rules: Any provision of these rules not governed by the cityâs charter or code may be temporarily suspended by a vote of a majority of the council. The vote on any such suspension shall be taken by ayes and nays.
