The ordinances reproduced on this website are derived from the updated computer files used to produce the official Revised Municipal Code for the City of Stevens Point, but are unofficial. The ordinances on this web site cannot be certified under s. 889.08, Wis. Stats., and cannot be considered prima facie evidence under s. 889.04, Wis. Stats. Certain tables and maps that are a part of the official Revised Municipal Code for the City of Stevens Point are not included in the ordinance files reproduced on this website. Please consult the bound Revised Municipal Code for the City of Stevens Point, available in the City Clerk's Office, for the official text.

Chapter 2
Standing Rules For The Government of The Common Council

Section
2.01 Meetings
2.02 Call to Order
2.03 Reading of Minutes
2.04 Order of Business
2.05 Introduction of Business
2.06 Questions of Order
2.07 Presiding Officer to Preserve Order
2.08 Motions
2.09 Precedence of Motions
2.10 Motion to Adjourn Always in Order
2.11 Previous Question
2.12 Division of Question
2.13 Debate
2.14 Form of Question
2.15 Every Member to Vote
2.16 Aye and No Vote
2.17 Roll Call to be in Ward Order
2.18 Majority Vote of all Members Required
2.19 Resolutions Appropriating Funds
2.20 Mayor to be Presiding Officer
2.21 Reconsideration of Question
2.22 Members May File Protests Against Council Action
2.23 Claims Against City
2.24 Ordinances
2.25 Reports of Committees
2.26 Reports and Resolutions to be Filed with Clerk
2.27 Appointment of Special Committees
2.28 Standing Committees
2.29 No Persons Allowed on Council Floor Except Members of Council.
2.30 Robert's Rules of Order to Govern Council
2.31 Transaction of Business at Special Meetings
2.32 Suspension of Rules


2.01 MEETINGS.

(1) Regular. The stated regular meetings of the common council shall be held at the council chamber on the third Monday in each month at 7:00 o'clock p.m. except that the first annual or organization meeting of each new council shall be held on the third Tuesday in April of each year.

(2) Special. Special meetings of the common council may be called by the mayor (or in his/her absence by the president of the council) at such time as he/she may appoint, by written notice, of the purpose and time thereof to each member, delivered to the member personally or left at his/her usual place of residence, at least twelve (12) hours before the meeting. Upon petition of five (5) or more members of the council, the mayor (or president) shall call a special meeting of the council.

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2.02 CALL TO ORDER. The presiding officer shall, at the hour appointed, call the members to order. In the absence of the presiding officer, the president of the council, or in his/her absence any member, may call the council to order and thereupon the council shall appoint a chairman to preside at such meeting.

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2.03 READING OF MINUTES. The minutes of the last meeting shall then be read and any mistakes therein corrected.

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2.04 ORDER OF BUSINESS. The order of business shall be set by the mayor and posted 48 hours prior to the regular council meeting.

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2.05 INTRODUCTION OF BUSINESS. All ordinances, resolutions, memorials, or other communications shall be in writing with a brief statement of their contents endorsed thereon, together with the name of the member presenting the same, and shall be delivered to the clerk and shall be read by him/her. The committee to which any matter shall be referred shall report thereon in writing at the first stated meeting after such reference unless there is no objection by the council to further time being taken.

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2.06 QUESTIONS OF ORDER. The presiding officer shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the council.

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2.07 PRESIDING OFFICER TO PRESERVE ORDER. It shall be the duty of the presiding officer to preserve decorum; and if any member transgresses the rules of the council the presiding officer shall, or any member may, call such offending member to order in which case the member called to order shall immediately sit down and be silent, unless permitted to explain and the council, if appealed to, shall decide the matter on a three-fourths vote.

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2.08 MOTIONS.

(1) When a motion is made and seconded, it shall be deemed to be in possession of the council and shall be stated by the presiding officer, or being in writing, shall be delivered to the clerk and read by him/her previous to debate.

(2) After a motion is stated by the presiding officer or read by the clerk, it shall not be withdrawn, except by consent of the council or mayor.

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2.09 PRECEDENCE OF MOTIONS. When a question is before the council no motion shall be received except to adjourn, lay on the table the previous question, refer, or amend, which several motions shall have a precedence in the order stated.

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2.10 MOTION TO ADJOURN ALWAYS IN ORDER. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order, unless the council is engaged in voting, and shall be decided without debate.

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2.11 PREVIOUS QUESTION. The previous question shall be put in these words: "Shall the main question be now put?", and it shall be admitted on demand of three members, and until decided, shall preclude all further amendment or debate of the main question but shall not preclude pending amendments from being put before the main question.

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2.12 DIVISION OF QUESTION.

(1) Any member may call for a division of the question when the same will admit thereof.

(2) When a question has been divided no member shall speak more than once nor for more than five minutes on any motion with reference to any single item as to which separate consideration has been granted, unless the council by a majority vote of the members present shall grant an extension of said time.

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2.13 DEBATE.

(1) When a member is about to speak to a question or make a motion, he/she shall respectfully address the presiding officer, and the presiding officer shall pronounce the name of the member entitled to the floor; and the member shall confine himself/herself to the question under consideration.

(2) No member shall speak more than twice on any question nor more than five minutes at any one time without leave of three-fourths of the members present.

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2.14 FORM OF QUESTION. All questions shall be put in this form: "In favor, aye; opposed, no," and in doubtful cases the presiding officer may direct, or any member may call for, a division.

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2.15 EVERY MEMBER TO VOTE. Every member present, when the question is put, shall vote unless the presiding officer of the council shall, for special reasons, excuse him/her.

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2.16 AYE AND NO VOTE. The ayes and noes shall be taken and recorded upon any question before the council upon the call of any one member. While the clerk is calling the ayes and noes, the members shall vote inside the bar, and it shall not be in order for any member to explain his/her vote during the calling of the roll.

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2.17 ROLL CALL TO BE IN WARD ORDER. The names of the members shall be called in numerical order of ward designation, either in sequence or in reverse.

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2.18 MAJORITY VOTE OF ALL MEMBERS REQUIRED. All laws, ordinances, rules and resolutions shall be passed by an affirmative vote of a majority of all the members of the Common Council, except where otherwise required.

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2.19 RESOLUTIONS APPROPRIATING FUNDS. No appropriation shall be made or voted from any city fund for any purpose except upon an affirmative vote of two-thirds of all members of the common council.

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2.20 MAYOR TO BE PRESIDING OFFICER. The mayor shall be the presiding officer. In the absence of the mayor the president of the council shall preside at meetings of the council.

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2.21 RECONSIDERATION OF QUESTION. It shall be in order for any member who voted in the affirmative on any question which was adopted, or for any member who voted in the negative when the number of affirmative votes was insufficient for adoption, to move a reconsideration of such vote, at the same or next succeeding regular meeting of the council. A motion to reconsider having been lost shall not be again in order.

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2.22 MEMBERS MAY FILE PROTESTS AGAINST COUNCIL ACTION. Any member shall have the right to have the reasons for his/her dissent from, or protest against, any action of the common council entered on the minutes.

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2.23 CLAIMS AGAINST CITY. No account or other demand against the city shall be allowed until the same has been considered and reported upon by the common council.

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2.24 ORDINANCES. All ordinances shall be in writing prior to submission to the common council and passage thereof.

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2.25. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. Each standing committee shall make its reports in writing and shall return the petition, resolution, account, or other paper submitted for consideration to the common council.

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2.26 REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS TO BE FILED WITH CLERK. All reports and resolutions shall be filed with the clerk and entered on the minutes.

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2.27 APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES. The common council may from time to time create special committees, for which the mayor shall make appointments which need not comply with Section 3.44 of the Revised Municipal Code.

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2.28 STANDING COMMITTEES. Following are the standing committees of the common council: Board of Public Works, Finance Committee, Public Protection Committee, and Personnel Committee. The appointments to such committees shall be made by the mayor on or before May 1 of each year, subject to confirmation by the common council, except where otherwise expressly provided by law.

The mayor shall appoint every alderman of the several wards to at least one standing committee.

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2.29 NO PERSONS ALLOWED ON COUNCIL FLOOR EXCEPT MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. No persons except members and officers of the council shall be allowed to come within the bar during the session of the council without the permission of the presiding officer.

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2.30 ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER TO GOVERN COUNCIL. In the absence of a standing rule, the council shall be guided by the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

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2.31 TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS AT SPECIAL MEETINGS. At special meetings of the council, no business shall be transacted but that for which the meeting shall have been called.

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2.32 SUSPENSION OF RULES.

(1) The assent of two-thirds of all members of the council shall be required to suspend, alter, or modify any of the foregoing rules.

(2) When a member moves a suspension of the rules, the member shall be required to state the particular standing rule to which the motion is addressed. The presiding officer shall then put the question, "Is there any objection to the suspension of the rules in accordance with the motion?". An objection voiced to suspension of the rules by one member shall require a roll call on the motion for suspension. If no such objection is made, the clerk shall record a unanimous consent to the suspension of the rules and the presiding officer shall then proceed to state the principal question.

Index for this Chapter

The ordinances reproduced on this website are derived from the updated computer files used to produce the official Revised Municipal Code for the City of Stevens Point, but are unofficial. The ordinances on this web site cannot be certified under s. 889.08, Wis. Stats., and cannot be considered prima facie evidence under s. 889.04, Wis. Stats. Certain tables and maps that are a part of the official Revised Municipal Code for the City of Stevens Point are not included in the ordinance files reproduced on this website. Please consult the bound Revised Municipal Code for the City of Stevens Point, available in the City Clerk's Office, for the official text.

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