2382-13 Council Rules-Agenda Ordinance.pdf

2382-13 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND SUPPLEMENTING CHAPTER III, SECTION 3-5, OF THE REVISED GENERAL ORDINANCES OF THE TOWNSHIP OF WEST ORANGE ENTITLED “RULES OF COUNCIL”, “AGENDA”, AND SECTION 3-8, “ORDER OF BUSINESS” BE IT ORDAINED BY THE TOWNSHIP COUNCIL OF THE TOWNSHIP OF WEST ORANGE, in the County of Essex, State of New Jersey, that Chapter III, Section 3-5, of the Revised General Ordinances of the Township of West Orange, entitled “Rules of Council”, “Agenda”, shall be amended and supplemented to memorialize certain rules and procedures regarding the creation and distribution of the Council Agenda, and publication of supporting materials, and Section 3-8, entitled “Order of Business”, shall be amended and supplemented to make minor changes to the order of business at regular Council meetings, all as follows: Section 1. The Revised General Ordinances of the Township of West Orange are amended and supplemented to read as follows: CHAPTER III RULES OF COUNCIL 3-5 AGENDA. An agenda for each regular meeting of the Township Council shall be prepared by the Clerk under the supervision of the President of the Council. All Ordinances, Resolutions and any supporting written material for consideration at the next Council Meeting shall be delivered to and received at the Clerk's Office by 3:00 p.m., on the Wednesday next preceding the meeting, earlier if possible and, if later, shall require permission of the Council President before placement on the agenda. The agenda headings shall be written in plain English and each Resolution and Ordinance, unless clearly self-explanatory, shall include a brief description of its purpose also written in plain English by the department submitting it. The agenda shall be completed not later than 3 p.m. on the Thursday preceding each regular meeting of the Council, except for emergency matters which may be added to the agenda at any time before the meeting with permission of the President of the Council. The Clerk shall expeditiously deliver a copy of the Agenda, all Ordinances and Resolutions and all submitted supporting materials, to each Council member, to the Mayor, Business Administrator, and to the Law Department. The Clerk shall expeditiously cause the agenda, Ordinances, and Resolutions to be posted on the Township's website no later than the following Friday at noon in order that such materials are readily available to

hall expeditiously cause the agenda, Ordinances, and Resolutions to be posted on the Township's website no later than the following Friday at noon in order that such materials are readily available to the general public. In the event of an intervening holiday, the deadlines set forth here shall be adjusted to provide the same amount of time for preparation and notice of the agenda. In the event of additions, deletions, or changes of any kind to the agenda, or any item on it, such changes shall be expeditiously posted to the Township's website with a notation indicating the change by 4:30 p.m., on the

Monday preceding the Council meeting. The agenda and any changes to it shall also be physically posted on the Clerk's Bulletin Board in the public hallway at Town Hall. A conforming agenda shall be published to the Township's website on the day after each Council meeting to indicate those items which were not acted upon due to removal or postponement by the Council at its meeting. (1972 Code § 3-5; Ord. No. 2349-12). 3-8 Order of Business. The order of business at a regular meeting of the Council shall be as follows: Conference Agenda: Council Liaison Announcements - an opportunity for council members to announce upcoming events and/or to express appreciation to local clubs/organizations/volunteers, etc. Public Agenda: Pledge of Allegiance; Roll Call; Public Comment - Each member of the public wishing to speak shall do so through the Council President after stating their name and address for the record and shall be limited to 5 minutes. Each Council Member, including the Council President, may respond and shall be limited to 5 minutes; Consent Agenda 1- Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting 2- Report of Township Officers 3- Reading of Petitions and Communications and Bids 4- Bills 5- Resolutions; Ordinances on Second and Final Reading; Ordinances on First Reading; ABC Hearing, if any; Pending Matters/New Matters/Council Discussion - Each Council Member, including the Council President, shall have the opportunity to raise and discuss any pending matter, new matter, or issue for Council discussion, each Council Member having 5 minutes to speak and a representative of the Administration to be permitted 5 minutes to speak in response, the total time for this section to be no longer than 30 minutes

unless a majority of the Council votes to expand that time; Adjournment. Section 2. The remainder of Chapter III remains unchanged. Section 3. If any part of this Ordinance is determined to be invalid, such part shall be severed and its invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of this Chapter. Section 4. Any and all parts of ordinances which are inconsistent with any of the terms and provisions of this Ordinance shall be and the same are hereby repealed as to and to the extent of such inconsistency. Section 5. This Ordinance shall take effect upon final passage and publication as required by law. __________________________________ Susan McCartney, Council President Approved: ____________________________________ Robert D. Parisi, Mayor Approved as to form and legality on the basis of the facts provided. ____________________________________ Karen Carnevale, Municipal Clerk Introduction: August 20, 2013 Adopted: September 17, 2013 2382-13

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY This Ordinance amends the previous version of the Rules of the Council regarding its Agenda and the Order of Business at regular Council Meetings to make them consistent with the actual recent practice of the Council and Clerk and the intended practice going forward with respect to the preparation and publication of its meeting agendas and the conduct of its meetings, including any meetings of the Council sitting as the Township’s ABC Board. On the whole, the intent is to focus on the business of the Council, its ordinances and resolutions, to discuss and vote upon them in expeditious fashion as a courtesy to those interested members of the public who have seen them posted on the Agenda and have come to the meeting out of particular interest in them, or any of them, and wish to get back to their homes and private matters without undue delay. Such focus and order of business also serve as a courtesy and cost savings to those Township Department Directors and professionals, and private professionals, whether working for the Township or on behalf of a citizen/resident/business owner, who must attend a Council meeting, or ABC Board meeting, to assist the Township’s elected and appointed officials, or a citizen/resident/business owner who is paying for their presence and professional services, often on the basis of time spent. The legislative purpose is to provide information to the public which is likely to be useful to their understanding of the Council business matters to be discussed and acted upon at the Council meeting, while at the same time respecting their time and that of those who must attend a Council meeting as part of their employment responsibilities, whether public or private.