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Home My WebLink About01/25/2022 06. Parliamentary procedure basics 1 7-0.-7. V.. rr 11 i i�O enc u nrry 1 BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEMENT Item No. 6. For Meeting of: January 25, 2022 ITEM TITLE: Parliamentary procedure basics SUBMITTED BY: Randy Beehler, Communications & Public Affairs Director SUMMARY EXPLANATION: At its January 11th study session, the Council will be trained on parliamentary procedure basics. ITEM BUDGETED: NA STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Public Trust and Accountability APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION: N/A ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date Type 0 1/6/2022 Corer Memo Parliamentary Procedure Basics Yakima City Council Today - Different Rules of Procedure - Role of Chair During Meetings g Meeting Procedure Basics - How Items are Placed on an Agenda - How Items are Placed "On the Table" - How Items are Disposed Of - Common Motions - Used and Misused - Rarely Used Procedures Basic Question - Parliamentary procedure is designed, at its most fundamental level, to allow what? - Parliamentary procedure is designed to allow fair and orderly debate among members of a legislative body or other decision making group. Different Rules of Procedure m Robert's Rules of Order - Developed in late 1800s by Brigadier General Henry Robert (Corps of Engineers) - Most popular of parliamentary procedures - The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (Sturgis) - Developed by author and parliamentarian Alice Sturgis - First published in 1950 - 2nd most popular of parliamentary procedures Different Rules of Procedure - Mason 's Manual of Legislative Procedure - Wainsberg 's Society Meetings Including Rules of Order - Procedures des assemblees deliberantes - Bourinot's Rules of Order - Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law & Procedure (out of print) Rules of Procedure - Supersede all other parliamentary authority - Less formal than Robert's or others - May contain specific procedures for specific actions - May include duties of officers - Refer to Robert's for matters not addressed within Role of Chair During Meetings - Provide general direction of meetings - Announce items the body will act on - Receive and submit to the body all properly submitted motions - Ensure established procedures are followed and rule on questions of procedure if needed Meeting Procedure Basics Elements of a Typical Business Meeting Agenda - Call to Order - Approval of previous meeting minutes - Reports of officers, committees, etc. - Special Committee Reports - Unfinished Business - New Business - Adjournment Meeting Procedure Basics Elements of a Typical Business Meeting Agenda - CEO/Executive Director Reports - Often include a staff report first - Generally require action of body - Examples: resolutions, contracts, budget adjustments Meeting Procedure Basics Elements of a Typical Business Meeting Agenda - Other Business - Items not contemplated when agenda finalized - May include adding items to future agendas - May include assigning items to a committee - Adjournment Meeting Procedure Basics How • n Item is Placed on a Business Meeting Agenda - At the Direction of the CEO/Executive Director - By majority vote of the body - Under Other Business Meeting Procedure Basics How an Item is Introduced for the Body' s Consideration - Step 1 - A motion must be made - Unless a motion is made, an item cannot be acted on - Motions should be simple, clear, and concise - Most common - "To adopt" and "To deny" - Tip - Say what you mean, mean what you say - The "I so move.. . " motion should be avoided Meeting Procedure Basics How an Item is Introduced for the Body' s Consideration - Step 2 - The motion must be seconded - Unless a motion is seconded, an item cannot be acted on - If a motion is not seconded, the motion dies Meeting Procedure Basics How an Item is Disposed Of (i.e. Acted On) - Step 1 - The chair repeats the motion - The motion is repeated so everyone understands it clearly - Step 2 -Discussion - The maker of the motion speaks first - The member who seconded the motion speaks second - Other members are recognized by the chair and speak - No member may speak a second time before other members have the opportunity to speak a first time Meeting Procedure Basics How an Item is Disposed Of (i.e. Acted On) - Step 3 - The chair repeats the motion - The motion is repeated so everyone understands it clearly - The chair calls for a vote (voice vote or roll call or consensus) - A vote is taken - Step 4 - The chair announces the outcome of the vote Meeting Procedure Basics How an Item is Disposed Of (i.e. Acted On) - Tip - After a motion has been made and seconded, it is the possession of the body and can only be disposed of by the body as a whole - A motion can only be withdrawn by unanimous consent of the body Common Motions Motion to Amend Properly Used - A motion to amend can be made during discussion of an an original motion - As with any motion, a motion to amend should be simple, clear, and concise - A motion to amend requires a second and is debatable - Once a motion to amend has been disposed of, the original motion needs to be acted on Common Motions Motion to Amend Improperly Used - Under Robert's and other parliamentary procedure, there is no such thing as a "Friendly Amendment" - Remember: Once made and seconded, a motion belongs to the body as a whole - The maker of a motion cannot unilaterally agree to its being amended - Only the body as a whole can agree to an amendment Common Motions Previous Question Motion Properly Used - Commonly used during debate as a "Call for the Question" motion - A Previous Question motion requires a second and is not debatable - Once a Previous Question motion is made and seconded, debate ceases and a vote on the Previous Question motion is taken - If the Previous Question motion passes by a 2/3ra5 majority vote, debate ends and the original motion is voted on immediately - If the Previous Question motion fails to achieve a 2/3ra5 majority vote in favor, debate on the original motion continues Common Motions Previous Question Motion Improperly Used - Debate cannot be stopped just because one member says so - Remember: Parliamentary procedure ensures fair and orderly debate - It would be patently unfair for one member to be able to end debate - Ending debate is a serious matter - That's why a Previous Question motion requires a second AND requires a 2/3ra5 majority vote in favor Common Motions Motion to Table Properly Used - Proposes the body temporarily set aside a motion currently being debated so that a more pressing matter can be addressed - A Motion to Table should only be made if the body fully expects to return to the motion currently under debate during the same meeting or, at the very latest, the body's next meeting - A Motion to Table requires a second and is not debatable - To pass, a Motion to Table requires a majority vote Common Motions Motion to Table Improperly Used - A Motion to Table does not kill a motion currently being debated - A Motion to Table is only properly used to set aside a motion currently being debated so more urgent business can be addressed - That situation rarely occurs, so a Motion to Table should rarely be used - Improperly used as often, or maybe even more often, than the Previous Question Motion Common Motions Motion to Postpone Properly Used - Often confused with Motion to Table - Two forms of the Motion to Postpone - Motion to Postpone to a Time Certain - Motion to Postpone Indefinitely - Both allow for a vote on a motion that has been made and seconded to be put off Common Motions Motion to Postpone Properly Used - Motion to Postpone to a Time Certain - Must include reference to a specific meeting at which the motion being debated will be revisited - Requires a second, is debatable, and can be amended - Motion to Postpone Indefinitely - Requires a second, is debatable, but cannot be amended - Effectively kills the motion currently being debated Common Motions Motion to Reconsider Properly Used - Allows another vote to be taken on a motion that was previously decided - Allows for correction of a hasty, ill-advised, or erroneous action - Allows for consideration of new information or change of circumstance since original vote was taken Rarely Used Procedures Abstention - Most parliamentary procedures allow a member to abstain for specific reasons (conflict of interest, etc.) without permission of the other members - The current Yakima Council Rules of Procedure require a majority vote by the other members in favor of an abstention request Rarely Used Procedures Point of Order - Sometimes confused with Point of Personal Privilege - Sometimes improperly used by members to interrupt debate to restore order or obtain the floor - Properly used to question the application of rules by the chair - Once a Point of Order has been made, the chair must make a ruling Rarely ' :iS Point of Personal Privilege - Sometimes confused with Point of Order - Properly used to address specific needs a member may have, such as taking a break, the ability to offer additional comments after comment period has ended, etc. - May also be used by a member to allege misconduct toward her/him by another member (defamation, etc.) Parliamentary Procedure Basics Yakima City Council