 |
Town of Gardiner                                                       Â
Rules of Procedure and Guidelines for Principal Board Meetings
This document provides basic guidelines for the Town of Gardiner’s three principal boards to conduct business during public meetings. These principal boards are the Town Board (TB), The Planning Board (PB), and The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). For the purpose of this document, the Town Supervisor will be considered a Chairman, in this case, of the Town Board meetings. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide the principal boards with a format that is consistent and that provides the public with predictable opportunities for participation.
These guidelines in no way dictate the actual format of a particular Board’s activities and allow the widest discretion to determine rules of procedure as to the conducting of Board business. While the Town Board may adopt Rules of Procedure for the conduct of town board meetings, the Town Board has no power to mandate the procedure to be used by other Boards or Commissions. Nothing in this document may supercede NYS’s Open Government Laws including Open Meetings Law, Freedom of Information Law, and Personal Privacy Protection Law.
Public participation and privilege of the floor are encouraged and considered key components of Gardiner government. However, public participation is at the discretion of the presiding chairmen and is based solely on workload, agenda, and the Board’s obligation to deliberate. Towards that end, it is important to distinguish between public meetings, public comment, and public hearings.
In any case, the work of the Board should be held in high esteem and all interaction while a Board is in session should be orderly and conducted with respect and sensitivity.
1.      Scheduling of Meetings
1.1Â Â Â Â Â Regularly scheduled TB meetings shall be held on the first and second Tuesday of each month. Â The first monthly meeting is traditionally considered a workshop session, however, it is a regular meeting at which significant board action may or may not be voted upon. TB meetings commence at 7:00PM.
1.2Â Â Â Â Â Regularly scheduled PB meetings shall be held on the third Tuesday of each month. PB meetings commence at 7:30PM.
1.3Â Â Â Â Â Regularly scheduled ZBA meetings shall be held on the fourth Thursday of each month. ZBA meetings commence at 7:30PM. Town LawS 267: All meetings of the board of appeals shall be held at the call of the chairperson and at such other times as such board may determine.
1.4     Public notice of the time and place of a meeting scheduled at least one week prior shall be given to the news media and shall be conspicuously posted to the Town Clerk’s Signboard and to the Town of Gardiner website at least seventy-two hours before such meeting.  Public notice of every other meeting including special meetings shall be given and posted as practical under the circumstances.
1.5Â Â Â Â Â Special meetings of the TB may be called upon at least 48 hours notice by the Chairmen or by agreement of any other two Board Members. Special meetings shall commence at such times as may be designated.
1.6Â Â Â Â Â Meetings shall be held in the Gardiner Fire Station #1 unless otherwise arranged and posted in advance.
2.      Agenda for Meetings
       Â
2.1Â Â Â Â Â The Chairmen shall prepare an agenda in advance of each meeting, and shall make same available a minimum of one day prior to the meeting. A tentative agenda may be posted at any time.
3.      Conduct of Meetings
3.1Â Â Â Â Â Meetings shall be presided upon by the Chairman or, in his absence, by the Deputy, who shall in such event assume all the duties of the Chairman other than voting if the deputy is not a member of that board. In the absence of the supervisor, chairman, or deputy, the other members shall designate one of their members to act as temporary or acting chairman.
3.2Â Â Â Â Â A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a lesser number may adjourn. The vote upon every question shall be taken by ayes and noes. Every act, motion or resolution of TB shall require for its adoption the affirmative vote of a majority (3) of all the members.
3.3Â Â Â Â Â The Board may determine the rules of its procedure, but will follow the fundamental rules of Parliamentary Procedure.
3.4Â Â Â Â Â The supervisor may, from time to time, appoint committees, consisting of members of the board to aid and assist the board in the performance of its duties.
3.5     Each meeting shall begin with the Clerk’s call to order …
“This meeting of the Town of Gardiner (TB, PB, ZBA) is called to order to conduct its business on Tuesday, January 6, 2004 at 7:30PM in the Town of Gardiner Fire House. Welcome all. A copy of this meeting’s agenda is located on this table. This and each meeting’s agenda and time is available online at www.townofgardiner.org and is posted in the Gardiner Town offices. A copy of the meeting rules, the NYS Open Government Laws including information on NYS’s Open Meetings and Freedom of Information laws are available for review in a binder on this table. The public will be granted the privilege of the floor and are invited to address the board only at the invitation of the Chair. Seated are ________. Additionally, a sign-up sheet for town volunteers can be found on this table. This meeting is being recorded. “
3.6Â Â Â Â Â Each meeting shall commence with any opening remarks the Chairman may deem appropriate. At the discretion of the Chairman, a meeting may commence with the pledge to the flag.
3.7Â Â Â Â Â Following the opening remarks, the Chairman shall proceed with discussion among the Board of all items on the agenda in the order they appear on the agenda. Â Points of order plus motions to adjourn, of privilege, to table, close debate, to refer, amend, or postpone may be entertained at any time.
3.8Â Â Â Â Â Each order of business will provide for a synopsis of the matter, disclosure of conflicts, discussion notes, list of supporting visual aids, and any action taken. This information may provide the foundation for the meeting minutes and continuity, and remain with the subject folder.
3.9Â Â Â Â Â The Open Meetings Law gives the public the right to attend meetings and to listen to deliberations. However, the public may not participate in the meeting except upon the invitation of the Chairman and, in the case of public hearings, as required by law.
3.10Â Â Â Â In the time allotted for public comment, members of the public will be recognized to speak by the Chairman. Â Any member of the public recognized to speak by the Chairman may only address the Board. Â Members of the public should limit their comments to no more than two minutes in duration and state whether theirs is a question or a comment. Â Board members may choose not to comment until all public comments are heard. No member of the public will be recognized twice before all other members of the public wishing to speak have been heard. Â Any member of the public addressing the Board shall identify himself or herself and state whether he or she is a Gardiner resident.
3.11Â Â Â Â Members of the public shall refrain from debate and argument among themselves during the Board meeting and shall address all remarks to the Board.
3.12Â Â Â Â At any time, the Chairman may entertain a motion to adjourn, which shall be carried upon majority vote. At any time, the Board may vote to exhaust the agenda before inviting further public comment.
3.13    Minutes of each month’s meetings shall be made available prior to the next month’s meeting.Minutes shall be taken at all open meetings of a public body that shall consist of a record or summary of all motions, proposals, resolutions and any other matter formally voted upon.
3.14Â Â Â Â Minutes shall be taken at executive sessions of any action that is taken by formal vote, which shall consist of a record or summary of the final determination of such action, and the date and vote thereon; provided, however, that such summary need not include any matter, which is not required to be made public by the freedom of information law.
4.      Meeting Support
4.1Â Â Â Â Â A Coordinating Secretary, working in conjunction with the Town Clerk, will act as secretary for the principal boards in order to provide continuity for the Board Members, those doing business with the boards, as well as the public.
4.2Â Â Â Â Â Meetings shall be digitally recorded for transcription and broadcast as deemed necessary.
4.3Â Â Â Â Â Board members and those doing business with the Board should make every effort to provide visual aids appropriately mounted, projected or displayed for the benefit of the Board and the attending public. Those presenting slides, digital images, or computer presentations should provide projection and computer equipment whenever possible. Easels and pads should be made available whenever possible.
Drafted: January, 2004
Drafted: January, 2004
4.2Â Â Â Â Â Meetings shall be digitally recorded for transcription and broadcast as deemed necessary.
4.3Â Â Â Â Â Board members and those doing business with the Board should make every effort to provide visual aids appropriately mounted, projected or displayed for the benefit of the Board and the attending public. Those presenting slides, digital images, or computer presentations should provide projection and computer equipment whenever possible. Easels and pads should be made available whenever possible.
Drafted: January, 2004
Drafted: January, 2004
|
