The council shall meet on Tuesday of each and every week; provided, that should any such Tuesday fall upon a legal holiday, the council shall meet at the same hour as set forth in this section upon the next day thereafter, which is not a legal holiday. All of such meetings shall be regular meetings for all purposes. The time when such regular meetings shall take place shall be as follows:

Closed sessions as authorized by law--three p.m.;

Regular business agenda--six p.m.;

For the purpose of this section, "regular business agenda" shall mean all items, except closed sessions, as set forth under Section 2.04.080, Order of business. (Ord. 5087 § 1, 1995: prior code § 2-3)

* For charter provisions requiring regular weekly meetings, see Charter, Art. VI, § 2. As to special meetings, see Charter, Art. VI § 2.

Pursuant to Article VI, Section 5(4) of the Charter, the council shall annually select one of its members to be the mayor. The times for appointment shall be the second Monday of April in each year in which a general municipal election is held; and in other years such selection shall be made at the regular meeting of council following the first Monday of April. In the selection of the mayor, preference is to be given members of council who have had the benefit of experience as council members prior to the time of selection. The mayor shall serve as presiding officer and perform the other duties of mayor at the pleasure of the council. (Ord. 5162 § 1, 1997: prior code § 2-3.1)

Except as otherwise provided in the charter (see Charter, Art. VI, § 2), all meetings of the council shall be held in the city hall. The council, by resolution, shall designate the building to be known as the city hall. (Prior code § 2-4)

All meetings of the council shall be open to the public except those meetings or portions thereof which may be closed pursuant to state law. (Prior code § 2-5)

* For charter provisions requiring meetings to be open to public, see Charter, Art. VI, § 2.

Prior to each council meeting every city official with the exception of elected officials, board, commission or other municipal body having any reports, communications or other matters for submission to the council shall notify and submit same to the city manager and city attorney for approval and submission to council in advance of the meeting. Thereupon, all matters approved for submission to council shall be forwarded to the city clerk who shall prepare a list of such matters according to the order of business specified by this chapter and furnish a type-written copy of such list to each member of the council. (Prior code § 2-6)

Promptly at the time fixed for the holding of regular meetings, the members of the council, city clerk, city manager and city attorney shall take their regular stations in the council chamber. (Ord. 5087 § 2, 1995: prior code § 2-7)

Members of the council in actual attendance will be recorded present regardless of their answer or failure to answer the roll call. (Prior code § 2-8)

A. Business shall be taken up for consideration and disposition in the following order:

Order of business:

1. Closed session - one p.m. (1:00 P.M.);

2. Regular business agenda - six p.m. (6:00 P.M.):

a. Flag salute,

b. Invocation;

3. Presentations and appointments;

4. City council/staff comments;

5. Consent items;

6. Oral communications;

7. Adoption of ordinances;

8. Action items;

9. Hearings;

10. Reports - for information;

11. Written communications;

12. New business;

13. Adjournment.

B. The foregoing order of business may be altered in any instance at the discretion of the mayor. (Ord. 5398 § 1, 2004: Ord. 5260 § 1, 2000: Ord. 5185 § 1, 1997: Ord. 5155 § 1, 1997: Ord. 5087 §§ 3, 4, 1995: Ord. 5050 §§ 1, 2, 1994: prior code § 2-9)

A. Under the order of business heading "written communications," all persons interested, or their authorized representatives, may address the council in regard to any written protest, petition or communication which has been placed on the agenda by the city clerk and is then being considered by the council.

B. Under the order of business heading "oral communications," any person may address the council on any matter concerning the city's business or on any matter over which the city has control; provided, however, that each person addressing council is limited to five minutes. Any matter brought to the attention of the council under the heading oral communications may be referred to the appropriate department through the city manager for appropriate action or investigation and report to the council.

C. The five-minute limitation provided by this section may be waived in any particular instance at the discretion of the mayor. (Prior code § 2-10)

Ordinances may be introduced by reading the title only. Except in urgency cases, copies of all ordinances and resolutions shall be sent in advance of their introduction to each member of the council and to the city manager. When submitted for final passage, ordinances shall be read in full only if requested by a majority vote of the council. (Prior code § 2-11)

Members of the council may remain seated while discussing any question under consideration. They shall always address their remarks to the chair. (Prior code § 2-12)

The chief of police shall be ex officio sergeant-at-arms of the council. Any person in the audience who uses profane language at a council meeting, or language tending to bring the council or any of its members into contempt, or any person who persistently delays or interrupts the proceedings of the council, or refuses to keep quiet or sit down when ordered to do so by the presiding officer, may, upon order of the presiding officer, be ejected from the council chamber and kept out for the remainder of the meeting. The chief of police, or any police officer of the city present in the council chamber, shall carry out all orders given by the presiding officer with respect to such persons or for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum in the council chamber. (Prior code § 2-13)

As soon as possible after each council meeting, the city clerk shall send copies of the minutes of such meeting to each member of the council at his or her residence or such other place as the council member may designate. Thereafter, the reading of such minutes at any following meeting may be dispensed with and they may be approved without any further proceeding. Their approval shall be authenticated by the signature of the presiding officer, attested by the city clerk. (Prior code § 2-14)

In all matters and things not otherwise provided for in this chapter, the proceedings of the council shall be governed under Robert's Rules of Order, revised copy, 1952 Edition. (Prior code § 2-15)

A motion to reconsider may be made only at the meeting at which the vote to be reconsidered is taken. (Prior code § 2-16)

No action of the council shall be considered complete or final until the end of the meeting at which such action is taken, except that when a vote on a special assessment proceeding is required to be taken at a public hearing, such a vote is final and may not be reconsidered at any time unless authorized by the special assessment act being used. (Prior code § 2-17)

A. When a vote on a matter which effects the appointment, dismissal or confirmation of any officer, or authorizes the execution of contracts, or the appropriation or payment of money, or the passage of any ordinance, the city clerk shall call the roll, and each member of the council who is present including the mayor, shall be recorded as voting “aye” or “yes” unless when his or her name is called, such member answers “no” or declares that he or she abstains from voting. In all other matters when a vote is called for, the matter may proceed by unanimous consent or voice vote, as determined appropriate by the mayor, unless a roll call vote is requested by any member of the council.

B. Except in the case where there exists a financial conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act, an abstention shall be treated as a neutral or “non-vote” and the abstaining member shall be counted in determining whether a quorum of the council is present. (Ord. 5553 § 1, 2007: Ord. 5188 § 1, 1998: prior code § 2-18)