City Council Rule Changes

These rules, after adoption by the City Council, shall be published and made available to the public. The rules of the City Council should be reviewed and provisionally adopted towards the beginning of every new City Council term.

Rule 1. At all meetings of the City Council five (5) Councillors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE CHAIR

Rule 2. On the first Monday of January, following the regular municipal election, the City Council shall by a majority vote of all the members elected, elect a mayor from its own members who shall preside at all meetings of the City Council and perform such other duties as are prescribed in section one hundred (100) of Chapter 43 of the General Laws, and any acts in amendment thereof or supplementary thereto. The City Council shall, in like manner, elect a Vice-Chair who shall also be called Vice-Mayor.

Rule 3. The Mayor shall take the chair at the hour of the first Council meeting following Inauguration and election as chair to which the City Council has adjourned and call the members to order. In the absence of the Mayor, the Vice-Chair of the City Council shall preside and, in the absence of both, the most senior member in length of service or if more than one have so served then the member senior in both age and length of service who is present shall serve as chair during the absence of both the Mayor and Vice-chair.

Rule 4. The Mayor shall preserve decorum and order, and may speak to points of order, in preference to other members. The Mayor shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the City Council. If the ruling of the chair is questioned, no other business shall be in order until the question on the appeal shall have been decided; the question shall be put as follows: "Shall the decision of the chair stand as the judgment of the City Council?" The vote shall be by roll call, and it shall be decided in the affirmative unless a majority of the votes are to the contrary.

Rule 5. The ChairMayor shall state the motion that is before the Council before there can be discussion on the motion. The ChairMayor shall and then declare all votes. If any member doubts the vote, the chair without further debate upon the question, shall require the members voting in the affirmative and negative, respectively, to be counted; the Chair Mayor shall declare the results, but no such declaration shall be made unless a quorum of the City Council has voted. 2

Rule 6. All final votes of the City Council on questions involving the expenditure of fifty dollars or more, or upon the request of any member, any vote of the City Council shall be by yeas and nays and shall be entered on the records.

Rule 7. All petitions, memorials, communications, or any matter before the City Council may be referred as follows: 1. To a standing committee of the City Council. 2. To a consent agenda. 3. To a special committee of the City Council. 4. To the City Manager. 5. To any department or department head or any person, group, or organization to whom referral is permitted, authorized, or allowed under the provisions of the Plan E Charter and under applicable provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws.

Any member offering a motion, order or resolution which is referred to a committee shall be given a hearing on the same by the committee before a report is made thereon, provided they so request at the time of the communication, or before final action by the committee.

Rule 8. The Cchair shall place before the body put all questions in the order in which they are moved, unless the subsequent motion be previous in its nature, except that in naming sums and fixing times, the largest sum and the longest time shall be placed before the body first first put. After a motion has been placed before the body put by the chair, the mover may withdraw the motion before amendment or final action without objection it shall not be withdrawn except by unanimous consent.

Rule 9. When a question is under debate the chair shall receive no motion, except tobut

To Adjourn. To Lay on the Table. To Postpone to a certain day. For the Previous Question. End debate, move, or call the question. To Refer. To Amend. To Postpone indefinitely.

These motions shall have precedence in the above order. A motion to adjourn shall be in order at any time except upon immediate repetition. A motion to adjourn, to lay on the table, to take from the table, or to end debatefor the previous question shall be decided without debate.

Rule 10. The previous question shall be put in the following form: "Shall the main question be put?" and all further amendments or debates of the main question shall be suspended until the previous question is decided.

Rule 101. When two or more members ask to be recognized at once, the C chair shall name the member who is entitled to the floor.

Formatted: Right: 2.57"

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RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF MEMBERS

Rule 112. Every member, when about to speak shall respectfully address the Cchair, and wait to be recognized. The member shall confine their remarks to the question under debate. During debate each Councillor will state their comments clearly and concisely with the understanding that other members are waiting to present their comments.

Rule 123. No member speaking shall be interrupted by another except to make a point of order, request an explanation, or request a point of personal privilege.

Rule 134. No member shall vote on any question, or serve on any committee, where their private interest is immediately concerned distinct from that of the public. The City Council shall by ordinance establish and implement a code of ethics for its members and for all city employees. All City employees, including all elected and appointed officials, are subject to the Massachusetts Conflict of Interest Law.

Rule 145. When a question is put, every member present shall vote yes, no, or present and their vote shall be accepted by the chair and so recorded. A member that is recusing themselves from voting shall announce that they are recusing themselves prior to any discussion or deliberation of the matter and shall state the reason for recusal (a conflict of interest or to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest).

A member that has recused themselves shall not participate in the discussion while the matter is being deliberated and if present shall leave the Council Chamber or if participating remotely shall turn off their microphone and video during discussion and deliberation on the matter. Their recusal shall be accepted by the chair and so recorded.