§ 2-35. Rules of debate.

The following rules of debate shall be followed at city council meetings:

(1)

Presiding officer. The mayor or vice mayor or such other member of the city council as may be presiding may move, second and debate from the chair, subject only to such limitations of debate as are by these rules imposed on all members and shall not be deprived of any of the rights and privileges of a councilmember by reason of their acting as the presiding officer.

(2)

Getting the floor; manner of address. Every member desiring to speak shall address the chair and, upon recognition by the presiding officer, shall confine themselves to the question under debate, avoiding all personalities and indecorous language.

(3)

Interruptions; calls to order. A member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking unless it is to call them to order, or as otherwise provided in this section. If a member, while speaking, is called to order, they shall cease speaking until the question of order is determined, and if in order, they shall be permitted to proceed.

(4)

Privilege of closing debate. The councilmember moving the adoption of an ordinance or resolution shall have the privilege of closing the debate.

(5)

Motion to reconsider. After the decision of any question, it shall be in order only for a member voting on the prevailing side to move reconsideration at the same or the next regular meeting. If a motion to reconsider is lost, it shall not be renewed without a two-thirds vote of the members present; no motion shall be reconsidered a second time without the unanimous consent of the council.

(6)

Entering remarks in minutes. A councilmember may request, through the presiding officer, the privilege of having an abstract of their statement on any subject under consideration by the council entered in the minutes.

(7)

Synopsis of debate; entering in minutes. The city clerk may be directed by a member of the council, to enter in the minutes a synopsis of the discussion on any question coming regularly before the council.

(8)

In all cases involving points of parliamentary law, "Robert's Rules of Order" shall be the book of reference, and its rules, so far as they are applicable and not in conflict with the provisions of the City's Charter, this Code of other city ordinances shall be the rules of the city council.

(Ord. No. 88-1-9, § 1-210, 9-19-88; Ord. No. 1996-11, § 1, 10-7-96; Ord. No. 2009-03, § 1, 5-4-09; Ord. No. 2015-15 , § 5, 10-5-15)