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City Council Council Agenda/Minutes City Ward Boundaries Public Meeting Schedule Election Information Boards
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WELCOME Welcome to a meeting of the Morgantown City Council. All meetings of the Council are open to thepublic with the exception of Executive Sessions. MEETINGS The Council shall meet regularly twice every month at such time and place as the Council may prescribeby rule. Special meetings may be held on the call of the Mayor or four or more members and, whenever orpracticable upon no less than forty-eight hours notice to each member. All meetings shall be public; however,the Council may recess for the purpose of discussion, in a closed executive session, any matter which ispermitted by the State Code to be discussed in a closed executive session; provided that the general subjectmatter for consideration is expressed in motion calling for such session and that final action thereon shall not betaken by the Council until the matter is placed on the public agenda. Regular Meetings are held in the City Hall Council Chambers, 389 Spruce Street, at 7:30 p.m. on thefirst and third Tuesdays of the Month, unless otherwise specified. Committee of the Whole Meetings are heldon the last Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Special Meetings may be scheduled as needed and are advertised in the local newspaper. However, when anysuch day falls on a holiday, Council will decide on when to have the meeting and such date will be advertised inthe local newspaper. ACTION REQUIRING AN ORDINANCE In addition to other acts required by law or by specific provision of the Charter to be done by ordinance,those acts of the City Council shall be by ordinance which: (1) Adopt or amend an administrative code or establish, alter or abolish any City department, office or agency; (2) Provide for a fine or other penalty or establish a rule or regulation for violation which a fine or other penalty isimposed; (3) Levy taxes, except as otherwise provided with respect to the property tax levied by adoption of the budget; (4) Grant, renew or extend a franchise; (5) Regulate the rate charged for its services by a public utility, to the extent permitted by law; (6) Authorize the borrowing of money; (7) Convey or lease or authorize the conveyance or lease of any lands from the City or to the City; (8) Require a license to do business; (9) Provide for a public improvement; (10) Lay out or vacate a public street, avenue, road, alley or way; (11) Relate to planning and zoning; (12) Provide for a contractual or other agreement with another jurisdiction; (13) Adopt with or without amendment ordinances proposed under the initiative power; (14) Change ward boundaries; (15) Amend or repeal any ordinance previously adopted. AGENDA Agendas are available in the City Clerk's office the Friday before the meeting or at the meeting the day of themeeting. Agendas are also posted in City Hall and are available for citizens review at the Morgantown PublicLibrary. For information on obtaining an Agenda, call City Clerks office at 284-7439. MEETING PROCEDURES FOR COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETINGS 1. The City Council conducts an Committee Of The Whole meeting which gives Council the opportunity toreceive information, ask questions, and identify policy options in an informal setting. No formal action may betaken at this meeting. The public may participate as directed by the Mayor. Formal action can only be done atRegular Meetings. MEETING PROCEDURES FOR REGULAR MEETINGS 1. The Council will take action on only those items listed on the agenda which is available to the public. 2. The Mayor is the chairperson for the meeting. The Deputy Mayor of the Council assumes the chair in theabsence of the Mayor. 3. Items listed on the agenda in which the public may participate are: (unless otherwise approved by theMayor/Chair) a. Public Hearings During the public hearings, upon recognition by the Chair, the person shall proceed to the floor and givehis/her name and address in an audible tone of voice for the records. Statements shall be addressed to theCouncil as a body and not to any member thereof. No person, other than the chair and the person having thefloor, shall be permitted to enter into any discussion, without recognition by the chair. b. Public Portion The public portion shall be limited to a maximum duration of 30 minutes, with flexibility. Four minutes willbe allowed for individual presentations and five minutes for testimony on behalf of a group. The Mayor shallannounce each such selected speaker by name, address and subject. Council can not respond to questions atthis time, but will respond to citizens questions during Council Report. (Resolution on rules established for PublicPortion are posted in Council Chambers for your information) 4. Manner of addressing the Council: Upon recognition by the Mayor, the person shall proceed to the floor and give his/her name and address in anaudible tone of voice for the records. All presentations will be limited to the scheduled subject matter and shall not contain any verbal attacks uponany individual. 5. Personal and Slanderous Remarks Any person making personal, impertinent or slanderous remarks, or who shall become boisterous, whileaddressing the Council, shall be forthwith, by the presiding officer, barred from further audience before theCouncil, unless permission to continue be granted by a majority of the Council. MOTIONS When a motion is made and seconded, and stated by the Mayor, or presiding officer, it shall be deemed beforeCouncil; such motion can be discussed, withdrawn at any time before a final vote, by consent of Mayor andCouncil. The presiding officer (MAYOR) shall preserve order and decorum in Council and conduct its meetings inaccordance with rules of parliamentary law. VOTING Voting shall be done by roll call and recorded in the journal. HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION OF COUNCIL Morgantown was first settled in 1758 by Thomas Decker, who, with his family, was soon massacred byIndians. A few years later, in 1776, Colonel Zackquill Morgan, a son of the famous frontiersman and IndianFighter, Morgan Morgan, obtained Deckers land patents and built a cabin near the point where Decker's Creekempties into the Monongahela River. This was the first permanent settlement. Morgan fought in theRevolution, then returned here with settlers and established Morgan's Town which later was simplified intoMorgantown. Today Morgantown is a community large enough to offer the many advantages of a modern citywhile retaining a pleasant, "university-town" atmosphere. The city has a population of 26,517 (estimate),including many of the 22,000 West Virginia University students. Morgantown has the council-manager form of city government. One councilor from each of the seven wardsare elected by the people and serves as the legislative branch, electing one of its own members as Mayor. TheCity Manager is the executive and administrative official. The Council's powers consist of: adopting all ordinances; reviewing, revising and adopting the budget; makingappropriations; levying taxes; authorizing bond issues; providing for the internal structure of the localgovernment; and establishing general municipal policy. The Council has the authority to initiate hearings for the purposes of gathering information for ordinancemaking, airing public problems and supervising the spending of its appropriations. Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of Council except as otherwise specifically done byordinance. CITY OF MORGANTOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS 389 SPRUCE STREET MORGANTOWN,WV 26505 (304) 284-7439 Produced by: Linda Little & Jack Averill ©City of Morgantown, 1995
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