Sec. 2-20. - Duties of officers of council.
Sec. 2-21. - Time and place of regular meetings.
Sec. 2-23. - Meetings to be open to public.
Sec. 2-25. - Special committees.
Sec. 2-27. - Signing, recording and indexing of ordinances and resolutions.
Sec. 2-28. - Duty of city clerk at close of session of council.
Sec. 2-29. - Decorum at council meetings.
Sec. 2-30. - Council travel expenditures.
Sec. 2-20. - Duties of officers of council.
(a)
The mayor shall preside over the meetings of the council and shall have the same right to vote and speak therein as other members. The mayor shall be recognized as the head of the city government for all ceremonial purposes, the purposes of military law and the service of civil process.
(b)
The vice-mayor shall, in the absence or disability of the mayor, perform the duties of mayor. In the absence or disability of both the mayor and vice-mayor, the council shall, by majority vote of those present, choose one (1) of their number to perform the duties of mayor.
(c)
The mayor shall call meetings to order at the hour for holding such meetings and, if a quorum be present, shall cause the journal of the proceeding meeting to be read and call for corrections at the conclusion thereof, after which same shall be approved, and, when transcribed in the book provided for that purpose, the mayor shall sign same.
(Ord. No. 1877, § 1; Ord. No. 2250; Code 1961, § 2-3)
Charter reference— Similar provisions, § 4.03.
Sec. 2-21. - Time and place of regular meetings.
The regular meetings of the council shall be held in the council chambers at 7:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, unless such day shall fall on a legal holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on the next succeeding day which is not a legal holiday and at the same hour. Regular meetings, without further public notice, may be adjourned from day to day or from time to time or from place to place, not beyond the time fixed for the next regular meeting, until the business before the council is completed.
If the council subsequently prescribes any public place other than the regular meeting place, or any day or time other than that established by this ordinance, as a regular meeting day, place or time, the council shall pass a resolution as to such future meeting day, place or time. The council shall cause a copy of such resolution to be posted on the door of the courthouse or the initial regular meeting place and inserted in a newspaper having general circulation in the city at least seven (7) days prior to the regular meeting at such other day, place or time.
In addition a regular meeting of the council may be cancelled by (1) the city manager, after consulting individually with the members of council, in the event that there are no agenda items for consideration at a regular meeting; or (2) if the mayor, or vice-mayor if the mayor is unable to act, finds and declares that weather or other conditions are such that it is hazardous for members and the public to attend the regular meeting.
(Ord. No. 187, § 1; Ord. No. 1945, § 1; Ord. No. 2250; Code 1961, § 2-5; Ord. No. 2537-79; Ord. No. 2593-79, § 1; Ord. No. 3196-84, § 1; Ord. No. 6659-10, § 1; Ord. No. 6723-10, § 1)
Charter reference— Council to provide for time and place of regular meetings, which shall be not less frequently than once per month, § 4.06.
Cross reference— Disrupting council meetings, § 28-11.
Editor's note—
Ord. No. 6659-10, § 2, adopted Jan. 26, 2010, effective March 1, 2010, repealed § 2-21.1, which pertained to the time and place of prefatory meetings of city council, and derived from Ord. No. 3471-86; Ord. No. 4068-90, § 1.
(a)
The mayor, the city manager or any three (3) members of the council may call a special meeting of the council at any time upon at least twenty-four (24) hours written notice to each member, served personally or left at such member's usual place of business or residence. Such special meetings may be held at any time, without notice, provided all members of the council attend such meetings and sign a waiver of the written notice. The notice of each special meeting shall be served by the city clerk and shall contain a statement of the specific item or items of business to be transacted, and no other business shall be transacted at such meeting except by unanimous consent of all members of the council.
For the purpose of discussing council ideas/suggestions/concerns at city council work sessions, those ideas, suggestions or concerns shall not be deemed to be a specific item or items of business to be transacted and as such will not require a waiver of notice identifying same. No topic discussed as an idea, suggestion or concern shall bind the council to any decision or line of procedure except and until duly and specifically authorized by the council at a regular meeting or a special meeting called for that purpose.
(b)
The delivery of formal written notice of a special meeting to a member of the council may be waived by the member by so advising the city clerk. If such waiver is not in writing, the member shall reduce such waiver to writing at or before the special meeting or not later than the next regular meeting of the council following the special meeting at which the member is in attendance. Unless the delivery of formal written notice is waived as provided in this section by all of the members of the council, no special meeting shall be held unless the notice required in this section is delivered as provided herein.
(Ord. No. 1877, § 1; Ord. No. 2250; Code 1961, §§ 2-7, 2-8; Ord. No. 6744-10)
Charter reference— Call and notice of special council meetings, § 4.06.
Sec. 2-23. - Meetings to be open to public.
The meetings of the council shall be open to the public.
(Ord. No. 1877, § 1; Ord. No. 2250; Code 1961, § 2-4)
A majority of the members of the council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(Ord. No. 1877, § 1; Ord. No. 2250; Code 1961, § 2-5.1)
Charter reference— Similar provisions, § 4.06.
Sec. 2-25. - Special committees.
For obtaining information or the preparation of reports, special committees may be appointed by the mayor or council in accordance with resolutions adopted in an open meeting, such committees to consist of such numbers as designated in the resolution. Such committees shall report to the council at each regular meeting following their appointment until the purpose for which they were appointed is fulfilled, whereupon the committee shall be discharged by the presiding officer. No such committee shall, by word or writing, bind the council to any decision or line of procedure except and until duly and specifically authorized by the council in meeting assembled.
(Ord. No. 1887, § 1; Ord. No. 2250; Code 1961, § 2-11)
The city clerk shall attend all regular and special meetings of the council as well as the meetings of any special committee of the council, if required. The clerk shall record the proceedings of such meetings in a journal and the same shall be properly indexed.
(Ord. No. 1877, § 1, Ord. No. 2250; Code 1961, § 2-37)
Charter reference— Clerk's duty to keep journal of council proceedings, § 4.04.
Sec. 2-27. - Signing, recording and indexing of ordinances and resolutions.
All resolutions and ordinances adopted by the council shall be signed by the presiding officer and the city clerk and shall be recorded in a book which shall be properly indexed.
(Ord. No. 1877, § 1; Ord. No. 2250; Code 1961, § 2-12)
Charter reference— Numbering and recording of ordinances, § 4.12.
Sec. 2-28. - Duty of city clerk at close of session of council.
The city clerk shall, immediately after the close of each session of the council:
(1)
Make and present to the mayor a transcript of every ordinance, resolution or order and act of legislative character passed at such session.
(2)
Transmit to the director of finance and city treasurer a transcript of all ordinances or resolutions appropriating money or authorizing the payment of money or the issuance of bonds or notes.
(3)
Give notice to all persons presenting letters, petitions or communications to the council of the final action of the council on such petitions or communications.
(Ord. No. 1877, § 1; Ord. No. 2250; Code 1961, § 2-41)
Sec. 2-29. - Decorum at council meetings.
It shall be unlawful for any person present at a council meeting, no matter where held, to enter such meeting with or display at such meeting any placard, banner, or sign. This prohibition shall not apply to visual aids utilized in presentations of matters under consideration by council when permission for such use is granted by the mayor, acting mayor, or a majority of the council.
(Ord. No. 3067-83)
Sec. 2-30. - Council travel expenditures.
(a)
Travel expense fund allocations for each council member shall be established as a part of the development of the city's operating budget. Each council member must prepare a travel expense estimate for a fiscal year and submit the estimate for discussion and approval as a part of the adopted operating budget. In the instance where an individual council member exhausts the allocated travel expense allowance, further travel expenses may not be incurred without the approval of a majority of the members of the council.
(b)
Travel reports shall be filed with the city clerk within fifteen (15) days after a member's return from that travel. In addition, travel shall not be authorized unless and until outstanding travel reports, if any, have been completed and submitted.
(c)
Council travel preparation, to include travel advances, ticket acquisitions, reservations, etc., shall be coordinated by and handled through the city clerk.
(Ord. No. 3197-84, § 1; Ord. No. 3323-85)
For the 2002-03 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, the salaries for the mayor and members of city council shall be twenty-seven thousand dollars ($27,000.00) and twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00), respectively, payable in prorated monthly installments.
(Ord. No. 4947-96, § 1; Ord. No. 5716-01, § 1)