CC Resolution No. 947 1698
RESOLUTION NO. 947
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
ESTABLISHING RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING
COUNCIL MEETINGS; REPEALING PRIOR RESOLUTIONS PERTAINING
TO COUNCIL RULES AND PROCEDURES; AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, Sections 25 and 27 of the City Charter authorize the Council to
fix the time of its regular meeting and to determine its rules and order of business;
and
WHEREAS, it is deemed advisable for the Council to establish rules for the
conduct of Council meetings, both formal and informal, and to establish rules of
courtesy for those persons attending meetings of the Council; NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN,
TEXAS:
Section 1: The following rules are established for the conduct of formal and
informal meetings of the Council:
( a) Regular meetings . The Council shall hold its regular
meetings in the Council Chamber at City Hall on the
second and fourth Thursday of each month beginning at
6 : 30 p.m. , unless otherwise established by the Council .
( b) Work sessions . Work sessions shall be called by the
City Clerk upon the request of the Mayor , the City
Manager , or a majority of the members of the Council .
Such meetings shall be held in the City Hall Conference
Room unless otherwise established by the Council . In
the event of a work session , the City Clerk shall
notify each member of the Council .
( c) Special meetings . Special meetings of the Council
shall be called by the City Clerk upon the request of
the Mayor , the Ci ty Manager , or a majori ty of the
members of the Council . In the event of a special
called meeting , the City Clerk shall notify each member
of the Council .
( d) Call to order . The meetings of the Council shall be
called to order by the Mayor , or in his absence, by the
Mayor Pro Tempore , and in the absence of both the Mayor
and Mayor Pro Tempore , the meeting shall be called to
order by the City Clerk . In the absence of both the
Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore , and with a quorum being
present , the members present may elect one of their
number upon nominations for that purpose to serve as
temporary presiding officer for the meeting .
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( f ) Substitution for Chair . The Chair may call upon the
Major Pro Tempore , or if he or she is unavailable , then
any other member to take his or her place , for a
portion of the meeting , substitution not to continue
beyond adjournment .
( g) Rules . Robert ' s Rules of Order ( latest revision) shall
govern in all cases unless in conflict with the City
Charter , City ordinances , or rules of procedure hereby
adopted provided that Section 42 , "Rules Governing
Debate , Rules Against the Chair ' s Participation in
Debates " shall not be applicable and the Mayor or
presiding officer of the proceedings of the City
Council shall have the right to participate in debate
of issues pending before the Council .
( h) Council members shall clearly indicate their vote on
each matter submitted to a vote , and the result shall
be announced by the City Clerk.
Section 2: The following rules of courtesy are adopted for persons in
attendance at all meetings of the Council:
( a) Recognition by presiding officer . No person shall
address the Council without first being recognized by
the presiding officer .
( b) Procedure . Each person addressing the Council shall
step up to the microphone provided for the use of the
public and give his name and address in an audible tone
of voice for the records , state the subject he wishes
to discuss , state whom he is representing if he
represents an organization or other persons . All
remarks shall be addressed to the Council as a whole
and not to any member thereof . No person other than
members of the Council and the person having the floor
shall be permitted to enter into any discussion ,
directly or through a member of the Council , without
permission of the presiding officer . No question may
be asked a member of the City staff without the
permission of the presiding officer .
( c) Spokesman for group of persons . In order to expedite
matters and to avoid repetitious presentations ,
whenever any group of persons wishes to address the
Council on the same subject , it shall be proper for the
presiding officer to request that a spokesman be chosen
by the group to address the Counci 1 , and in case
additional matters are to be presented by any other
member of the group , to limit the number of such
persons addressing the Council .
( d) Charges against employees . Should any person in a
Council meeting charge an employee with improper
conduct , malfeasance , nonfeasance , or misfeasance ,
then , in such event , such person shall be ruled out of
order immediately and instructed to refer his complaint
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Section 3: The following rules concerning the agenda of Council are adopted.
The agenda order set out is the desired order for conducting the business of the
City Council of the City of Baytown. However, at the discretion of the Mayor,
when it appears that it is to the best interest of the Council and the citizens of
Baytown, any item appearing on the agenda shall be considered out of order as shall
be determined by the mayor in the exercise of his or her discretion. An item shall
not be brought up for reconsideration by the Council by any person or Council
member if the item has been previously considered and voted on by the Council
within the previous six months, unless the Council by majority vote waives this
restriction as to the item. The desired order is:
( 1 ) Call to order
( 2 ) Announcement of quorum - the Mayor shall announce that
a quorum of the Council is present .
( 3 ) Invocation
( 4) Approval of minutes - the minutes of the previous
meetings of the City Council shall be submitted to
Council for approval or correction and then approval .
( 5 ) Citizen Communications - Items not on agenda ( 5 minutes
per speaker ) - Any citizen who desires to address
Council on a matter not included on the agenda may do
so at this time . However , council respectfully
requests that prior to appearing before Council , the
citizen has made every attempt to resolve the problem
through administrative channels .
Each citizen will be allowed a maximum of five minutes
to express their views . However , Council reserves the
right to extend said time by a majority vote of
Council , but does not provide that any part of the time
may be relinquished to another party. Council reserves
the privilege to make inquiries of the citizen at the
end of his/her presentation. However , since this is an
information gathering period for Council , all
inquiries , requests , etc . will be referred to the
administration for processing , and a response to the
citizen will be made at a later date .
To provide an efficient and orderly process to handle
citizen communications , each citizen desiring to speak
will be asked to complete a citizen communication form
to be provided by the City Clerk . The form will
provide a space for the individual ' s name , address ,
telephone number , date of requested appearance , reasons
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( 6 ) Public hearing - In the event action has been
previously taken calling a public hearing , the public
hearing shall commence at the time set forth in the
action calling such hearing.
( 7 ) Business - Ordinances , resolutions , motions , reports ,
and discussion items shall be considered at this time.
( 8 ) Consent agenda - Routine matters which require no
discussion ( any Council member may remove any item from
the consent agenda for discussion) .
( 9) Appointments - Any appointment to boards , committees or
commissions shall be considered at this time .
( 10) City Manager ' s report - The City Manager will present
reports of current problems and affairs of interest to
the Council .
( 11 ) Executive session - In the event it is necessary for
Council to retire to executive session for the purpose
of discussing matters which are permissible as
enumerated in Section 2 of Article 6252-17 , V.A. T.C. S. ,
council may retire into closed session . However ,
before such session , the Mayor shall announce that the
executive session is commencing , and the reason
therefore.
( 12 ) Adjournment .
Section 4: Resolution No. 747 which previously set forth rules and procedures
for the conduct of Council meetings is hereby repealed.
Section 5: This resolution shall take effect immediately from and after its
passage by the City Council of the City of Baytown.
INTRODUCED, READ, and PASSED by the affirmative vote of the City
Council of the City of Baytown, this the 24 day of Aoril , 1986.
'EMMETT O. HU TO Mayor
ATTEST:
�rk
EILEEN P. HALL, City-Clerk
erk
APPROVED: