O 001
AN ORDINANCE NO. 1
RELATING TO THE RULES OF ORDER AND ESTABLISHING
THE METHOD OF DOING BUSINESS OF THE BOARD OF
TRUSTEES OF THE CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE, CALIFORNIA
The Board of Trustees of the City of Arroyo Grande do ordain
as follows:
RULE 1. At the hour fixed for meeting, the President of the Board
of Trustees shall take the cbarr and call the members of the Board
of Trustees to order, and upon the call of the roll, if there be
a quorum present, he shall cause the Claek to read the unapproved
minutes of the preceding regular and special meetings. A majority
of the members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum
for the transaction of business.
RULE 2. The Standing Committee shall be:
On Streets and Town Lands
On Finance and Ordinance
On Police, Jail and Fire Department
Each Standing Committee shall consist of three members,
and shallbe appointed by the President, the first named
in each Committee shall be the Chairman thereof.
RULE 3. After the call of roll of members and approval of
minutes the order of business shall be:
First - Communications
Second- Reports of Standing Committees
Third - Reports of Select Committees
Fourth - Reports of Officers
Fifth - Petitions, Memorials and Communications
Si~tt - Auditing of Cla;!:p1s against the City
Seventh- Unfinished Busineas
Eighth - New Business
Nineh - Miscellaneous Business
Tenth - Adjournment
RULE 4. No question shall be stated from the Chair unless moved
and seconded, nor to be open to discussion until stated by the
President; and when a question is before the Trustees the only
motions in order shall be:
First - To Adjourn
Ordinance No. 1 - Page 2
Second - To lay on the table
Third - The previous question
Fourth - To postpone indefinitely
Fifth - To postpone to a particular time
Sixth - To recommit
Seventh - To refer to a committee
Eighth - To amend
And the motions shall take precedence in the order here arranged.
A motion to adjourn shall always be in order. Motions for the
"previous question" and "aduournment" when seconded shall be put
without debate.
RULE 5. No motion can be made by a member of the Board of Trustees
While another is in possession of the floor.
RULE 6. Every member previous to speaking must rise in his place,
address and be recognized by the President.
RULE 7. If two or more memebers rise to speak, at the same time,
the President shall dicide which is entitled to the floor; and no
member shall speak oftener than once on the same subject or question
until all who wish have spoken, nor more than twice without per-
mission of the Trustees.
RULE 8. Any member may call for a division of the question When
the sense will admit of it.
And when any member calls for the yeas and nays, they shall be
ordered by the President.
The ayes and nays shall be taken upon the passage of every ordi-
nance and appropriations of moneys, and shall be recorded upon
the minutes of the proceedings, the names of the members calling
for yeas and nays shall also be recorded.
RULE 9. No member shall vote upon any question in which he is
directly interested.
RULE 10. No member shall become surety on any bon9, note, or
obligation given to the City of Arroyo Grande.
RULE 11. Every motion, except subsidiary ones, shall be reduced
to writing at the request of any member.
Ordinance No. 1 - Page 3
RULE 12. Every member who shall be present when a question is put,
shall vote for or against the same, unless excused by the Trustees,
or he be directly interested therein, in which case he shall not
vote. Any any mamber may change his vote before the result is
declared by the President, and unless present when his name is
called in regular order, shall not be permitted to vote without
consent of the Trustees.
RULE 13. All matters or business shall be presented to the Board
of Trust.es by either petition, mamorial or communication, except
such as may be offered by the members by motion.
RULE 14. All reports of standing or select committees shall be in
writing and signed by a majority of the committee; provided, however,
that a minority report may also be made and received.
RULE 15. After roll call no member can withdraw or absent himself
without the permission of the President.
RULE 16. No member shall be interrupted while speaking, except it
be to call him to order, or granting of privilege, or for the purpose
of explaining, and if any member, while speaking, be called to order,
he shall be seated until the question of order shall have been decided
by the President without debate. Any member shall have the right
of appealing from the decision of the President upon points of
order. The President shall have the precedence in speaking to
points of order, and he shall take and announce all votes on
questions of appeal.
RULE 17. The Board of Trustees may at any time, on motion, resolve
itself into a committee of the whole, whereupon the President shall
leave his seat, and call a member of the Board of Trustees to
preside during the seas ion ()f said committee. When the committee
of the .hole rise, the Chab'l1\an thereof shall report to the pro-
ce~dings thereof to the Trustees. Said Committee shall be subject
to these rules of order so far as the same are consistent with ita
powers and duties.
RULE 18. When a Blank is to be filled, the question shall first
be taken or the highest sum or number, and longest time proposed.
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Ordinance No. 1 - Page 4
RULE 19. After any question lexcept one of indefinite postponement)
any two members who voted in the majority thereof may at the same or
the next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees move for a recon-
sideration thereof; provided that no motion for a reconsideration
shall be made after the resolution or ordinance affected thereby
shall have gone out of the possession of the Board of Trustees
and no motion for reconsideration shall be made more than once.
A motion to reconsider avote to reconsider cannot be entertained.
RULE 20. When the President desires to leave the chair, he shall
appoint some member of the Board of Trustees to fill the same, pro
tem, in the absence of the President the Board of Trustees shall
appoint from their number a President pro tern.
RULE 21- Wherever the word "President" shall appear in these
rules, it shall be held to mean and apply to the presiding officer
of the Board of Trustees.
RULE 22. A motion can be withdrawn at any time after it is stated
from the chair, by leave of the Trustees, obtained by regular
motion.
RULE 23. The parliamentary rules laid down in Cushings Manus 1
shall govern in all cases not otherwise provided for herein.
RULE 24. These rules of order may be altered, amended, repealed
or suspended at any regular meeting, by a two-third vote therefor
of all the members of the Board of Trustees.
This ordinance shall take effect, and be in force, from and after
its passage and approval.
S. Alexander
George Grieb
A. A. Henry
Approved July 26, 1911.
F. E. Bennett Pres.
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