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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Rules New Version - September 2007- 0 - City Council Rules of Order and Procedure November, 2007 City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado V I S I O N S T A T E M E N T WHEAT RIDGE IS A FAMILY ORIENTED RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY WITH A RANGE OF QUALITY HOMES, MIXED USE URBAN VILLAGES AND QUALITY RETAIL SERVING OUR RESIDENTS AND SERVING AS UNIQUE REGIONAL DESTINATIONS. OUR RESIDENTS HAVE GREAT ACCESS TO DENVER AND THE MOUNTAINS, ENJOY AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE, SHARE SMALL-TOWN VALUES AND TAKE PRIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WHEAT RIDGE – A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE! Wheat Ridge City Clerk's Office ● 7500 W. 29th Avenue● Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033 ● (303)235-2823 - 1 - Table of Contents 1 Authority 1.1 Charter 2 General Rules 2.1 Absence From Meetings 2.2 Right of the Floor 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Elected Officials’ Matters City Attorney City Clerk Parliamentarian 3 Types of Meetings 3.1 Business Meetings 3.2 Special Meetings and Emergency Meetings 3.3 Adjourned Meetings 3.4 3.5 3.6 Executive Sessions Informal Meetings Attendance at Meeting of other Organizations and Social Gatherings 4 Chairman, Mayor Pro Tem and Their Duties 4.1 Chairman 4.2 Mayor Pro Tem 4.3 Preservation of Order 4.4 Point of Order 5 Order of Business and the Agenda 5.1 Order of Business 5.2 Agenda 5.3 Agenda Items 5.4 Public Hearings 5.5 5.6 5.7 Ordinances on First Reading Time of Adjournment Ordinances, Resolutions, and Motions - 2 - 5.8 City Attorney to Approve 6 Citizens’ Rights 6.1 Citizens’ Right to Speak 6.2 6.3 Citizens’ Right to Speak on Agenda Items Written Communications 7 Suspension and Amendment of These Rules 7.1 Amendment of Rules 7.2 Amendment of Rules 7.3 Review 8 Appropriations 8.1 Appropriations - 3 - 1 Authority and Purpose 1.1 Charter The Charter of the City of Wheat Ridge provides that the Council may determine its own rules of procedure for meetings. The following set of rules shall be in effect upon their adoption by the Council until such time as they are amended or new rules adopted in the manner provided by these rules. 2 General Rules 2.1 Absence From Meetings In the event that a Council Member is absent from a meeting, the member shall notify the City Clerk, and the City Clerk will duly notify the City Council at the beginning of the meeting why said Council Member is absent. 2.2 Right Of The Floor a) The presiding officer must first recognize each Council Member requesting to speak on an agenda item unless limited by a motion to limit debate or for calling the question. - 4 - b) Speakers shall confine themselves to the question under discussion. All discussion must be germane to the agenda item. c) Members of Council shall avoid personal attacks and refrain from impugning the motives of any member’s argument or vote. d) Each Council Member shall have the right to speak two (2) times for up to five (5) minutes each time to ask questions on each agenda item. Answers to questions will be included in the time and the time will not be cumulative. Before a vote, each Council Member shall have an additional three (3) minute period to make a summation. e) No Council Member shall be allowed to speak more than once upon any one agenda item until every other member choosing to speak thereon shall have spoken. f) Once a vote has been taken, there shall be no further discussion on that motion or Agenda Item unless a motion to reconsider is adopted. g) In the event of an amendment, the maker of the amendment shall have one (1) three (3) minute period to make the amendment and speak to the amendment. All other members of Council shall have one (1) two 2) minute period to speak to the amendment. 2.3 Elected Officials’ Matters 2.4 City Attorney 2.5 City Clerk 2.6 Parliamentarian This is the time that elected officials and staff may make comments on any subject. Time limit per elected official and staff will be five (5) minutes. The City Attorney, or acting City Attorney, shall attend all meetings of the Council unless excused by the City Council and shall, upon request, give an opinion, either written or oral, on the question of law. The City Clerk, or designated representative, shall attend all meetings of Council and shall keep the official minutes. a) The Mayor Pro Tem shall also function as the Council Parliamentarian. b) The Parliamentarian shall advise the Chair and members of Council on parliamentary rules. 3 Types of Meetings 3.1 Business Meetings a) The Council meets in the Municipal Building for Business, Study, Adjourned, and Special Meetings, unless otherwise specified. - 5 - 3.2 Special Meetings and Emergency Meetings 3.3 Adjourned Meetings 3.4 Executive Sessions 3.5 Informal Meetings b) Council Business Meetings are held the second (2nd) and fourth (4th) Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise specified. c) Study Sessions are the first (1st) and third (3rd) Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m., unless otherwise specified. d) Study Sessions shall be for the purpose of discussion of concepts and ideas. No formal business shall be conducted. Consensus votes during all Study Sessions are non-binding, and unless the issue is disposed of at a Business, Adjourned, or Special Meeting, may be amended or reconsidered in that or any future Study Session. Special Meetings are called by the City Clerk on written request. (Charter Sec. 5.2) Any Meeting of the Council may be adjourned to a later date and time, provided that no adjournment shall be for a period longer than the next Council Business Meeting. a) The Council may meet in Executive Session on a vote of a majority of City Council in a regular business meeting (Charter – Sec. 5.7). b) No notes may be taken during an Executive Session except by the City Clerk and/or City Attorney. c) If at any time during the session, a Council Member feels that a matter is being discussed other than that stated, that member should so state and may request that the session be terminated. Upon consensus vote of Council Members present, the session shall be terminated. a) Five (5) or more members of Council may attend informal meetings held for the purpose of acquiring information and discussion topics provided that public notice of the meeting is posted in the location establishing for posting of all Wheat Ridge meetings at least 72 hours prior to the meeting, listing the topic of the meeting, its location, time , and date. The location of this posting shall be the bulletin board outside the City Court Room in City Hall. 1. Copies of the notice shall be given to all City Council Members, the City Clerk, at least 72 hours before the meeting. 2. The City Clerk is responsible for the posting of the Meeting. b) Any THREE or FOUR Council Members may attend - 6 - 3.6 Chairman, Mayor Pro Tem and their Duties informal meetings held for the purpose of acquiring information and discussing topics. SUCH MEETINGS MUST BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT NO NOTICE IS REQUIRED UNLESS FORMAL ACTIONS WILL BE TAKEN. c) Meetings involving no more than two Council Members, whether in person or by telephone, shall not be subject to any of the requirements in this Rule. d) In no event, shall any vote or other action or decision be taken. This Rule 3.5 (d) shall not apply to standing Council Committees. e) All Meetings shall be open to members of the public and the press. a) Chairman: 1. The Mayor shall preside over the meetings of the Council. 2. In the absence of the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem shall preside. b) Mayor Pro Tem 1. At the first or second business meeting in November of each year, the Council shall nominate by paper ballot, and elect by motion upon a majority vote, a Mayor Pro Tem who shall serve until their successor is elected. 2. If presiding, the Mayor Pro Tem shall have the voting privileges of a regular Council Member. 3. The Mayor Pro Tem’s duties shall include reviewing and setting the Agenda on Wednesday prior to Council Meetings and determination of emergency items at Council Meetings. The Mayor Pro Tem shall have the authority to pull any item off the Agenda with the exception of an item placed on the Agenda by two (2) Council Members. 4. The Mayor Pro Tem shall arrange for, and coordinate the orientation of all newly elected officials within two months after the election. c) Preservation of Order: The Chairman shall preserve order and decorum, prevent personal attacks or the impugning of members motives, confine members in debate to questions under discussion, be responsible for conducting meetings in an orderly manner, assure - 7 - that the majority opinion may be expressed and that the majority be allowed to rule. d) Point of Order: The Chairman shall determine all Points of Order, subject to the rights of any Council Member to appeal to the Council. 3.7 Order of Business and the Agenda a) Order of Business The General rule as to the Order of Business in regular Council Business Meetings is stated thus: • CALL TO ORDER • PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE • ROLL CALL • APPROVAL OF MINUTES • PROCLAMATIONS AND CEREMONIES • CITIZENS RIGHT TO SPEAK • APPROVAL OF AGENDA • CONSENT AGENDA • PUBLIC HEARINGS, ORDINANCES ON SECOND READING, FINAL SITE PLANS • ORDINANCES ON FIRST READING • DECISIONS, RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS • COMMITTEE REPORTS • CITY MANAGER’S MATTERS • CITY ATTORNEY’S MATTERS • ELECTED OFFICIALS’ MATTERS • EXECUTIVE SESSION (AS NEEDED) • ADJOURNMENT b) Agenda 1. The order of business of each meeting shall be as contained in the Agenda prepared by the City Clerk. 2. For good cause shown, and by majority vote of the City Council during any City Council meeting, the order of business for that meeting may be changed. The City Manager and City Attorney may propose to add items to the Agenda under “Approval of Agenda”. 3. Agenda shall be listed by topic of subjects to be considered by the Council and shall be distributed by 5:00 p.m. on the THURSDAY prior to the Monday of Council Meetings. In the event of a holiday, the material shall be distributed not later than noon on the FRIDAY prior to the Monday meeting. 4. The City Clerk’s Office shall be notified of the sequence of the Agenda Items by noon on the WEDNESDAY preceding - 8 - the Monday on which Council meets. All backup material and documents shall be filed with the Clerk’s office by 5:00 p.m. on that day in order to be included in the Council packet. 5. ORDINANCES TO BE WRITTEN BY THE CITY ATTORNEY, OR STAFF, SHALL BE APPROVED BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT, BEFORE IT CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA. 6. If a Council Members asks that an item be added to the Agenda, it is the responsibility of that Council Member to provide backup material for the Council packet as to the subject or arrange for that backup material to be prepared. No item may be included in the Agenda without proper backup. 7. A majority vote of City Council Members present may also add or delete an item from the agenda at the beginning of the Council Meeting. In Business Meetings, this must be done before Public Hearings and Second Readings. 8. The first option of introducing Agenda Items at a Council Meeting shall go to a representative of the Council District to which the Agenda Item pertains. Council Agenda Items not specific to a Council District may be introduced by any member requesting such privilege from the Chair in advance of the meeting or requesting to introduce the item at the meeting. c) Agenda Items Each Council Member shall be allowed to originate only two (2) items per month to be added to the Agenda or regularly scheduled Council Business Meetings. 1. Standing Council Committees may place items on Council Agendas for further action or discussion. 2. Motions made by Council Members, which are not in the Council packet, must be submitted to the City Clerk and Mayor in writing during the Council Meeting so it may be repeated, and included in the minutes. 3. City Council Meeting, either by Council Members or City Manager, these items can be requested for scheduling under the elected officials portion of the agenda. 4. City Manager – administrative and operational items. d) Public Hearings All speakers must sign up on the appropriate roster, indicating weather they intend to speak in favor of, or in opposition to a particular Agenda Item. The Council shall not entertain a motion for the final disposition of the matter until the City staff and applicant have made their presentations, if any, and the public - 9 - hearing has been closed, provided, however, that motions regarding the conduct, scheduling or continuation of the public hearing itself shall be proper at any time. e) Ordinances on First Reading It is the goal and desire of City Council to allow all interested parties to provide input during the Public Hearing/Second Reading on all proposed ordinances. A Full, complete, and open discussion of all proposed ordinances is encouraged during the Public Hearing. Therefore, public comment and staff presentations will occur only during the Public Hearing/Second Reading. First Reading will be for the purposes of setting proposed ordinances for publication, and establishing a date for the Public Hearing/Second Reading. Amendments to a proposed ordinance can be made during a First Reading, following the guidelines for offering amendments in the City Council Rules of Order and Procedure. f) Time of Adjournment At 11:00 P.M., the City Council shall complete action on the Agenda Item then under discussion and shall adjourn the meeting. Prior to such adjournment, the Council may take any or all of the following actions: 1. Acting by a ¾ majority vote, complete all or portions of the remaining Agenda. 2. Acting by a majority vote, schedule any unfinished items for future regular Council Business Meeting. 3. Acting by majority vote, continue the meeting to a later date and time certain. Ordinances, Resolutions, and Motions a) Reconsideration 1. A motion to reconsider can be made only by a Council Member originally voting with the prevailing side. 2. Such motions shall be made only at that or the next regularly scheduled Council Business Meeting. A continued or rescheduled meeting shall be considered at a next scheduled Council Business Meeting for the purpose of Reconsideration. 3. If not reconsidered at that time, the issue cannot be placed on any agenda for six (6) months. 4. A motion to reconsider shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Council. 5. A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO HAS BEEN ABSENT FROM A PRIOR MEETING MAY VOTE ON A - 10 - RECONSIDERATION PROVIDED SUCH COUNCIL MEMBER HAS LISTENED TO THE TAPE OF THAT AGENDA ITEM IN THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE PRIOR TO THE MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION. b) City Attorney to Approve: All Ordinances and Contracts shall be “Approved as to Form” by the City Attorney. a) Citizens’ Right to Speak 1. Any Person may speak for a maximum of three (3) minutes on any item other that Agenda Items. 2. Speakers must sign the Public Comment Roster 3. Citizens Right to Speak shall always precede all other official business except Call to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call, Approval of Minutes and proclamations or Ceremonies. 4. There shall be no restriction on the number of citizens who wish to speak. 5. The content of any speaker’s comments cannot be censored. 6. Persons in attendance shall be allowed to donate time to other speakers to a maximum of nine (9) minutes, including the three (3) minutes the original speaker has. 7. The Chair will entertain no written comments unless a member of the public is present to read them into the record. A Council Member may read written comments into the record with the approval of the majority of the Council present. a) Amendment of Rules: Any provision of these Rules not governed by City Charter or Code of Laws may be temporarily suspended by a three-quarters (3/4) majority vote of Council Members present. b)Amendment of Rules: These Rules may be amended, or new Rules adopted by a majority vote of Council Members, provided that the proposed amendments or new Rules shall have been submitted in writing to Council at a preceding meeting. c) Review These Rules will be reviewed by Council within three months of an election or filling of a vacancy of Members(s) of Council, Council may review these Rules at any time upon request of any member of - 11 - Council. Appropriations Council cannot approve an appropriation under City Manager’s matters, City Attorney’s Matters, or Elected Officials’ Matters. Updated Content November 28, 2006: Retyped in new format October, 2007 3.2 Mayor Pro Tem Performs the duties of the Mayor if the Mayor is absent or disabled, except does not have the power to veto ordinances. [Charter § 3-3] 3.3 All Members of Council a. Inspire public confidence in Wheat Ridge’s City government. b. All members of the City Council have equal votes. No Councilmember has more power than any other Councilmember, and all should be treated with equal respect. c. City Council as a whole is the corporate authority of the City of Greeley. (Charter § 3-1) d. City Council has the power of legislative authority as provided by law. (Charter § 3-1) The fiscal and service impact, including enforcement, of new legislation should be carefully considered. - 12 - e. City Council shall appoint, and have the power to remove, a City Manager, City Attorney, and Municipal Judge and conduct a periodic performance review. (Charter § 4-1, § 4-3, § 6-1, § 7-1) f. Appoint or designate an Interim City Manager during the period of a vacancy or prolonged absence of the City Manager. (Charter § 4-1) g. No member of Council shall be appointed City Manager during the term for which the member of Council shall have been elected nor within one year after the expiration of the member’s term. (Charter § 4-1) h. Provide advice and consent to the City Manager for the appointment, or removal, of a City Clerk and a Director of Finance. (Charter § 3-9, § 5-1) Confer with the City Manager, as requested by the City Manager, on the appointment or removal of other senior management staff. i. Appoint advisory board and commission members and review each group every three years. (Charter § 2-8) j. Have the authority, in order of the emergency succession order designated by the Mayor, to suppress riot and disorder, and may exercise all powers conferred by the Governor of the State for purposes of military law. [(Charter § 3-2(b)] k. As provided by Charter, the Council shall be the judge of the election and qualifications of its own members. (Charter § 3-3) l. Adopt an annual budget and make appropriations by ordinance. (Charter § 5-15) m. Annually set a tax levy to be certified to the County Commissioners. (Charter § 5-14) n. Authorize debt as provided by law. (Charter, Part IV of Article V) o. Council shall determine its own rules of procedures. (Charter § 3-3) p. Council may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as the Council may provide. (Charter § 3-3) q. Council shall approve the minimum and maximum schedule of compensation for boards, commissions, and all employees of the City. (Charter § 3-4) r. The Council, or a duly authorized committee thereof, may - 13 - investigate any agency and the official acts of any officer or employee thereof, and may compel by subpoena, attendance and testimony of witnesses and production of books and documents. (Charter § 3-4) s. The Council shall provide for enforcement of its ordinances. (Charter § 3-4) t. Powers expressly withheld from Council: Except for the purpose of inquiry, the Council and members of its committees, shall deal with the administrative service solely through the City Manager and neither the Council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinate of the City Manager either publicly or privately. (Charter § 3-4) u. City Council may enter into agreements, contracts and leases with governmental and private entities according to policy established for such purpose. (Charter § 3-5) v. City Council shall provide for an annual financial audit of the municipal government. (Charter § 3-8) w. Be prepared to invest about ten to twenty hours per week in meetings, events and activities as an elected official. x. Review Council protocols and procedures at least annually. y. Participate in an annual retreat to review the City’s vision and formulate goals and objectives. z. Represent the City at ceremonial functions at the request of the Mayor. aa. Meet individually with the City Manager as desired. 3.4 Time Commitment Councilmembers may expect to invest an estimated ten to twenty hours per week in their role as an elected official in communicating with members of the community, meeting preparation including extensive review of various reports, and meeting attendance. 1. Additional time would be typical for the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and Councilmembers serving as City representatives on regional, state or national commissions or committees. 2. The usual meeting schedule includes a weekly meeting of the Council; one or two sessions monthly with the City Manager; one monthly session with the County Commissioners and/or other governmental agencies; and periodic sessions to interview candidates for appointive boards/commissions. - 14 - 4 Code of Ethics & Code of Conduct Code of Ethics 4.1 Purpose The proper operation of democratic government requires that actions of public officials be impartial; that government decisions and policies be made in the proper channels of government structure; that public office not be used for personal gain; and that the public have confidence in the integrity of its government. In recognition of these goals, a Code of Ethics is adopted to establish guidelines for ethical standards of conduct by setting forth those acts or actions that are incompatible with the best interests of the City, and by directing disclosure of private financial or other interests in matters affecting the City of Greeley. 4.2 Definitions a. Anything of Value - Such as money, property, favor, service, payment, advance, forbearance, loan, guarantee of loan, or promise of future employment. Does not include the solicitation, acceptance or receipt of political campaign contributions regulated by law, or hospitality extended for a purpose related to city business by a person, or items of nominal value such as souvenir type items and also meals, lodging, travel expenses, or tickets to sporting, recreational, educational, or cultural events. b. Confidential Information - All information, whether transmitted orally or in writing, which is of such a nature that it is not, at that time, a matter of public record or public knowledge. c. Person - Any business, individual, union, committee, club, other organization, or group of individuals. d. Public Official - For purposes of this section, public official shall include the Mayor, members of Council, and members of any board, commission, authority, or committee. 4.3 Ethics Code Public Officials shall: a. Strive to protect and enhance the reputation of the City of Greeley. b. Treat all persons equally with courtesy and impartiality, and refrain from granting special advantage to any person beyond what is available to all citizens. c. Avoid real or potential conflicts between private and public duties, remembering that the public interest must be the principal concern. d. Keep undisclosed all confidential information acquired by reason - 15 - of one's position which may be used for personal or financial gain, consistent with the public's right of access to public information. e. Refrain from securing special privileges or exemptions for one's self or any other persons that are not available to all citizens. f. Avoid receiving, soliciting or otherwise obtaining anything of value from any person which is intended to influence or reward the performance of official duties. g. Avoid exceeding one's authority or asking for special consideration or asking other persons to do so. 4.4 Disclosure Public officials shall declare to the appropriate authority the nature and extent of any financial or personal interest in a City contract or other legislation as provided in Section 11.6 of these Rules (Conflicts of Interest), Code Chapters 2.05 (Financial Disclosure by Elected Officials) and 4.20 (Purchasing) of the Greeley Code of Ordinances and any other laws. Code of Conduct 4.5 Purpose Greeley’s governance relies on the cooperative efforts of elected officials, city staff and many other members of the City and the broader community. There are a variety of complex issues involved in running a City organization, pressures of huge workloads, and decisions made that impact the lives of thousands of community members. As a result, issues can often become contentious. Despite these pressures, elected officials are called upon to exhibit appropriate conduct at all times and demonstrate respect for every individual through their words and actions. This Code of Conduct describes the manner in which Councilmembers should treat one another, city staff, constituents, and others they come into contact with in representing the City of Greeley. 4.6 Code of Conduct a. Council conduct with one another in public meetings: i. The Use of formal titles. The Council may choose to refer to one another formally during the beginning of Council meetings as Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, or Councilmember followed by the individual’s last name to acquaint the audience with the meeting participants. Then, addressing one another informally is encouraged to create for the audience a more welcoming tone. ii. Practice civility, professionalism and decorum in discussions and debate. Difficult questions, tough challenges to a particular point of view, and criticism of ideas and information are legitimate elements of a free democracy in action. Be respectful of diverse opinions. - 16 - iii. Honor the role of the Mayor in maintaining order and equity. Respect the Mayor’s efforts to focus discussion on the agenda item under consideration. Objections to the presiding officer’s actions should be voiced politely and with reason, following parliamentary procedures. iv. Demonstrate effective problem-solving approaches. Councilmembers have a public stage to show how individuals with disparate points of view can find common ground and seek a compromise that benefits the community as a whole. Councilmembers are role models for residents, business people and other stakeholders involved in public debate. v. Be respectful of other people’s time. It is important to be punctual and that the meetings start on time. Stay focused and act efficiently during public meetings. b. Council conduct with one another in private encounters: i. Continue respectful behavior in private. The same level of respect and consideration of differing points of view that is deemed appropriate for public discussions should be maintained in private conversations. ii. Be aware that even private conversations can have a public presence. Elected officials are always on display; their actions, mannerisms, and language are monitored by people around them that they may not know. Lunch table conversations will be eavesdropped upon, parking lot debates will be watched, and casual comments between individuals before and after public meetings noted. c. Council conduct with other public agencies. i. Be clear about representation when attending other agency meetings or events. 1) If a Councilmember appears before another governmental agency or organization to give a statement on an issue, the Councilmember must clearly state whether the Councilmember’s statement reflects personal opinion or is the official stance of the City, and if appropriate, whether it is the majority or minority opinion of the Council. 2) If the Councilmember is representing the City, the Councilmember must support and advocate the official City position on an issue, not a personal viewpoint. - 17 - 3) If the Councilmember is representing another organization whose position is different from the City, the Councilmember should withdraw from voting on the issue if it significantly impacts or is detrimental to the City’s interest. Councilmembers should be clear about which organizations they represent and inform the Mayor and Council of their involvement. ii. Correspondence also should be equally clear about representation. 1) City letterhead may be used when the Councilmember is representing the City and the City’s official position, and the City Manager’s Office will prepare, transmit, and retain the correspondence as part of the public record. Note cards will be made available to Councilmembers for use in transmitting individual expressions of gratitude, congratulations, etc. 2) City letterhead should not be used for correspondence of Councilmembers representing a personal point of view, or a dissenting point of view from an official Council position. d. Council Conduct with City Staff: Governance of a City relies on the cooperative efforts of elected officials, who set policy, and City staff, who implements and administers the Council’s policies. Therefore, every effort should be made to be cooperative and show mutual respect for the contributions made by each individual for the good of the community. i. Treat all staff as professionals. Clear, honest communication that respects the abilities, experience, and dignity of each individual is expected. As with Council colleagues, practice civility and decorum in all interactions with City staff. ii. Channel communications through the appropriate senior City staff. Questions and requests for information should be directed only to the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, City Attorney, Municipal Judge, or Department Heads. The City Manager should be copied on or informed of any request to Department Heads. When in doubt about what staff contact is appropriate, Councilmembers should ask the City Manager for direction. - 18 - iii. Respect the City Manager’s work program. Councilmembers are encouraged to continually share ideas, suggestions, and feedback. The time and resources needed to develop and implement these ideas and suggestions, however, can sometimes compete with the time and financial resources needed to fulfill Council’s established goals and priorities. To assist in balancing these competing requests, Councilmembers should consider handling petitions, generally categorized, as follows: 1) Routine requests for action or information made directly to staff. a) For routine requests for action (i.e. reports of property nuisance or safety concerns), Councilmembers should depend on staff to respond by contacting the City Manager’s Office with information about the request. This type of request can be forwarded to the City Manager at any time rather than waiting for a formal referral at a Council meeting. The same protocol outlined in Section 6.2 of these policies, regarding communication and correspondence, can be utilized and will help ensure a timely response. b) Routine requests for information or reports that may take less than an hour for staff to fulfill should be made directly to the appropriate department head or to the City Manager. 2) Significant requests requiring Council consensus. a) Requests for additional information or reports that may take more than one hour to fulfill should be presented as a formal petition at a Council meeting so the information project, or modification of current reporting practices, can be considered by the Council as a whole and agreed upon as something that merits an investment of staff time. b) Policy or program modifications. Requests to research and analyze the viability of new or modified legislation, policies, or programming should be presented as a formal petition at a Council meeting so the matters can be considered by the Council as a whole and agreed upon as something that merits an - 19 - investment of staff time. iv. Refrain from soliciting political support from staff. Refrain from soliciting any type of political support (financial contributions, display of posters or lawn signs, name on support list, etc.) from city staff at work. Staff certainly may, as any other citizen, support political candidates away from the workplace. The City will distribute campaign literature to City employees at work if it arrived by mail and includes the employee’s department/division in the mailing address. The City as an employer, however, prefers that personal mail for employees, including campaign material, be sent to their home address. v. Never publicly criticize an individual employee. Criticism is differentiated from questioning facts or the opinion of staff. All critical comments about staff performance should only be made to the City Manager through private correspondence or conversation. Comments about staff in the office of the City Attorney or Municipal Judge should be made directly to these executives through private correspondence or conversation. vi. Do not get involved in administrative functions. Avoid any staff interactions that may be construed as trying to shape staff recommendations. Councilmembers shall refrain from coercing staff in making recommendations to the Council as a whole. vii. Do not attend staff meetings unless requested by staff. Even if the Councilmember does not say anything, the Councilmember’s presence may imply support, show partiality, intimidate staff, or hamper staff’s ability to do its job objectively. viii. All Councilmembers should have the same information with which to make decisions. Council may expect that staff will make every attempt to provide each member of Council with the same information (i.e. requests made of staff for information will be distributed to all; correspondence to one Councilmember will be distributed to all). e. Council Conduct with Boards and Commissions. The City has established several Boards and Commissions as a means of gathering more community input. Citizens who serve on Boards and Commissions become more involved in government and serve as advisors to the City Council. They are a valuable resource to - 20 - the City’s leadership and should be treated with appreciation and respect. i. Maintain an active liaison relationship. Appointed Council liaisons are encouraged to attend all regularly scheduled meetings of their assigned Board or Commission. ii. Attending board meetings, generally. Councilmembers may certainly attend any board or commission meeting, which are open to any member of the public. Remember, however, that a Councilmember’s presence can affect the conduct of the meeting and limit the board’s role and function. 1) Any comments made at a meeting of a board for which the Councilmember is not an appointed liaison should be identified as the Councilmember’s personal views or opinions and not the official position of the Council. 2) Since the attendance of 3 or more Councilmembers constitutes a legal Council meeting, Councilmembers should advise staff of their planned attendance so appropriate and timely public notification can be prepared and posted. iii. Limit contact with Board and Commission members to questions of clarification. It is inappropriate for a Councilmember to contact a Board or Commission member to lobby on behalf of an individual, business, or developer, or to advocate a particular policy perspective. To clarify a position taken by a board, Councilmembers should contact staff. iv. Boards are advisory to the Council as a whole. The Council as a whole, and not individually, appoints individuals to serve on boards and any removal of a boardmember is also Council’s responsibility as a group. Appointments should be based solely on established diversity goals and membership parameters. An appointment should not be used as a political “reward.” v. Be respectful of diverse opinions. A primary role of the City’s boards is to represent many points of view in the community and to provide Council with advice based on a full spectrum of concerns and perspectives. Councilmembers must be fair and respectful of all residents serving on boards. vi. Keep political support away from public forums. Boardmembers may offer political support to a Councilmember but only in a forum outside the official - 21 - duties of the board. Conversely, Councilmembers may support boardmembers who are running for office but not in an official forum in their capacity as a Councilmember. vii. Concerns about an individual Board or Commission member should be pursued with tact. Inappropriate behavior by a boardmember should be noted to the City Manager or designee, and the Manager or designee should counsel the boardmember. If the behavior continues, the Manager should forward the matter to Council for consideration of removal from the Board, pursuant to Section 2-8 of the Greeley Charter. f. Council conduct with the public. Making the public feel welcome is an important part of the democratic process. No signs of partiality, prejudice or disrespect should be evident on the part of individual Councilmembers toward an individual participating in a public forum. Every effort should be made to be fair and impartial in listening to public testimony. i. In public meetings: 1) Be welcoming and respectful to speakers. Addressing Council at public forums can be a daunting experience even for the most seasoned speaker. Some issues for which Council will make a decision may affect people’s daily lives and their homes. Some decisions are emotional. The way in which a speaker is treated can do a lot to help them relax and convey a message, and not elevate emotions to a higher level of intensity. 2) Be fair and equitable in allocating public hearing time. The Mayor will determine and announce limits on speakers at the start of the meeting or public hearing. Generally, each speaker will be allocated five minutes; applicants and appellants or their designated representatives will be allocated more time. If many speakers are anticipated, the Mayor may shorten the time limit and/or ask speakers to limit information to new information and points of view not already covered by previous speakers. No speaker should be turned away unless the speaker exhibits inappropriate behavior. Each speaker may only speak once during a hearing unless Council requests additional information or clarification later in the process. After the close of the public hearing, no more public testimony will be accepted unless the Mayor reopens the public hearing for a limited and specific purpose. - 22 - 3) Listen actively. Being attentive and making eye contact will make speakers feel they are being heard. Be aware of facial expressions that could be interpreted as “smirking,” disbelief, anger or boredom. 4) Ask for clarification; avoid debate and arguments. Questions from Council to speakers should seek to clarify or expand information. Avoid challenging or criticizing speakers. If a speaker is off the topic or exhibits behavior or language that is disturbing, the Mayor should interrupt, focus the speaker, and maintain the order and decorum of the meeting. ii. In unofficial settings: 1) Make no promises on behalf of the Council. Councilmembers will frequently be asked to explain a Council action or to give their opinion about an issue as they meet and talk with constituents in the community. It is appropriate to give a brief overview of City policy and to refer to City staff for further information. It is inappropriate to overtly or implicitly promise Council action, or to promise City staff will do something specific (fix a pothole, plant new flowers in the median, etc.) 2) Make no personal comments about other Councilmembers. It is acceptable to publicly disagree about an issue, but it is unacceptable to make derogatory comments about other Councilmembers, their opinions and actions. 3) Remember that despite its impressive population figures, Greeley is a small town at heart. Councilmembers are constantly being observed by the community every day that they serve in office. Their behaviors and comments serve as models for proper deportment in the City of Greeley. Honesty and respect for the dignity of each individual should be reflected in every word and action taken by Councilmembers, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is a serious and continuous responsibility. 5 Common Practices & Expectations 5.1 Purpose The purpose of this chapter is to enhance the administration of City Council business activities by documenting accepted practices and clarifying expectations. Although it cannot integrate all practices - 23 - and expectations that may exist, a summary of some of the most prominent ones are being listed. 5.2 Election Methods With the goal of encouraging the greatest possible voter participation in City elections, the methods of election preferred are (1) coordinating the City election with Weld County whenever possible, and if not possible, (2) conducting the election independently by mail. 5.3 Performance Evaluations a. Personnel reporting directly to City Council: Annual performance assessments are to be completed by March 1st. b. Council self assessment: Council may conduct a self assessment as desired. 5.4 Council Orientation An orientation for newly elected members of Council will be provided and participation is anticipated. An orientation for Mayoral and Council candidates also will be provided. 5.5 Annual Report to the Community A report to the community, regarding accomplishments and plans of the community’s local government, is to be furnished each year. The anniversary of Greeley’s incorporation, April 6th, is an appropriate time to deliver the report to the community. 6 Communication & Correspondence 6.1 Communication Tools To enhance communications with the public and City staff, cellular phones, computers, and supporting services may be provided to the Mayor and Members of Council during their term of office. a. Cellular telephones and supporting cellular service may be provided, if desired, to the Mayor and Members of Council within the City Council program budget and agreed upon by Council. Beginning August 1, 2004, the actual cost of monthly cellular telephone service, up to $40.00, is an expense eligible for reimbursement. b. A City-purchased computer and/or supporting internet provider service, if desired, may be provided to the Mayor and Members of Council within the City Council program budget and agreed upon by Council. Beginning August 1, 2004, the actual cost of monthly internet service, up to $50.00, is an expense eligible for reimbursement. c. While City staff will maintain computer applications related to City affairs, staff cannot provide assistance for personal computer applications. - 24 - 6.2 Communication & Correspondence The City of Greeley invites and encourages members of the community to participate in local government affairs and help shape local decisions. One way to participate is direct communication with Councilmembers through telephone calls, postal and electronic mail, and addressing elected and appointed officials at public meetings. An established practice will help ensure that Council/constituent communications receive timely acknowledgement and response from staff, appropriate distribution, and proper disclosure and retention according to the State’s open records law and the City’s records retention requirements. An additional benefit of the protocol is to make certain the City Manager is aware of the issues of interest to the community and any emerging trends or problem areas. a. Protocol. Depend on staff to respond to citizen requests for action and other communications whether Council receives the information by telephone call, by letter, electronic mail, or through conversation in an informal setting or in a public meeting. Councilmembers may either: i. Provide the City Manager’s contact information to the individual, or ii. Take a name, contact information and nature of the communication and forward the information to the City Manager’s Office for response. b. Staff Response. The City Manager will forward the communication to the appropriate department, the department is expected to respond to the request and report back to the Manager’s Office as well as notify the requestor that the investigation has been completed and if action has already been or will be taken to remedy the concern. The Manager’s Office will notify the Councilmember of the results so as to inform the Councilmember of the response status. i. The City Manager may utilize communication tracking systems to assist in managing this function. ii. Generally, staff’s response will be in the same format as the communication received unless otherwise requested or deemed appropriate (i.e. a request for action received via e- mail likely would receive an e-mail response). iii. Anonymous correspondence or other communication will not be addressed unless staff determines the issue is compelling enough to be processed (i.e. a major health or safety matter). c. Correspondence received via postal mail at City offices. The City Manager’s Office will be responsible for managing the - 25 - correspondence received through the mail for City Council. Unless a different process is provided or required by law, staff will open the correspondence (unless it is marked personal or confidential), confer with Council, and provide a response. Responses will be signed by the Councilmember to whom the correspondence was addressed, and the Mayor will sign those addressed to Council as a whole. d. Citizen Input at Council Meetings. A sign-up sheet will be available at meetings to record contact information. Most often, a speaker’s questions can be answered at the meeting. If more information is needed in order to provide a response, the City Manager’s Office will contact the speaker as soon as possible after the meeting. If a speaker’s expectations are unclear, the Mayor or Manager should ask the speaker to clarify the speaker’s desired outcome for request made. e. Electronic mail (e-mail) management. E-mail is simply mail in an electronic format. Mail received or sent, in any format, contains a variety of information, or content, and each e-mail should be managed in a way that is appropriate for its content. Treat each e- mail as if it were received in a paper format through the mail. Council’s e-mail likely will fall into two general categories: i. Transitory e-mail – For most users, most e-mail messages fall within this category. These temporary messages are retained only until the material has been read and is no longer useful. It is general documentation of extremely short-term value, including drafts and worksheets, desk notes, copies of materials circulated for informational “read only” purposes, and other records with preliminary or short-term informational value. Some are even considered “non-records” such as advertisements, catalogs, bulletins, what is commonly referred to as “junk” mail, etc. The e-mail should be deleted as soon as it is read or no longer useful. ii. E-mail having lasting value – An e-mail with lasting value is to be retained according to the City’s Records Retention Schedule, and the retention period varies according to the informational content of the message. The content of this type of e-mail usually can be characterized as either (a) correspondence, or (b) policy issues. Councilmembers are encouraged to forward these e-mails to the City Manager’s Office for appropriate response (to correspondence) and retention (correspondence has a minimum retention of one year; some policy matters carry a permanent retention period). After the e-mail has been forwarded to the City Manager’s Office, the e-mail should be deleted from the Councilmember’s computer. - 26 - 7 Compensation, Travel & Special Events 7.1 Compensation a. Council shall receive compensation as provided by ordinance. b. During their term, the Mayor and Members of Council are authorized to participate at their own expense in any fringe benefit program available to City employees. c. Council shall review its compensation at lease once in every four (4) years, to begin after May 12, 2004. 7.2 Travel - Purpose Recognizing that it is in the interest of constituents for Councilmembers to attend various meetings, especially meetings of the National League of Cities and the Colorado Municipal League, for the purpose of learning about current issues affecting local government and to gain information that will be useful in making policy decisions, the City Council establishes the following guidelines for Councilmember educational and city government relevant travel. 7.3 Travel - Guidelines a. Expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with the schedule established for city employees. If a Councilmember’s spouse or a guest accompanies the Councilmember to a conference, event registration for the spouse or guest shall be reimbursed. b. Each Councilmember shall be reimbursed for attendance at the CML Annual Conference. c. Each Councilmember shall be reimbursed for attendance at no more than one of the two NLC conferences each year. d. Attendance at other conferences or educational programs out-of- state shall be reimbursed only as a substitute for NLC, for example, National Civic League. e. Attendance at out-of-state meetings, seminars, workshops, etc., on a specific topic or to represent the city shall be authorized by the Council and will generally be limited to one member for such meeting or workshop. f. Council may allow one member to serve on a NLC committee and reimburse expenses for two additional meetings per year. g. As the budget allows, attendance at in-state meetings related to city business shall be reimbursed. 7.4 Special Events It is often desirable to have City representation, or to show City - 27 - support for community functions/events. The charge to attend these events may vary and reimbursement will be made to Councilmembers based on the general guidelines provided in Section 7.3 of these Rules and within the City Council program budget. a. The City government is directly involved as a sponsor or participant. b. The event is sponsored by another public agency and having city representative(s) is important. c. The event is sponsored by a community organization which the City is a member or which the City provides financial support and City representation is important. d. Reimbursement for spouse/companion would be authorized in the event the Mayor or designated attendee was attending an event as the official City representative. 8 General Rules 8.1 Absence from Meetings In the event that a Council Member is absent from a meeting, the member shall notify the City Clerk, and the City Clerk will duly notify the City Council at the beginning of the meeting why said Council Member is absent. 8.2 Right of the Floor a. The presiding officer must first recognize each Council Member requesting to speak on an agenda item unless limited by a motion to limit debate or for calling the question. b. Speakers shall confine themselves to the question under discussion. All discussion must be germane to the agenda item. c. Members of Council shall avoid personal attacks and refrain from impugning the motives of any member’s argument or vote.. d. Each Council Member shall have the right to speak two (2) times for up to five (5) minutes each time to ask questions on each agenda item Answers to questions will be included in the time and the time will not be cumulative. Before a vote, each Council Member shall have an additional three (3) minute period to make a summation. e. No Council Member shall be allowed to speak more than once upon any one agenda item until every other member choosing to speak thereon shall have spoken. f. Once a vote has been taken, there shall be no further discussion on that motion or Agenda Item unless a motion to reconsider is - 28 - adopted. g. In the event of an amendment, the maker of the amendment shall have one (1) three (3) minute period to make the amendment and speak to the amendment. All other members of Council shall have one (1) two (2) minute period to speak to the amendment. 8.3 Elected Officials’ Matters The regular work sessions of the City Council shall be held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month in the Community Room at the Greeley City Hall, beginning at 5:00 p.m. By motion, the City Council may from time to time alter the foregoing schedule. Special work sessions may be scheduled in the same manner as provided for special Council meetings. c. Town meetings. Town meetings of the City Council are work sessions held throughout the City within each of the wards, generally on an annual basis, to provide an informal setting for community discussions. d. Adjourned Meetings. If at a regular or special meeting, Council is unable to complete its work, an adjourned meeting can be scheduled for a later time to take up its work at the point where it was interrupted, provided that no adjournment shall be for a longer period than until the next regular meeting. No meeting will be adjourned during a public hearing; however, a public hearing may be continued. e. Executive Sessions. The Council may, upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the quorum present, hold an executive session for the purpose of discussing matters allowed by law. f. Emergency Meetings. Attempts will be made to follow Section 10.2 (Notice of Meetings) for meetings of Council held to handle matters of a natural disaster. Contrary to Section 11.1 (Quorum), a majority of the members will not be necessary to conduct the business related to a natural disaster meeting. However, actions taken at the emergency meeting shall be considered for ratification at a regular City Council meeting. 8.3 Meetings to be Public All official meetings of the Council, except Executive Sessions, shall be open to the public and the media, freely subject to recording by radio, television, and photographic devices at any time, provided that such arrangements do not interfere with the orderly conduct of the meetings. Members of the public shall have a reasonable opportunity to be heard under such rules and regulations as the Council may prescribe. - 29 - 9 Meeting Participants 9.1 Presiding Officer a. Mayor. The Mayor shall preside over meetings of the City Council and have the same right to speak and vote therein as any other member. The Mayor shall in no case have the power of veto. (Charter § 3-2) Duties of the presiding officer include: (1) Open the meeting at the appointed time, and call the meeting to order. (2) Announce the business coming before the Council in accordance with the prescribed order of business, or direct the City Clerk to introduce items of business by reading the title of each agenda item. (3) Recognize members who are entitled to the floor and ensure that ample opportunity is extended to express the opinions of constituents. (4) State and put to a vote all questions that legitimately come before the council, and announce the results of each vote. Although not prohibited, the presiding officer generally does not propose a motion. (5) Enforce the Council's rules relating to debate, order, and decorum at meetings. (6) Expedite business in every way compatible with the rights of members. (7) Decide all questions of order. (8) Declare the meeting adjourned. b. Mayor Pro Tem. The City Council within its membership shall elect, at its first meeting following its election, a Mayor Pro Tem who shall become acting Mayor with the same duties as provided for the Mayor in the case of absence or disability. (Charter § 3-2) c. Temporary Chair. In case of the absence or disability of the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, the City Clerk shall call the Council to order and call the roll of members. If a quorum is found to be present, Council shall proceed to elect, by a majority vote of those present, a Temporary Chair to serve as presiding officer of the meeting until the arrival of the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem at which time the Temporary Chair shall relinquish the chair upon conclusion of the business immediately before the Council. 9.2 Councilmembers All members of Council have the right to full participation in all meetings. Councilmembers are expected to attend all regularly scheduled Council meetings and Work sessions. In case of emergency, e.g. illness, Councilmembers should notify the City Manager, City Clerk or Mayor in advance of the meeting if at all possible. Members detained but expecting to attend should, whenever possible, notify - 30 - the Mayor or City Clerk which can be done by calling the City Manager, the City Clerk, or the Police front desk, as appropriate. Councilmembers who wish to be excused from a regular meeting should make this request as early as possible but no later than the regular meeting preceding the anticipated absence. This will assist in scheduling important items to obtain the participation and vote of all Councilmembers. Councilmembers are expected to be in their seats one minute before meeting start time for microphone checks. For personal security reasons, out-of-town trips will not be announced publicly in advance of return from travel. 9.3 Executive Staff a. City Manager. The City Manager, or the City Manager's designee, shall attend all meetings of the Council unless excused, and shall have the right to take part in all discussions of the Council, but shall have no vote. b. City Attorney. As Council's legal representative, the City Attorney or the City Attorney's assistant shall attend all meetings of the Council unless excused, and shall have the right to take part in all discussions of the Council, but shall have no vote. Upon request, the City Attorney shall provide either a written or oral opinion on questions of law. The City Attorney shall act as Council's parliamentarian. 9.4 City Clerk The City Clerk, or the City Clerk's designee, shall attend all meetings of the Council unless excused, and shall keep the official journal of proceedings and perform such other duties as may be requested by the Council. 9.5 Other Municipal Officials and Employees The head of any department, or any officer or employee of the City, as directed by the City Manager, shall attend meetings of the Council. 10 Agenda and Notice of Meetings 10.1 Agenda Procedures Prior to each meeting of Council, the City Manager shall distribute to each Councilmember: a. A copy of the agenda of the meeting, stating therein each matter to be discussed or debated by the Council by title, description and/or synopsis. b. A copy, in its latest form or edition, of each ordinance, resolution, - 31 - or other written or printed document to be presented at the meeting, including background information, analysis and recommendation to City Council when applicable. c. A copy of the minutes of the previous meeting. 10.2 Notice of Meetings a. Method of Notification. The agenda of meetings, as meetings are defined in Section 8-1, shall be posted at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting. Any other notice allowable by law shall be permissible. In addition, a reasonable effort will be made to notify the media normally covering the City Council meeting when the decision is made to call the meeting. b. Posting Locations. Notice of a Council meeting shall be posted in the north and south entryways of City Hall. The posting location shall be designated annually at the first regular City Council meeting of each calendar year. Notices also may be posted at other appropriate locations. 11 Meeting Procedures 11.1 Quorum A majority of the members of the entire Council shall constitute a quorum and be necessary for the transaction of business. If a quorum is not present, those in attendance will be named and they shall adjourn to a later time. The only action Council may take in the absence of a quorum is the motion to adjourn. 11.2 Rules of Order a. Purpose. The primary purpose for use of parliamentary procedure is to protect the rights and privileges of those deliberating, and to assure that the minority is protected while facilitating the will of the majority. b. Reference. The Scott, Foresman, "Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised," 1990 edition, shall govern the proceedings of the Council in all cases, unless they are in conflict with these rules, the Greeley Code of Ordinances, or the Greeley Charter. 11.3 Preservation of Order The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum; prevent attacks on personalities or the impugning of members' motives, and confine members in debate to the questions under discussion. 11.4 Debate a. Each member of Council has a right to speak on every debatable motion before it is acted on. b. When recognized by the presiding officer, a Councilmember shall confine remarks to the matter or question then under discussion. c. A Councilmember shall speak only once on the question until all - 32 - other members of Council who wish to speak have had the opportunity to do so. 11.5 Voting a. Required. The ayes and nays shall be taken upon the passage of all ordinances, resolutions, and motions and entered upon the journal of the Council proceedings. Every member, when present, must vote unless excused by majority vote of the Council. (Charter § 3-14) b. Voting Methods. A vote by voice shall generally be used, and a show of hands may be requested by Council or Executive Staff for verification. A roll call vote may be requested by any member of Council. It shall not be in order for members to explain their vote during roll call. c. Tie Vote. In the case of a tie in votes on any item or motion, the action shall be defeated. Council may reconsider the item or motion if, at the same meeting the tie vote occurred, a majority of Council votes to reconsider. 11.6 Conflicts of Interest Upon determining that a Councilmember has a personal or private interest, potential conflict, or appearance of conflict, in a matter proposed or pending before the Council, the member shall request to speak when the agenda item with which the member has a conflict is called, and either; a. disclose that there may be a personal or private interest, potential conflict, or appearance of conflict, in the matter and will not participate in the discussion or decision; and step down from the Council platform and leave the Chambers during the Council's discussion and action; or b. request legal advice from the City Attorney. NOTE: When possible the Councilmember should discuss the potential conflict before the meeting with the City Attorney. 11.7 Order of Business a. Call to Order. The presiding officer opens the meeting by calling it to order, and may announce, "This (date) (regular or special) meeting of the Greeley City Council will come to order." b. Opening Ceremonies. The presiding officer, or other individual or group approved by the presiding officer, may lead in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. c. Roll Call. After the opening ceremonies, the roll is called to verify member attendance and enter the names of those attending in the minutes to substantiate that the council has complied with quorum requirements for holding a meeting. The presiding officer directs the City Clerk to call the roll, and may then announce the presence - 33 - of a quorum. d. Approval of Agenda. The City Manager will review the agenda, calling attention to any additions, deletions or corrections that may be necessary. Unless a majority objects, the order of business may be amended or suspended at any meeting. e. Presentations. Proclamations, special citations, and awards are presented. f. Input from members of the public. Members of the public may address the Council on any subject not already listed on the agenda by securing the permission of the presiding officer. A total of 15 minutes may be spent on Input from members of the public and individual speakers may be limited to five minutes or other time based on the meeting's agenda. Persons who have notified the City Manager's Office, in advance of the meeting, of their desire to speak will be recognized by the presiding officer without further action and at the outset. g. Reports and Petitions. (1) Oral or written reports to Council may be made by Councilmembers, Executive Staff, other administrative officers, or Board or Commission members. The Council may: (i) Receive the report, which means merely that the report was given. No motion is required. (ii) Implement the recommendations of the report. A motion is made, and requires a second, to accept or reject only the recommendations of the committee, rather than the entire report. (iii) Adopt or accept the entire report. An affirmative vote on this motion has the effect of endorsing the entire report, including all facts and explanations. (iv) Defer the report to a subsequent meeting. (2) Petitions. Any Councilmember may bring before the Council any business that the member feels may be deliberated upon by the Council. These matters need not be specifically listed on the Agenda, but formal action on such matters shall be deferred until a subsequent Council meeting. h. Consent Agenda. The Consent Agenda is intended to allow the City Council to expedite those items that are of a routine nature and not controversial. The Consent Agenda is provided as a convenience and time savings to the citizens attending the Council meeting. Councilmembers or anyone in the meeting audience may request an item on the Consent Agenda be "pulled" and considered separately - 34 - under "Pulled Consent Agenda Items" in the order they were listed. Examples of items included on the Consent Agenda: (1) Approval of City Council proceedings (reading of the minutes shall be dispensed with unless requested by a Councilmember). (2) Reports on Council Work sessions, Committees, and Boards. (3) Introduction of Ordinances. (4) Resolutions. (5) Replats, vacations, dedications. (6) Contracts. The City Clerk shall read each item on the Consent Agenda and its recommended action into the record. The Consent Agenda, after removal of any items, shall thereupon be adopted as a unit. i. Public Hearings, Final Reading of Ordinances. Public hearings shall proceed as follows: (1) City Staff presentation - description and analysis - recommendation - subject to Council questions (2) Applicant or Petitioner presentation - subject to Council questions (3) Public presentation - subject to Council questions - Council may limit time of speakers (4) Applicant or Petitioner rebuttal, if requested - Council may limit time of speakers (5) Public discussion closed (6) Council discussion (7) Council decision j. New Business. Includes items in which no substantive action has yet been taken by Council; such as ordinance introductions, appointments to various boards and commissions, scheduling of meetings. k. Adjournment. Upon no further business, the Presiding Officer may simply declare the meeting adjourned. 12 General Rules 12.1 Council Chambers a. Supervision. The Council Chambers shall be under the supervision and control of the City Clerk when Council is not in session, and may take whatever actions necessary to protect the - 35 - public health, welfare, and peace, and allow for the orderly conducting of the meeting. The Council Chambers shall be used solely for the transaction of public business of the City; or as authorized within the intent of Council policy on the use of the Council Chambers. b. Sergeant-at-arms. The Chief of Police, or qualified representative, shall maintain the peace in the Council Chambers. c. Seating Arrangement. Members shall occupy the respective seats in the Council Chambers assigned to them by the Mayor d. Smoking. Smoking shall be prohibited in the Council Chambers or the work session room. 12.2 Excusal During Meeting Councilmembers may be excused from the remaining Council Meeting with permission from the presiding officer. 12.3 Recess The presiding officer may call a recess not to exceed twenty (20) minutes at any time during a meeting to determine a rule of order, or at the request of a majority of Council. The presiding officer may call a recess at any time between items of business. 12.4 Journal of Proceedings An account of all proceedings of the Council meetings shall be kept by the City Clerk and shall be entered in a book constituting the official record of the Council. a. The minutes for Council meetings should be primarily a record of the action taken at a meeting, not what was said by members of the Council. The minutes shall contain a separate paragraph for each subject matter and, at a minimum, reflect each subject or item considered and the language of and disposition of each motion, resolution, ordinance, or matter on which action is taken. With respect to annexation and zoning hearings, considerably more detail may be needed. b. The minutes for Council work sessions should be primarily a record, in summary, of the discussion and any direction provided. c. The record for executive sessions shall be as provided by ordinance. d. Although not required for other sessions at which Council is present, a report may be prepared that lists the topics of conversation. The minutes may be corrected or amended after they have been approved, if an error or material omission is reasonably established. In this case, the motion "to amend something previously adopted" - 36 - may be used. 13 Ordinances, Resolutions & Motions The hierarchy of actions taken by Council include: (1) Ordinances, (2) Resolutions, and (3) Motions. 13.1 Ordinances An Ordinance is the most authoritative form of action the Council can take. An adopted ordinance becomes an established rule or law of the City and remains in effect until otherwise rescinded or amended by the Council. Every ordinance shall require the affirmative vote of the majority of the membership of the entire Council for final passage. (Charter § 3-14) The form, need, and procedure for enactment are set forth in the Greeley Charter, Article III. 13.2 Resolutions Resolutions are acts of a relatively permanent nature and remain in effect until rescinded or amended by Council. Generally, resolutions implement or carry out the terms of an ordinance, provide a statement of policy, or express Council's opinion on a public matter. Resolutions shall be introduced in written form and may be adopted by a majority of a quorum of the Council upon a single reading. Resolutions need not be published, but shall be kept on public file. 13.3 Motions a. Defined. A motion refers to a formal proposal by a Councilmember that the Council may take action upon. Motions are generally introduced by voice. However, if long or involved, motions should be in writing and, in any event, any two members of Council may ask that a motion be put in writing. b. Classes. (1) MAIN motions introduce items of business before Council. A main motion can be made only when no other motion is pending, and it ranks lowest in the order of precedence of motions. (2) SUBSIDIARY motions are secondary or supplemental to the main motion and must be dealt with before the main motion can be voted on. This motion class includes those to: • Postpone indefinitely • Amend - 37 - • Refer to a committee • Postpone to a certain time • Limit or extend limits of debate • Previous question • Lay on the table (3) PRIVILEGED motions are those of a more administrative function and do not relate directly to the pending question, such as: • Call for the orders of the day • Raise a question of privilege • Recess • Adjourn • Fix the time to which to adjourn (4) INCIDENTAL motions have no connection with the main motion, but are important enough for immediate consideration and temporarily sets aside the main motion. Examples: • Point of order • Appeal • Suspend the rules • Objection to the consideration of the question • Division of a question • Consideration by paragraph or section • Division of a question • Consideration by paragraph or section • Division of the assembly • Motions relating to methods of voting and the polls • Motions relating to nominations • Requests and inquiries (5) MOTIONS THAT BRING A QUESTION AGAIN BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY may be made, like main motions, while no other business is pending. Examples: • Take from the table • Rescind or amend something previously adopted • Discharge a committee • Reconsider (the vote) c. Presentation and Disposition. Unless otherwise required, the following steps shall be taken for the presentation and disposition of motions: (1) A Councilmember addresses the presiding officer; (2) the member is recognized by the presiding officer; (3) the member proposes a motion; (4) another member seconds the motion; (5) the presiding officer states the motion to the entire membership; - 38 - (6) the Council debates or discusses the motion [while debate on a main motion is under way, amendments and subsidiary, privileged, and incidental motions may be introduced (if they are in order), debated (if they are debatable), and disposed of]; (7) the presiding officer restates the motion and takes the vote on the motion; and (8) the presiding officer announces the results of the vote. 14 Creation of Committees, Boards and Commissions 14.1 Council Committees There are two, standing, three-member committees appointed by the Mayor; the Finance Committee and the Public Works Committee. The Mayor may participate on either committee and Councilmembers are welcome to participate on committees to which they are not specifically appointed. Meetings are scheduled on an as needed basis, and reports from the committee shall be made after each meeting. Council committees serve in an advisory capacity to the Council as a whole and take no formal action. 14.2 Citizen Boards and Commissions a. Purpose. Volunteer citizen advisory groups may be established with a variety of roles and responsibilities, and provide formal and continuous citizen involvement in City government. Some groups are established to satisfy state or local law. City Council anticipates and welcomes recommendations from advisory boards. In balancing the needs of the community, Council may not always adopt a board recommendation. It is expected that boardmembers honor the decision made by Council and not circumvent Council’s conclusions. b. Administrative Support. Administrative support will be provided to the various Boards and Commissions by the appropriate City department. c. Recruitment and Qualifications. (1) General recruitment efforts shall be made with special measures being taken to balance ward representation and attract minority and special population applicants. (2) Generally, volunteers will be limited in serving on one board or commission at a time. (3) The number of terms served by a citizen member, with the exception of those serving on the Water and Sewer Board, will be - 39 - limited to two. (4) Absence excuses may be given by the chairpersons of each board. Excessive absences of Boardmembers may also be considered during reappointment application, and may be cause for dismissal at Council's discretion. d. Application and Appointment. (1) Unless otherwise stated, positions on Boards and Commissions shall be appointed by Council from applicants who have completed the appropriate application form and interview process. (2) Application forms shall be developed and made available to potential board candidates. (3) Interview of the candidates may be conducted by two-member Council teams. Notwithstanding the above, candidates for the Water and Sewer Board and the Planning Commission will be interviewed by the Council. (4) At the option of the Council interview team the chair or chair’s designee will be invited to be present at the interviews and serve as a resource for their board or commission. (5) The Council team's recommendations for appointments will be forwarded to Council for consideration. (6) Council appointment may be by written ballot and candidates must receive the vote of a majority of Council. (7) Individuals appointed to fill a vacancy with an unexpired term of six months or less shall also be appointed to serve the succeeding full term. e. Orientation. The citizen volunteer shall be provided the opportunity to receive an orientation and working knowledge of overall City functions and responsibilities with a specific focus on the board to which the volunteer has been appointed. f. Council & Commission Roundtable. Dialogue between the boards and Council concerning goals and key issues is desired at least annually. In lieu of an annual roundtable, Council may utilize other methods of communications with boards and commissions, such as a periodic newsletter or triennial review. g. Leadership Training. Members of boards who function as officers are expected to partake in training sessions which are geared toward the development of leadership skills, which may be funded from City Council's budget, if needed. - 40 - h. Recognition/Appreciation. A program to recognize the special efforts of the City's outstanding citizen volunteers, and a standard method of recognizing the service of all citizen board members may be implemented. i. Triennial Review. With the exception of the boards and commissions authorized by the Greeley Home Rule Charter, each City board and commission will be reviewed every three years by City Council and then authorize its continuance or sunset. In preparation for the Council review, each board and commission may complete a self-assessment and submit the group’s accomplishments, goals and program plan.