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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESOLUTIONS-1974-073-R-7473-R-74 Resolution Adopting Rules and Organization of the City Council oc the City of Evanston BE IT AND IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Evanston, Cook County, Illinois,.adopt as its Rules and Organization, the following Rules 1 to 22 inclusive, dated • November 11, 1974. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all Rules, Order of Business and Organization of the City Council heretofore adopted, are hereby expressly rescinded and repealed, and the following Rules 1 to 22 inclusive, shall be in effect from and after the adoption of this resolution. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said Rules and Organization be published in pamphlet form. MAYOR�`� %- APPROVED: ATTEST City Clerk ADOPTED: / F , 1974 tY t j RULES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EVANSTON I CONTENTS 1 � , IiI .i 1. ADJOURNMENT = 2. AGENDA: ORDER AT COUNCIL MEETINGS ` 1 3. AMENDMENT, REPEAL OR SUSPENSION 1, + OF RULES 1 4. APPEALS t . 5. APPOINTMENTS 6. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION �j 7. CITY MANAGER ~ S. COMMITTEES 9. CONDUCT OF MEMBERS 10. CONFLICT OF INTEREST; ABSTENTIONS 11. DEBATE 12. EXECUTIVE SESSIONS 13. GENERAL PROVISIONS • 14. MAYOR 15. MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL 16. MINUTES 17. MOTIONS 18. ORDINANCES 19. PRESS 20. QUORUM 21. RECONSIDERATION 22. ROBERT'S RULES EXTRAORDINARY VOTES GLOSSARY 1 1 November 11, 1974 • RULES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EVANSTON �. ADJOURNMENT 1.1 A motion to adjourn the Council shall always be in order except while a vote is being taken. ' 1.2 A motion to adjourn cannot be amended or debated, but a motion to adjourn to a specific date or time may be amended and debated. 2. AGENDA; ORDER AT COUNCIL MEETINGS 2.1 The first order of business at each meeting of the City Council shall be the calling of the roll of Aldermen by the City Clerk, who shall mark the absentees and announce whether a quorum is present; the Council shall then be called to.order by the Mayor. Thereupon, the Council shall proceed to the business before it which shall normally be conducted in the following order, provided that the Mayor or the Council may vary the order of business: (1) Approval of the minutes of the preceding meeting. (2) Communications addressed to the Council. The . City Clerk shall summarize orally the contents of all communications without reading the same in full unless a majority of the City Council so requests. (3) Report of standing committees. (4) Report of special committees. (5) Report of the City Manager (6) Miscellaneous business including announcements and appointments by the Mayor. (7) Call of Wards,at which time each Alderman shall be called upon by the Mayor to present any matters which he may desire to bring before the Council. Purely administrative matters relating solely to an Alderman's ward and not relating to the City as a whole are out of order at this call. The order in which Aldermen shall be called for report of Wards shall be alternated, beginning with the First Ward at one meeting and with the Ninth Ward at the next meeting and so on, alternately, during the term of the Council. 2.2 All questions relating to priority of business shall be decided by the Mayor without debate.. 2.3 The Mayor shall preserve order and decorum and shall decide all questions of order. 2.4 During the meetings of the City Council only city officers and staff, former Aldermen, former Mayors and persons connected with the accredited press shall be admitted within the bar of the,Council Chambers, except upon invitation of the Mayor. Smoking shall be strictly prohibited in the Council Chambers during the • meeting. • -2- 2.5 In the case of disturbance or disorderly conduct the Mayor shall have the power (1) to remove the offenders; • (2) to clear the Council Chambers of all spectators; or (3) to suspend or adjourn the meeting. 1.6 Committees or individual Aldermen who intend to ask for official Council action shall ask the City Manager to put such matters on the printed agenda prior to the Council meeting. flatters shall generally be brought to the appropriate committee before Council action is requested. 3. AMENDMENT, REPEAL OR SUSPENSION OF RULES 3.1 Any rule may be amended or repealed at any regular meeting-of.the City Council, upon a prior submission thereof in writing, by the Committee on Committees or by four or more Aldermen, distributed to members of the City Council at least one week in advance of the vote thereon, if the proposed amendment or repeal is approved by two-thirds of the Aldermen currently holding office. 3.2 Any rule may be temporarily suspended for the matter under consideration at any time by a two-thirds vote of the Aldermen present, except as provided in Rule 18. 4. APPEALS The rulings of the Mayor shall be appealable to the City Council -and shall be decided by majority vote without debate. 5. APPOINTMENTS 5.1 The Mayor shall have the sole right and power, with the advice and consent of the City Council, to make all appointments to the commissions, boards, and advisory bodies of the Council unless otherwise provided by Ordinance or Resolution. All appointments shall be introduced at least one week in advance of their consid- eration by the City Council and considered the subsequent week. The Mayor shall precede his introduction by transmitting to each Alderman in confidence a written brography of the prospective appointee at least one week prior to introduction. 5.2 A Board or Commission appointee shall not serve as a voting member more than two successive full terms on any one Board or Commission. 5.3 The term for Board of Commission membership shall be three years except where otherwise provided by statute or ordinance. 5.4 No Board or Commission rember shall be appointed to serve on more than one Board or Commission concurrently, • except where required' by official position. 5.5 The City Council shall be given notice of the reappoint- ment of any Board or Commission appointee in the same manner as established for original appointments. i -3- • 6. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION 6.1 Any citizen may address a Committee on invitation of the Mayor or by invitation of the Chairman,of a Council Committee. 6.2 Any person not a member of the Council may address it only (1) upon invitation by the Mayor or (2) upon invitation by a majority of the Aldermen present. 6.3 A person invited to address the Council as specified herein, when accorded the floor, shall be governed by these rules to the extent applicable. 7. CITY MANAGER 7.1 The City Council shall appoint the City Manager, delegating to him full executive powers as specifies: below. The City Manager shall be appointed without regard to his political beliefs. He shall be appointed for an indefinite term. 7.2 The powers and duties of the Manager shall be: (1) to administer and enforce the laws and ordinances 'within the municipality. (2) to appoint and remove .all directors of departments. (3) to exercise control of all departments. (4) to exercise complete powers of appointment and removal of all employees in the City in conformity with Civil Service rules and regulations. (5) to prepare the budget for the City for the consider- ation and -approval of the corporate authorities. (6) to attend all meetings of the City Council with the right to take part in discussion but with no right to vote. 7.3 No Committee or its individual members shall in any way assume or attempt to assume any executive or adminis- •trative function delegated to the City Manager or his appointees. 7.4 In the case of the absence or disability of the Manager for a period exceeding 30 days, the Council may designate a qualified administrative officer of the municipality to perform the duties of the Manager during such absence or -disability. 7.5 The Manager may at any time be removed from office by a majority vote of all of the elected members of the Council. " S. COMMITTEES 8.1 Open Meetings. All regular and.special meetings of Committees, Boards and Commissions shall be open to the public and to the press, except executive sessions as authorized by the statutes of the State of Illinois. 8.2 Standing Committees. There shall'be four Standing Committees of the City Council: (a) Committee on Committees (b) Administration and Public Works (c) Human Services (d) Planning and Development -4- j 8.3 Committee on Committees. (a) A Committee on Committees consisting of five Aldermen not standing for reelection shall be ' selected by the Council at a regular meeting which shall be not less than two weeks or more than four weeks preceding the regular biennial aldermanic election. The Committee on Committees shall select its ain Chairman and Vice -Chairman. Such Committee shall hold office until its successors are selected. (b) The jurisdiction of this Committee shall be as follows: (1) assigning Aldermen to Standing Committees; (2) assigning Aldermen to special Council Committees, except those appointed by the • Mayor; (3) determination of jurisdictional disputes { between Committees; L (4) revision of Council rules; t (5) preparation and maintenance of the list of Mayors pro tem. (6) such other matters as are referred to it by the Council or Mayor. 8.4 Administration and Public Works Committee. The duties of this Committee shall include matters relating to finance; legal; personnel; public works, including streets and alleys; lighting; refuse disposal; water and sewers; traffic control; parking; public buildings; public transportation; and public utilities. 8.5• Human Services Committee. The duties of this Committee i shall include matters relating to health; police; fire; i civil defense; human relations, including liaison with Youth Commission; libraries, including liaison with Public Library Board; recreation, including liaison j with Recreation Board; and liaison with school districts, j United Communities Services and associated agencies, and other governmental and private agencies rendering j human services or funding such services within the j city. 8.6 Planning and Development Committee. The duties of this Committee shall include matters relating to planning, physical development, zoning, building, conservation and parks. 8.7 Committee Chairmen. The Chairmanship of the Standing Committee, except the Committee on Committees, shall be rotated automatically every eight meetings. However, the members of any Council Committee may regulate and adjust the rotation of the Chairmanship so as to • accommodate vacations, illnesses, and other contingencies. 8.8 Committee of the Whole. By majority vote, the Council may resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole for the purpose of informally discussing any matters. The Chair- man of the Committee to which the matter has been referred, or to which the matter is properly referrable, j i or the Mayor, shall preside. 1• 1 C ' 8.9 Committee Priorities and Procedure. ! (a) Standing Committees shall confer with the staff at the last meeting of each Chairman's term to agree j on agenda recommendations for disposition. An agenda status report for submission to the Council shall be prepared. During each term the Chairman shall confer weekly with the staff for review of the Committee's agenda. Each Committee shall adopt and publish guidelines for the conduct of its meetings. Such g guidelines shall include procedure for participation by the public. The Chairman shall maintain order at all times, and it shall be his responsibility to report Committee deliberations and recommendations to the Council. When advisable, a minority spokesman shall be appointed for reporting to the Council. If the • Chairman is in the minority he may appoint a majority spokesman. In the event the Committee is unable to agree, the Chairman, by motion, may present his recommendation to the Council. When necessary, the Chairman should request a staff t! member to provide, in writing, the language of a motion. (b) At the first Council meeting of the new Standing I Committee Chairman, each chairman shall (1) summarize the accomplishments of the Committee during the j previous two months and (2) list each item still pending on the Committee's agenda in accordance with the relative priority given such item and the ! plans of the Committee for completing its work during the following eight weeks. These reports shall be made available in writing prior to each such Council meeting. The Council shall review i and discuss the agenda items so reported for the purpose of setting priorities and determining scope, ? treatment or removal of any item. j (c) Committees may consider only such matters as are 1 referred to them by one of the following means: (1) reference by the Mayor, (2) reference by a vote of the Council, or (3) reference by any Alderman which is accepted by the Committee. �• References by an Alderman shall be provisional for two weeks during which time Committee or staff reviews shall be made and reported back. The Committee shall then grant or deny the reference. A reference shall be deemed granted if.the Committee fails to act within that period. Nothing in this rule shall, however, prevent a Committee from deliberating whether it should recommend that a matter be referred to it. 8.10 Special Committees. Special Committees of the Aldermen ! may be appointed at any time by the Council, after selection by the Committee on Committees or the Mayor 1 3 to consider any special problem. 9. CONDUCT OF MEMBERS i 9.1 No member of the Council shall speak until recognized by the Mayor. To secure recognition, he shall raise a his hand or rise from his seat and say, "Mr. (Ms.) Mayor". 4 10. .i t 13. -6- 9.2 When two or more Aldermen rise at the same time, the Mayor shall name the member who will speak first. 9.3 While business of the Council is being transacted, no member shall leave the Council Chambers.except by the consent -of the Mayor. 9.4 An Alderman called to order by the Mayor shall immediately sit down. 9.5 Any Alderman acting or appearing in a disgraceful manner at a Council or Committee meeting or who does not obey the order of the Mayor may be censured by a majority vote of the members present or expelled for the remainder of the meeting by a two-thirds vote of the Aldermen present. CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND ABSTENTIONS The Mayor or any Alderman who in good conscience believes he may have a conflict of interest in any matter before the Council, may disqualify himself from voting thereon. He shall not vote on any matter in which he has a direct personal pecuniary interest. He is generally expected to vote on all other matters while he is present to do so. DEBATE No Alderman shall speak for longer than five minutes on the same subject except by consent of a majority if the Council. Council consent shall be assumed in the absence of objections by any Alderman or the Mayor. EXECUTIVE SESSIONS Whenever the Mayor, City Manager, or any member of the Council shall inform the Council that he has any matter relating to: (1) real property transactions; (2) personnel matters and administration thereof; or (3) litigation involving the City, the Mayor shall thereupon either cause the Council Chambers to be cleared of all persons except members of the Council and staff members approved by the Council or shall conduct the Council to some convenient room for an Executive Session. No subjects shall be discussed except those falling within. the three subject areas specified above. The executive session shall adjourn immediately upon termination of the aforesaid discussion. The City Manager shall keep minutes of the Executive Sessions, and shall make them public when and if appropriate to do so. GENERAL PROVISIONS 13.1 The powers of the City Council shall be purely legislative. 13.2 The City Council shall approve for payment all expenses and liabilities of the municipality. 13.3 A list of all bills shall be furnished to each Alderman prior to the approval of such bills. This rule shall not be applicable to salaries and wages of City employees specifically provided for. -7- 14. MAYOR 14.1 The Mayor shall preside at all meetings of the City Council and is an ex officio member of all City Council committees. 14.2 The Mayor shall be ex officio, a non -voting member of all committees, Boards and Commissions. 14.3 All resolutions and motions, (1) which create any liability against the City; (2) which provide for the expenditure or appropriation of its money; or (3) to sell any city property, and all ordinances, passed by the Council shall be deposited with the City Clerk. If the Mayor approves of them, he shall sign them. Those of which he disapproves he shall return to the Council, with his written objections, at the next regular meeting of the Council occurring not less than five days after their passage. The Mayor may disapprove of any one or more sums appropriated in any ordinance, resolution or motion making an appropriation, and, if so, the remainder shall be effective. However, the Mayor may disapprove entirely of an ordinance, resolution, .or motion making an appropriation. If the Mayor fails to return any ordinance or any specified resolution or motion with his written objections, within the desig- nated time, it shall become effective despite the absence of his signature. 14.4 The Mayor shall not vote on any ordinance, resolution or motion except: (1) where the vote of the Aldermen has resulted in a tie; (2) where one-half of the Alder- -men elected have voted in favor of an ordinance, resolution or motion even though there is no tie vote; or (3) where a vote greater than a majority of the corporate authorities is required by statute to adopt an ordinance, resolution or motion. In each instance specified, the Mayor shall vote. Nothing in this section shall deprive an acting Mayor or Mayor pro tem from voting in his capacity as Alderman, but he shall not be entitled to a second vote in his capacity as acting Mayor -or Mayor pro tem. 14.5 The Mayor shall have authority, on his own initiative, to refer any matter to the docket of any Committee of the City Council, or to any Alderman, Aldermen, board, commission, or advisory body of the City Council. 14.6 The Mayor shall at all times have access to any and all records, documents, and information relative to any and all functions of the municipal government. 14.7 Mayor pro tem. ` (a) If a temporary absence or temporary disability of the Mayor incapacitates him from the performance of his duties,_but does not create a vacancy in the office, the City Council shall elect one of its members to act as Mayor pro tem. The Mayor pro tem, during such absence or disability, shall perform the duties and shall possess all the rights and powers of the Mayor. 0- -8- (_b), The City Clerk shall maintain at all times a list of Aldermen by seniority to serve as either Mayor pro tem or Temporary Chairman. The Chairman of the Comru ttee on Committees shall nominate as Mayor pro tem in the order of suc- cession from said list. 14.8 Acting Mayor (a) A vacancy occurs in the office of Mayor by reason of resignation, failure to elect or qualify, death, permanent physical or mental disability, conviction of a disqualifying crime, abandonment of office, or removal from office or by removal of his residence from the City. (b) If a vacancy occurs in the office of the Mayor and there remains an unexpired portion of his term of at least one year, the vacancy shall be •filled•by a special election which shall be held within six months after the vacancy occurs. The City Council shall elect one of its members acting Mayor who shall perform the duties and possess all the rights and por*ers of the Mayor until a successor to fill the vacancy has been elected and has qualified. (c) If the unexpired portion of the term is less than a year, the vacancy shall be filled by the City Council electing one of its members acting Mayor, who shall perform the duties and possess all the rights and powers of the Mayor until a Mayor is elected at the next regular election and has qualified. when the unexpired portion is less than a year, there can be no special election. 15. MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL 15.1 All meetings of the City Council shall be open to the public and the press, with the exception of executive sessions relating to (1) real property transactions; (2) personnel matters and administration thereof; and (3) litigation involving the City. 3.5..2 A quorum shall be ten Aldermen including the Mayor, acting Mayor or Mayor pro tem. Except 'as required by the statutes of this State, enacted ordinances of this City, or these rules, action"may be taken by a majority vote of a quorum. 15.3 Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held every Monday at 9:00 PM unless a different date or time for meeting shall have been specified by Council action. The Council shall remain in session until the same shall have been adjourned by a majority vote of the members present. 15.4 Special meetings may be held at any time by call of the Mayor, or by the call of three or more Aldermen. Such call for special meetings shall be in writing, duly signed by the callers, and shall be presented to the City Clerk, who shall proceed immediately to prepare notices of the same and shall cause said L. ' -9- notices to be served personally or by mail on the Mayor and all members of the Council at least twenty-four hours before the meeting. Such notices shall describe in brief the nature or object of the special meeting. At every special meeting the call for said meeting shall be read and afterwards filed by the Clerk and no business other.than that pro- posed by the call shall be in order at such meeting. 16. MINUTES 16.1 A journal of the minutes of the City Council shall be kept by.the City Clerk and a copy of the minutes of the immediately preceding meeting shall be delivered to each Alderman prior to the convening of the next regular meeting. 16.2 In all cases where a motion is entered in the minutes of the Council, the name of the Alderman moving the same and the name of his second shall be recorded, except for a motion to adjourn. 17. MOTIONS 17.1 Any matter before the Council may be made a special order of business for any future time by action of the Council. 17.2 A motion is not before the Council until it has been -seconded. A motion.shall be reduced to writing if requested by an Alderman, the Clerk or the Mayor. 17.3 A motion may be withdrawn by the proposer at any time before a vote is called. 17.4 All ordinances and authorizations to expend or dis- burse monies shall be passed only by a roll call vote duly recorded. 17.5 Upon motion of any Alderman, the vote shall be by roll call and shall be recorded. 17.6 The Mayor shall announce•the result of the Council's vote on every roll call. Prior to such announcement, any Alderman may change his vote. 17.7 A motion to table any matter is not debatable, and, if adopted, shall end all further debate of the subject. A'motion to take a matter from the table may be proposed at the same meeting or at any subse- quent meeting. 17.8 An amendment to modify or change the intent of an original motion shall be in order, but no amendment to a motion shall be made which relates to a different subject. 17.9 A substitute for any original motion or proposition may be entertained and if adopted by the Council shall entirely supersede the original motion or proposition. 17.10 When a motion is made and seconded to "call 'for the question", a roll call vote shall then be taken without debate unless one of the following motions, is interposed -- namely, a motion to adjourn, a motion to adjourn at a specified time, a motion to recess, or a motion raising a point of personal privilege. If the notion to call for the question is carried by a vote of two-thirds of the Aldermen present, all further motions and debate shall be excluded and the question before the Council shall then be put. 17.11 A motion to limit further debate to a specified period of time, being duly seconded, shall be carried if it is approved by a majority of the Aldermen present. This motion is not debatable. - 17.12 No action shall be taken by the Council upon any matter before it except a special order of business when -a request is made by two Aldermen to hold over consideration of such matter until the next regular meeting of the Council.- Any matter so held over may not be held over a second time by this procedure. Any citizen may inspect the matter under such deferred deliberation at the office of the City Clerk. If a request is contested - by a motion to overrule the request, duly made and seconded - the motion to over- rule will be sustained if at least two-thirds of.the Aldermen present vote in favor of the motion. A motion to overrule is debatable. 18. ORDINANCES --No•ordinance shall be adopted by the Council at the same meeting at which it is introduced, except after a suspension of the rules by a unanimous vote of the Council. During the period between introduction and consideration, any citizen may inspect any such pro- posed ordinance at the office of the City Clerk. 19. PRESS 19.1 All official meetings of the City Council and its Committees shall be open to the press, 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 meeting. 19.2 While on the Council floor, accredited members of the press are governed by the same rules as govern the conduct of members of the City Council. 20. QUORUM • At any meeting of the City Council, the presence of a majority of the corporate authorities - that is, of the Mayor ai,d Aldermen currently holding office - shall constitute a quorum. Except as required by the statutes of this State, enacted ordinances of this City, or these rules, action may be taken by a majority vote of a quorum.. • 6 -11- 21. RECONSIDERATION k 21.1 The vote taken on any motion (other than a motion to confirm an appointment by the Mayor to a Commission, Board, or Advisory Body), proposition, or ordinance, may be reconsidered at any time during the same meeting or at the first regular meeting held thereafter. A motion to reconsider must be made by an Alderman who voted on the prevailing side; however, when a motion, proposition, or ordinance is lost by reason of not having received a required two-thirds or three -fourths vote, a motion to reconsider may be made by any Alderman who was present and voted in the previous consideration. Any motion to reconsider, properly made, may be seconded by any other Alderman. 21.2 No vote of the City Council shall be reconsidered or rescinded at a special meeting, unless there are present at the special meeting as many Aldermen as were present when the vote was taken. 21.3 Every resolution and motion, and every ordinance, which is returned to the Council by the Mayor may be re- considered by the Council. If, after such reconsider- ation, two-thirds of all the Aldermen elected to the City Council vote to pass the ordinance, resolution, or motion, notwithstanding the Mayor's refusal to approve it, then it shall be effective. The vote on the question of passage over the Mayor's veto shall be by yeas and nays, and shall be recorded in the journal. 22. ROBERT'S RULES The rules of parliamentary practice comprised in the latest edition of "Robert's Rules of Order" shall govern the Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with these Rules of the Council. GLOSSARY "Acting Mayor" is a member of the City Council elected by the Council to fill a vacancy in the office of Mayor until filled by a regular or special election. He shall _ possess all the rights and powers of the Mayor. "Corporate Authorities" shall mean the City Council including the Mayor. "Journal" is the official record of the City Council, wherein are recorded the yeas and nays taken on the passage of designated ordinances, resolutions, motions, and other . actions of the Council. "Mayor Pro Tem" is a member of the City Council, who is elected by the council to perform the duties and possess all the rights and powers of the '-Iayor, if a temporary absence or disability of the Mayor incapacitates him from the performance of his duties, but does not create a vacancy in the office. "Temporary Chairman", a member of the Council, who in the " absence of the Mayor, acting Mayor, or Mayor pro tem for a portion of a meeting is elected by the Council to act as,a temporary chairman. He shall have only the powers of a presiding officer and has a right to vote in his capacity as Alderman. r EXTRAORDINARY VOTES • 3/4 of Elected Aldermen and Mayor (15 Votes) ' 1. Sale or disposition of personal property .(Ch. 24 Sec. 11-76-4) .3/4 of Elected Aldermen (14 Votes) 1. Vacation of streets and alleys (Ch. 24 Sec. 11-91-1) 3/5 of Elected Aldermen (11 Votes) 1. Sale or.lease of -real property (Ordinance Sec. 2-194) 2/3 of Elected Aldermen (12 Votes) 1. Purchase of property without public bids (Ordinance Sec. 2-62) 2. Passage of an•ordinance over veto of the Mayor (Ordinance Sec. 2-23) 3. Overrule Liquor Commissioner in rejection of application (drdinance Sec. 4-202(5)) 4. .Amendment, Suspension or Repeal of Council 'Rules (Council Rule) S. Motion to overrule request of two aldermen to hold ; a matter for one week (Council Rule) • 6. Passage of a proposed zoning amendment where 20% of the frontage proposed to be altered, or 20% of the frontage immediately adjoining or across an alley, or 20% of the frontage directly opposite, files a written protest. 7. Passage of a type one zoning variation which has not received the approval of four members of the Zoning Board. 8. Passage of a planned development ordinance. f