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Effective Municipal Meetings Using Parliamentary Procedures January 14, 2015
Effective Municipal Meetings Using
Parliamentary Procedures January 14, 2015
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Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs
2015 Annual Conference
April 26-29, 2015
Lancaster, Pa
www.boroughs.org
Effective Municipal
Meetings Using
Parliamentary Procedure
Presented by:
Wendy NickersonPSAB Outreach/Training Consultant
2941 North Front StreetHarrisburg, PA 17110
1-800-232-7722Cell: 717-576-4102
www.boroughs.org
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By the Book
vs.
Real World Usage
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Real World Usage
It is great to be an expert on the rules, but . . .
When dealing with several people around the meeting table it is
necessary to be practical and not let Parliamentary Procedures stop
progress.
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Parliamentary Procedure
vs.
Municipal Code
Municipal Code Wins
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Getting It Done
Municipal Codes are the law. Parliamentary Procedures are guides
to help accomplish the business of the meeting.
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Remember:
The Council President or Supervisor Chair
is in charge
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Keeping the Flow
The Council President/Supervisor Chair can exercise a lot of discretionary power in conducting the meeting. He or she is the traffic cop who guides the flow of
business.
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Not Doing the Job?
If the other elected officials do not feel the Council President/Supervisor Chair is doing a good job, they can be replaced at any time. To reorganize, there needs to be a motion, a second, and a majority
vote to do so.
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Resources
Municipal SolicitorMunicipal Code
Council President/Supervisor ChairParliamentary Procedure Manual
PSAB
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What is Parliamentary
Procedure?Parliamentary procedure is a system of
rules developed to help ensure the orderly conduct of meetings. It protects
the rights of the majority to make decisions and it protects the rights of
everyone to be heard.
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The History of
Parliamentary Procedure
• The Greeks and Romans devised the idea of having a quorum and majority rule.
• The British Parliament placed one motion on the floor at a time.
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• Thomas Jefferson adapted the British rules for use in America and published Jefferson’s Manual. It is still used by Congress today.
The History of
Parliamentary Procedure
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The History of Parliamentary Procedure
• Civil War Major H.M. Roberts published the Robert’s Rules of Order as we know it today. He added policies for keeping control at meetings.
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Parliamentary Procedure
on the Internet
The National Association of Parliamentarians
www.parliamentarians.org
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Parliamentary Procedure
is Not Law
No statute requires local governments to follow any Parliamentary Procedure manual—its use is entirely voluntary.
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Parliamentary Procedure
is Not Law
Local governments may develop their own system of Parliamentary
Procedure, adopt an existing manual as a guideline, or have no official set of
rules at all.
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Parliamentary Procedure is Not Law
Municipalities may pass a motion, adopting the desired form of
Parliamentary Procedure at their Reorganization Meeting.
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How Municipalities Benefit
from Parliamentary
Procedure• It provides a common understanding
of how business is conducted.
• It is a tool to create and preserve
order.
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• It creates an environment where the majority will be the deciding factor.
• It ensures that the minority will be
heard.
How Municipalities Benefit
from Parliamentary
Procedure
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How Municipalities Benefit
from Parliamentary Procedure
• It ensures orderly, fair, and efficient debate and decision making.
• Parliamentary Procedure preserves dignity during the meeting and gives
respect for the elected officials.
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Robert’s Rules and PA Law
Parts of Robert’s Rules of Order are contradictory to Pennsylvania Law.
Here are two examples:
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Robert’s Rules and PA Law
• Secret Ballots and Proxy Votes: Robert’s Rules allows for both; however, they are both prohibited under Pennsylvania Law (Article VII, Section 10 of the PA Constitution and Section 5 of the Sunshine Act.) Both of these laws require all votes
to be made in person and in public.
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Roberts Rules and PA Law
• Role of the Secretary: Robert’s Rules allows the secretary to serve as a President Pro Tem, giving them voting rights at that time. In local government, the secretary is appointed, not elected, and therefore cannot vote/serve as the
President Pro Tem.
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The Quorum
• There must be a quorum present to do business (per municipal codes).
• A quorum is almost always a simple majority of members.
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The Quorum
• If no quorum is present, no votes can be taken except to set another meeting date.
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The Quorum
• If there is no quorum, testimony of those present may be heard, items can be referred to committee, and committee reports can be heard.
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At The Meeting But No
Quorum?
• Try to contact absent members.
• Select a reasonable delay in start time.
• Members may vote to set another meeting date.
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President Pro Tem
If your municipality has 5 or more members, you should elect a President
Pro Tem at your Reorganization Meeting.
Why? . . . .
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President Pro Tem
If the President and Vice President/Chair or Vice Chair are both
absent, there may still be a quorum present to do business. Choosing the President Pro Tem in advance saves trouble when choosing a member to
chair at the meeting.
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Types of Motions
• Main Motions
• Subsidiary Motions
• Privileged Motions
• Special/Incidental Motions
Let’s look at each type . . .
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Main Motions
The main motion is the principal item of business currently before the governing body. Only one main
motion can be on the floor at a time. It is the responsibility of the Council President/Supervisor Chair to allow
only one main motion at a time.
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A Note on Motions and
SecondsNeither the person who makes a
motion, nor the person who seconds a motion, is required to vote in favor
of that motion.
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A Note on Motions and Seconds
Making and seconding a motion only means “Let’s talk about this.” A
motion that fails to receive a second is dead, but it can be remade at a later date, but generally not at the
same meeting.
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Subsidiary Motions
A Subsidiary Motion is related to the Main motion. It must be addressed prior to taking a vote on the Main
motion.
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Privileged MotionsA Privileged Motion is not related to the
Main motion, but it takes priority over the Main motion. The most common Privileged Motions are the Motion to
Adjourn and the Motion to Recess. Once made and seconded, all other
business comes to a halt until the Privileged Motion is voted on.
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Handling Motions
3. Main Motion
2. Motion to Amend
1. Motion to Amend the Amendment
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Motions to Amend the
Main Motion
• Motions to amend take priority over the main motion
• Motions to amend require a second• If amendment is approved, debate
reverts to main motion as amended
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Motions to Amend the Main Motion
• If an amendment fails, debate reverts back to the main motion as it was originally stated.
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Or . . . .
The meeting Chair asks the individuals who made and seconded the motion if they want to accept the suggested change as a “friendly amendment”. (Also called a friendly change to the motion)
And . . . .45
Then . . . .
If they both agree, then there is no vote required to an amendment. The original main motion is voted on as it has been
reworded. None of the lengthy amendment process appears in the
minutes. This greatly simplifies business.
This is an example of the Real World vs. By The Book
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One Speaker at a Time• It is the responsibility of Council
President/Supervisor Chair to be fair in recognizing speakers, and to ensure all sides of an issue are heard.
• The Council President/Supervisor Chair must not stifle debate or call
for a vote until all are heard.
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One Speaker at a Time• The speakers are recognized by the
Council President/Supervisor Chair and others are not allowed to interrupt the speaker who “has the floor.”
• It is the responsibility of the Council President/Supervisor Chair to correct anyone who interrupts or speaks out of
order.
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One Speaker at a Time
• Personal remarks are always out of order. Comments made by meeting attendees should only address the issue on the floor.
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Let’s Look at Some
Commonly Used Motions
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Types of Motions
Main Motions
Motion Second? Amend? Debate? Vote? Purpose
Main Motion
Yes Yes Yes Majority Brings business before the assembly
Remember: The President or Chairman ultimately recognizes people to speak, determines the order of motions, and
generally guides the flow of the meeting
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Types of Motions
Subsidiary Motions
Motion Second? Amend? Debate? Vote? Purpose
Lay on the Table
Yes No No Majority
Allows an assembly to temporarily lay aside a pending question when something of immediate urgency arises
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Types of Motions
Subsidiary Motions (Cont.)
Motion Second? Amend? Debate? Vote? Purpose
Previous Question
Yes No NoTwo-thirds
A motion used to bring an assembly to immediate vote on the current main motion
Limit or Extend Debate
Yes Yes NoTwo-thirds
The means by which an assembly can exercise control over debate on a question
Postpone to a
Certain Time
Yes Yes Yes MajorityDelays action on a motion for a definite time or until after an event
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Types of Motions
Subsidiary Motions (Concluded)
Motion Second? Amend? Debate? Vote? Purpose
Refer to Committee
Yes Yes Yes MajorityGenerally used to send a pending question to a committee
Amend Yes Yes Yes MajorityModifies the wording of a pending motion before it is acted upon
Postpone Indefinitely
Yes No Yes MajorityMeans the assembly declines to take a position on the main motion. It effectively kills it
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Types of Motions
Privileged Motions
Motion Second? Amend? Debate? Vote? Purpose
Fix the Time at
Which to Adjourn
Yes Yes No Majority
To set the time, and sometimes place, of another meeting to continue the business of the session
Adjourn Yes No No Majority A way to close the meeting
Recess Yes Yes No MajorityAn intermission or break in the meeting
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Types of Motions
Privileged Motions (Concluded)
Motion Second? Amend? Debate? Vote? Purpose
Question of Privilege
No No No Chair
A means of allowing a request relating to the rights and privileges of the members which is of immediate urgency, while other business is pending
Call for the Orders of the Day
No No No ChairA means of requiring the assembly to conform to its agenda
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Types of Motions
Incidental Motions
Motion Second? Amend? Debate? Vote? Purpose
Point of Order
No No No Chair
When a member “rises to a point of order” he indicates a question in the procedure being followed and asks the chair to make a ruling to enforce the regular rules
Appeal Yes No Yes Majority
When two members question the ruling of the chair, one moves to appeal and the other responds to it by seconding the motion. The assembly then makes the final decision on the question
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Types of Motions
Incidental Motions (Continued)
Motion Second? Amend? Debate? Vote? Purpose
Suspend the Rules
Yes No NoTwo-thirds
This allows a body to do something not allowed by one of its regular rules
Division of the
AssemblyNo No No No Vote
A call for a division of the assembly requires the vote to be taken again, only by a standing count rather than voice
Take from the Table
Yes No No Majority
This will present again to the assembly a motion that has been previously laid on the table
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Types of Motions
Incidental Motions (Concluded)
Motion Second? Amend? Debate? Vote? Purpose
Rescind Yes Yes Yes Majority
Used to change action previously ordered, this motion can strike out or cancel a main motion, rule, by-law, resolution, section, or paragraph
Reconsider Yes No Yes Majority
A way to bring back for further consideration a motion already voted on. This permits correction of hasty or ill-advised actions
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Questions
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