Tonight's City Council meeting agenda includes an action item that may give carte blanche to Mayor Frimark to participate in debate and discussion at City Council Meetings, by changing the City Council Procedures manual.
Currently, the City Council must entertain a motion to set aside the rules and allow the Mayor to participate in debate - this is one of the procedures expressly outlined in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised; the meeting procedure long-ago adopted by the City Council. Though adherence has been far less formal than the language contained in RONR would suggest.
According to the mandate in Robert's Rules of Order - and not so subtly supported by a memo from the City Attorney quoting, "the chair of a meeting should have nothing to say on the merits of a pending question" - it is the role of the chairman to efficiently run the meeting and to see to it the rights of all assembly members are protected; in short, impartiality is required of Mayor Frimark in his role as the presiding officer.
~~~ We pause now for a moment of hysterical laughter ~~~
We feel this is a very poorly considered change to procedure on the part of the City Council, no matter who occupies the chairman's seat.
And from what many have reported, and we have witnessed, Mayor Frimark is barely capable of efficiently running City Council meetings now. We are almost certain his desire to protect the rights of all assembly members is non-existent. His conduct as the City Council chairman has particularly deteriorated over the last several months, and that has been under the proscribed constraints of RONR.
Releasing Mayor Frimark from the requirement of at least appearing to be an impartial presiding officer is like giving an 800 lb. gorilla free rein of a banana plantation.
And we think that is exactly what the City Council will be doing tonight.
December 17, 2007
800 lb Gorilla in City Council!
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11 comments:
I do agree, but let's think outside the box for minute.
1. Broadcast the city council meetings to the public.
2. Let Howard speak at will.
Keep in mind this the great orator who gave up reading proclamations because he couldn’t pronounce half of the words.
HOW MUCH LONGER is this insanity going to go on? Do they think they are just running a little club from their treehouse? Do they think no one is watching?????
Lots of people are watching. But most people don't care. Howard and friends would have to screw something up royally before a majority sat up and took notice.
Perhaps Sutcliffe's suggestion is wise. The revolution won't be televised, but the screw-up could be.
Would passing change in city council Procedures manual then also give Howard a vote in City council?
Howard always has another reason for something he wants. There has to be more than what meets the eye.
Is that what he is trying to get next?
This should be a delight... Ol' marble-mouth Frimark blabbering at will during Council discussions... I can hardly wait for the meetings to be televised, if they ever are. Park Ridgians could be treated to a whole new reality... one that includes places like "Norwegia"...and medical concerns such as "prostrate" cancer...
We've gone from Pennyville to Brickton to Park Ridge...
Next up! Comedy Centralville!
To Anon@10:18am
The Mayor may already vote during certain circumstances; in the event of a tie or when a super majority is needed.
However, you may be correct in your speculation; that this is a creeping step toward the Mayor's obtaining a regular vote in council proceedings.
RONR proscribes that a presiding officer, who is considered a member of the assembly, may vote. That circumstance was, in fact, one under which former acting Mayor MaRous operated.
I must ask...what is it that we need to do to get these broadcasts set up?
This is more like Romper Room!
Of course Mayor Frimark needs to be able to speak without restrictions. How else can he give his aldermen updated voting instructions?
I am not very knowlegeable about parliament meetings but this change sounds very wrong to me.
I hope our Aldermen take things seriously.
You need to read what the other towns
are saying about this circus - here.
Yes - education is the key !!
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