Laserfiche WebLink
CHAPTER 7 <br />A councilmember may not make a second main motion while the council <br />is discussing the first one. Any councilmember may, however, make a <br />privileged motion even if a main motion is currently before the council. <br />A privileged motion is one to adjourn, to recess, or to ask a question of <br />privilege - -such as to restate the motion or ask for order. In this case, a vote <br />on the privileged motion precedes the one on the main motion. <br />Simultaneous motions <br />When several motions are before the council at the same time, the council <br />should vote on them in the following order. <br />• Adjourn <br />• Recess <br />• Question of privilege <br />• Postpone temporarily (lay on table) <br />• Vote immediately (previous question) <br />• Limit debate <br />• Postpone to a defmite or indefinite time <br />• Refer to committee <br />• Amend <br />• Substitute <br />• General main motion <br />Role of the presiding officer <br />In any group or assembly, the presiding officer has an extra measure <br />of power. As the chair of the meeting, the presiding officer has the <br />responsibility to guide the group toward the conclusion of pending business <br />in good time, while also giving major issues enough consideration. To <br />accomplish this, the presiding officer has two special powers: <br />The first power is to interpret and apply the rules of procedure. The <br />presiding officer must decide whether or not motions are proper, whether <br />motions are in order, whether the body should grant questions of special <br />privilege, and what procedure is proper in any given instance. The <br />presiding officer should maintain order and expel disorderly individuals <br />from the meeting. <br />157 <br />