City Council

CITY COUNCII AGENDA "ANNUAL ST ATUTORY MEETING" MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2021 7:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS - ClTY HALL LEGISLATION AND PUBLIC WORKS RULES OF 1. Adopting the Rules of Order for the year 2021. ORDER -,J  ULR/,,So/* 0 F),E, 2S 2"" JAN g 4 2021 OF ORDER OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY RULES OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2021 CHAPTER I POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT. !3!!!L!. shall fix 7:00 p.m. for public hearings or such time A. The City Council as may be otherwise specified by the Council. of the Whole meetings shall be held at 7:00 p.m. on B. The Committee fourth Wednesdays of the months of September through the second and the second Wednesday of the months of July and June, inclusive; and regular meeting days be holidays, then the Council shall August; or, if these or, if these regular meeting days be the eve of meet on the next days; the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the eve of Thanksgiving, the eve of Christmas, Year's eve, then the Council shall meet on the Yom Kippur, or New public hearing(s) or at such time as may be preceding day, or following by the City Council, or at the time to which the City otherwise specified Council shall have adjourned. session of the City Council shall be held at the C. The Legislative of the Whole meeting on the second and fourth beginning of the Committee months of September through June, inclusive; and the Wednesdays of the of the months of July and August; or, if these regular second Wednesday then the Council shall meet on the next days; or, meeting days be holidays, days be the eve of Thanksgiving, the eve of if these regular meeting of Rosh Hashanah, the eve of Yom Kippur, or New Christmas, the eve eve, then the Council shall meet on the preceding day. Year's of the City Council shall take the chair each meeting at D. The President shall call to order and, except in the absence of a the said hour. He/she to conduct business in the manner prescribed by quorum, shall proceed rules, and in and during his/her absence or disability, the President these act and shall perform the duties of the President as Pro Tempore shall In and during the absence or disability of the President herein prescribed. the acting President Pro Tempore shall act and shall perform Pro Tempore, the duties of the President as herein prescribed. shall maintain a record of activities for the months of E. The Council and March. The record of activities should contain daily January February, JAN0 4 2027 worked and duties performed directly related to the official detail of hours duties of the Council. Rule 2. President of the City Council shall possess the powers and perform The the duties herein prescribed, viz.: is the representative of the City Council on the Board of A. He/she Contract and shall represent the will of the City Council on all Estimate and matters previously voted upon by the City Council. shall preserve order and decorum, and in debate, shall B. He/she comments, and confine members to the question under prevent personal When two or more members ask to be recognized at the same discussion. time, he/she shall name the one entitled to the floor. shall decide all questions of order, subject to appeal to the C. He/she On every appeal, he/she shall have the right in his/her place to City Council. reason for his/her decision. In case of such appeal, no assign his/her member shall speak more than once. shall, when so directed by the City Council, appoint Special D. He/she to be selected from the members thereof, except when the City Committees Council shall otherwise order. He/she shall designate the persons who shall act as newspaper E. five persons. Such reporters so appointed shall be reporters not exceeding seats as council shall designate and shall have the right to entitled to such and from such seats in entering or leaving the City Council pass to Chambers or Committee of the Whole rooms. shall have general control, except as provided by rules of law, F. He/she Chambers and Committee of the Whole room. Jn case of of the City Council trespass or disorderly conduct in the City Council any disturbance, Committee of the Whole meeting room, he/she shall Chambers or in the power to order the expulsion of any person or persons creating have the such disturbance or trespassing therein. -2- JAN g 4 2021 Si;CaB'%ory CHAPTER II ORDER OF BUSINESS. 3. the conclusion of the Committee of the Whole, the Legislative Following meeting shall commence. business of each legislative meeting shall be the calling of the The first thereafter, except on days and at times set apart for roll, and immediately of special orders, the order of business, which shall not be the consideration except by a vote of a majority of the members present, to be departed from, determined by a call of the roll, shall be as follows: Ordinances and Resolutions Adjournment. CHAPTER Ill OF THE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF COUNCILPERSONS. presenting a paper shall endorse the same; if a Every Councilperson memorial or report to the City Council, it shall be with a brief petition, or contents, adding his/her name; if a report of a statement of its subject a statement of such reports with the name of the committee and Committee, the same; all ordinances and resolutions must be members making presented in quadruplicate. No member shall leave the bar of the City Council after the roll call of the without permission of the Chair. Every member who shall members present chamber when a question is stated from be within the bar of the City Council vote thereon, unless he/she is excused by the City Council or the Chair shall is directly interested in the question; but any request to be unless he/she whether by reason of interest or otherwise shall be made before excused roll on the question. The bar of the City Council shall be the call of the deemed to include the entire portion of the City Council east of the railing. -3- JAN0 4 2021 CHAPTER IV OF ORDER AND DECORUM. any local law, ordinance or resolution, the member When presenting same shall address the Chair, and shall proceed only upon presenting the recognition by the President. debate, give a notice, or make a motion or report, or No members shall or other paper until he/she shall have addressed the present a petition President and have been recognized by him/her. is speaking, other members shall not entertain While a Councilperson any private discourse. is putting a question, or a count is being had, no While the President shall speak or leave his/her place. j( member to adjourn is carried, Councilpersons and officers shall When a motion and peaces until the President declares the City Council keep their seats adjourned. CHAPTER V OF ORDER AND DEBATE. shall speak more than once on the same general No Councilperson of the City Council, until every member desiring to question, without leave speak on the question pending shall have spoken. in speaking transgresses the rules of the City If any Councilperson President or any member may call him/her to order in which Council, the -4- JAN g 4 202? "" rY case the Councilperson so called to order shall cease speaking, and shall not commence speaking unless to explain or proceed in order. 3. relating to the priority of business, that is, the priority of one All questions or subject matter of another under the same order of business, question shall be decided without debate. CHAPTER Vl Councilpersons shall constitute a General Committee of the The five Whole. except department heads on official business shall be No person address this City Council, in meeting assembled as the permitted to of the Whole. Application by citizens, other than department Committee the City Council, must be made to the City Clerk, either in heads, to address person or by telephone, not later than 3:00 p.m. of the day of the Committee meetings and must include the name and address of the of the Whole organization, firm, corporation or person on whose behalf speaker, the whether he/she was duly authorized to appear and the he/she is appearing, about which he/she wishes to speak. If there be no prior application matter Council, the Council, by majority vote, may waive the prior to address the by the proposed speaker. No person will be allowed to address application of more than four minutes unless additional time is the Council for a period requested and granted by a majority vote of the Council. Rule 16. be the duty of the standing committees to consider and report, It shall delay, upon the respective matters referred to them. without unreasonable proposed Ordinance or Resolution must be submitted to the Standing Every having special oversight over the subject matter, unless by a Committee vote of the majority of the Standing Committee, said Committee voice such consideration and approves the submission of such legislation waives report or consideration by them. No legislation submitted to a without further for consideration and report shall be considered by the Council Committee out of Committee by a majority of the members of that unless reported However, by a majority vote of the Council any proposed Committee. -5- JAN g 4 2021 may be presented to the entire legislation not reported out of Committee dpr\ 51e&( Council and then voted on by the entire Council. Rule 17, each consisting of three Councilpersons, shall The standing committees, by a majority vote thereof, and shall be as be appointed by the City Council, follows: 1. LEGISLATION and PUBLIC WORKS City Clerk, Mayor's Office, Law Department, Management Services, Parks, Public Works, Railroads and Bridges, City Property, Department State and Federal Legislation, Charter Revision, Water Governmental Relations and related matters; 2. HUMAN RESOURCES Civil Service, Health and Welfare Services, Human Rights, Recreation, Senior Citizens Affairs, Veterans Youth Bureau, Department of Human Resources, Mental Affairs, Immigration, Mount Vernon City School District and related Health, matters; 3. PUBLIC SAFETY and CODES Civil Defense, Consumer Affairs, Fire Department, Buildings, Housing and Code Enforcement, Parking Bureau, Police Department, Pet Control, Zoning, Citizens, Oversight and Investigations, Civilian Complaint Returning Review Board and related matters Board of Ethics; 4. FINANCE and PLANNING Budget, City-owned Property taken through In Rem Tax Foreclosure proceedings or other means and not needed for municipa! purposes (under the jurisdiction of the of Finance), The Mount Vernon Public Library, Funded Department Programs and Grants, Planning, Taxes and Assessment, the Inspector General, Memorial Field Finances, Economic Development, Architectural Review, Landmarks and Historical Chambers of Commerce and related matters, Urban Preservation, Renewal Aqency; The President of the City Council shall not chair any of the standing committees but shall be a voting member of each. -6- JAN g h 2021 CHAPTER Vll S&c6=,rti ON MOTIONS AND THEIR PRECEDENCE. Rule 18. When a question shall be under consideration, no motion shall be received except as herein specified, which motion shall have precedence in the order stated, viz.: 1. For an adjournment of the City Council 2. A call of the City Council 3. For the previous question 4. To lay on the table 5. To postpone immediately 6. To postpone to a certain day 7. To commit to a select committee 8. To amend The motion to adjourn for the day or to lay on the table shall be decided without amendment or debate. The motion to postpone to a certain day or committee shall preclude all debate of the main question. Rule 20. Every motion or ordinance shall be first stated by the President or read by the Clerk, before debate and immediately before putting the question; and every motion, except those specified in subdivision one to eight, inclusive, of Rule 18 herein, shall be reduced to writing if the President or any member desires it. Rule 21. After a motion shall be stated by the President and seconded, it shall be deemed in the possession of the City Council but may be withdrawn at any time before it shall be decided or amended. The motion to adjourn, to take a recess, or to adjourn for a longer period than one day, shall always be in order; but the latter motion shall not preclude debate. -7- JAN g /12021 Skau.'mry reconsidering any vote must be at the same meeting on which A motion proposed to be reconsidered was taken, or at the next meeting the vote by a member who voted in the majority; such motion may succeeding, and under any order of business but shall be considered only the order be made of business in which the vote reported to be reconsidered occurred. Rule 24. being put and lost shall not be renewed, nor A motion or reconsideration any vote be a second time reconsidered, without unanimous consent. shall providing for more than one subject and which may be All questions be divided on the demand of any member, but a question to divisible, shall strike out and insert shall be deemed indivisible. a blank is to be filled, the question shall be taken on the largest When sum, greater number and longest time. No motion or resolution shall admit of more than two amendments. CHAPTER Vjll ON THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. Rule 28. question" shall be put as follows: "Shall the main question The "previous and until it is decided, shall preclude all amendments or debate. not be put," the previous question, the City Council shall decide that the When, on taking not be put, the main question shall be on the passage of main question shall or any matter under consideration; but when amendments are the ordinance the question first be taken upon such amendments in their order. pending, -8- JAN0 4 2027 CHAPTER iX Rule 29. where a motion or ordinance shall be entered on the In all cases of the member introducing or moving the same shall also Minutes, the name be entered on the Minutes. Rule 30. question contains several distinct propositions, it shall be divided If any Chair at the request of any member, but a motion to strike out and by the insert shall be indivisible. Rule 31. vote must be taken in every question, except that any An Aye or Nay to abstain on the question provided that the reason for member may elect abstention is stated for the record. Upon every cali of the roll of the such same shall be called in alphabetical order, and when taken members, the on the Minutes, except that the President shall be called shall be entered last. requesting to be excused from voting upon any matter, may Any member the call of the roll upon the matter, a brief statement of the make, before such request, not exceeding two minutes in time, and the reason for making debate, shall decide if it will grant such request, but City Council without shall abridge the right of any member to record nothing in this rule contained his/her vote on any question prior to the announcement of the result. rules may be suspended for a special purpose by a Any of the foregoing vote of four-fifths of the members of the City Council. or order not governed by the foregoing rules shall be Any question decided in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. -9- JAN 0 %2fl21 Rule 35. are not to be construed as abridging in any manner any These rules powers given to any member or officer of the City Council by City Charter. Rule 36. the provisions of Chapter II, Rule 3 of these Rules of Notwithstanding reading of petitions and communications at legislative meetings Order, the with unless they relate to public hearings being shall be dispensed meetings or the reading of any or all of said petitions or conducted at said is requested by any member of the Council. The President, communications with the City Clerk, shall refer all communications and in cooperation petitions to the proper departments and parties. Rule 37. conducted by the Counci( the presiding officer shall at At public hearings of the hearing, designate the time to be allowed each person the beginning on the question. No person shall speak more than once desiring to speak general question and no rebuttal shall be permitted. At such on the same hearings, the presiding officer may, before the hearings commence, public the hour at which discussion will end, and shall preserve also designate decorum and shall prevent personal comments and confine order and speakers to the legislation under discussion. CHAPTER X Rule 38. Gentlemen shall remove their hats in City Council Chambers. CHAPTER XI Rule 39. A. Guest Speaker and approved speakers must follow the quidelines for Both invited council meeting. Request to be a quest speaker must presentinq at a city to the Office of the City Clerk by 3:00PM on the day of the be submitted Shortly followinq their request, they will receive notice scheduled meetinq. of the City Clerk informinq them that they have been from the office approved to be a speaker. B.Guest Speaker Virtual Meeting Etiquette Vernon City Council values your attendance and wants to make The Mount productive and inspirinq by fosterinq an open exchange of your experience - 10 - jAN g 4 20'l ""'-"r'/ ideas in a professionalsettinq. Our Code of Conduct was established to a transparent set of standards and quidelines for acceptable communicate Council Meetinqs and to provide a positive, safe, and behavior at City welcominq environment for all attendees and staff. participants (regardless of their role) are expected to A(I virtual meetinq Code of Conduct while attendinq any portion of City Council follow the Online, includinq but not limited to Keynote Presentations, Meeting Sessions, and Live Poster Q&A sessions. Because of the virtual Concurrent City Council Meetings, our Code of Conduct extends to nature of the related to the meetinq and its attendees, presenters, communications exhibitors, sponsors, staff, and vendors. These types of communications chat, Q&A window, Live Poster Q&A, email, social media, and texts. include C. Stay on Mute if you are Not Talking it is best if participants click the "mute" button and stay Durinq the meetinq, by the City Clerk or meetinq host., pets, outside / muted until directed people talkinq over each other with the few second delays ambient noise, can contribute to chaotic video conferences. D. Presentations by Invited Guest Presenters or city employees materials durinq the meetinq, please let the City If you wilt be presentinq know at the time of the initial request so that preparations can Clerk's Office materials to be received in advance of the start of the be made for presentation. - 11