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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance - 004-1909 - Fixing The Rules Of Legislation And Rules Of Order Of The City Of Lubbock - 04/16/1909ORDINANCE NO. 4. AN ORDINANCE FIXING THE RULES OF LEGISLATION AND RULES OF ORDER OF THE CITY OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS, THAT THE RULES OF LEGISLATION SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS: Article 1. The City Council shall hold its regular meeting on the second Monday evening of each month at 8 o'clock p.m., at Council Chamber and the Council may adjourn from day to day until such business as in before it may be finished; provided that the Council may, by Resolution entered upon its Minutes and passed by two-thirds majority of all Council, hold its regular meeting at any other time, but there shall always be one regular meeting per month. OF THE PRESIDENT: Article 2. At the hour of meeting, the Mayor, as President, shall take the chair and call the Council to Order, direct the roll to be called, and if a quorum be present, cause the unapproved journals to be read (and if need be corrected) and adopted. Article 3. If the Mayor be absent at the hour of meeting and there be no Mayor pro tem present, the Secretary, or in his absence, some member shall call the council to order, after which a President pro tern shall be immediately elected and then the business shall be proceeded with as indicated in Article 2. Article 4. The President shall preserve order and decorum, may speak from the chair only to points of order and in preference to other members, shall decide all questions of order, subject, however, to an appeal to the Council by any member, upon other questions, he may speak as other members. Article 5. A quorum is any three members, except at call meetings, or meetings for the imposition of Taxes when two-thirds shall be required. If upon calling the Council to Order, no quorum appears, or if at any time a quorum be broken, the Council may adjourn to any other time or may send another officer after absent members. MARSHAL. Article 6. The Marshall, or his representative, shall act as Sergeant at Arms of the City Council during its sessions and may exclude from the room All persons (not specially invited by the Mayor or some member) except members and officers of the City Council. DECORUM, DEBATE, ETC., Article 7. No member shall go outside of the room while the Council is in session without leave of the President, nor absent himself from the session without leave of the Body, under the penalty of five ($5.00) dollars. Article 8. Any member who shall fail to attend when sent for by order of Council, or who shall be absent from any meeting of the Council, shall, without satisfactory excuse rendered, be fined the sum of five ($5.00) dollars. Article 9. Any member desiring to speak shall rise to his feet and address the Presiding officer, and the person whom the presiding officer shall first recognize, shall be entitled to the floor, and such person shall not be interrupted while speaking, except to call to order, or to correct, or explain the statement of the facts. Article 10. No one except members of the Council, and officers in discharge of their official duties, shall be permitted to address the Council, or perticipate except by the unanimous consent of the members present. Article 11. After the Journal shall have been read, and approved, the order of business shall be as follows: 1. Any communication the Mayor may desire to make, to be heard and disposed of. 2. Excuses of absentees heard and disposed of. 3. Petitions read and disposed of. 4. Reports of officers received and disposed of. 5. Reports of Standing Committees. 6. Reports from select committees. 7. Unfinished Business. 8. New Business. 9. Special Orders shall have precedence at the hour for which they have been set over all other business. COMMITTEES. Article 12. All Committees shall be appointed by the Chair and where no number is designated shall consist of two members. Article 13. At the first meeting after each General Election, the following Standing Committees, to consist of two members each, shall be appointed: I. Committee on Finance. 2. Committee, on Streets, Alleys, and Sidewalks. 3. Committee on Police and Fire Department. 4. Committee on Sanitation. 5. Committee on Printing. 6. Committee on Water and Lights. 7. Committee on Ordinances. Article 14. All matters to be referred or committed shall go to that Committee, the name of which indicates the subject referred, unless other- wise specially ordered. Article 15. Upon the passage of all Ordinances appropriating money, imposing taxes, increasing, lessening, or abolishing liscenses, or borrowing money, the ayes and nays shall be entered on the Journal. Article 16. The ayes and nays may be demanded upon any question by any member and in all cases of calling the ayes and nays, every member present shall vote unless excused by the Council. Article 17. While a subject is under consideration, no motion shall be entertained, but 1. To adjourn. 2. To lay on table. 3. The previous question. 4. To postpone to time certain. 5. To Committ. 6. To Amend. 7. To Postpone indefinitely. These several motions shall have precedence in the order named. A motion to lay on the table is not debatable. The previous Question must be seconded by two members and cuts off all debated and all pending amend- ments and brings the Council to a direct vote on the main question. Article 18. No motion shall be entertained while a member is apeaking or while the Council is voting. Article 19. Every Resolution must be in writing and every motion shall be reduced to writing if any member of the Council requires it. Article 20. No member shall vote on any question in the deterin- ation of which he has a direct personal interest. Article 21. Any member who voted with the majority may move a reconA sideration of the vote at the saome or at the next succeeding meeting and such motion when seconded shall have precedence over all other motions, except the privileged motions specified in Article 17. Article 22. Upon all points or questions, when these Rules may be silent or uncertain, reference shall be had to such digest of Parliamentary Law as may be the Standard in the Legislature of the State of Texas. Article 23. Any of these Rules may be temporarily suspended for a particular motion or object, except one which affects the rights of a member, by a two-thirds vote: But any proposition to alter or amend them shall be made in writing, lie over one meeting, and be passed by a two- thirds vote of the whole Board. DUTIES OF COMMITTEES. Article 24. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Finance, when directed by the City Council to inspect, in connection with the Secretary, the different accounts and Records of any Officer in this Corporation, to audit all claims against the City, and all other financial matters; re- auested by the Citv Council 2 and t(1 malea foil Rannrf-o no ron 4.. A i... T — Article 25. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Streets, Alleys, and sidewalks, to inspect the different streets, alleys, and sidewalks of this City, to make such improvements and repairs as they may deem necessary, on any street or alley, and to see that the property owners keep their respective sidewalks in good repair, and condition: and shall report any and all failures of said property owners to the City Council. Article 26. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Police and Fire Department to examine into all charges against the Police Officers of this City, and to see that saif officers properly perform their re- spective duties, and report any dereliction to the City Council. They shall inspect the Fire Department of the City and see that the Ordinances creating and regulating the same, is not violated: they shall also from time to time inspect the Fire Apparatus of the City and see that the same is kept in good working condition. Article 27. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Sanitation to see that the City Scavenger and City Health Officer properly perform the duties of their respective offices and to report all derelictions to the City Council. They shall also from time to time, inspect the dumping grounds of this City, and see that the garbage, etc, is properly disposed of. Article 28. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Printing under the direction of the City Council to make annual contracts for the official printing of this City as required by Law, and such other contracts for printing as they be directed by the City Council. Article 29. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Water and Lights to see that all contracts for water and lights are properly carried out and make such contracts concerning the same as the City Council may direct. Article 30. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Ordinances to prepare and present all Ordinances to the City Council when so directed, or when they may deem the samg advisable. Article 31. The Mayor shall, from time to time, appoint such Special Committees as the City Council may direct, and define then duties. Article 32. It shall be duty of the chairman of each of the said Standing Committees to report at the first regular meeting of each month, the work performed by his Committee during the preceeding month and the general condition of the City affairs. Passed and approved this the day of April, A. D. 1909. F. E. Wheelock, Mayor Attest: W. M. Shaw, City Secretary. (seal)