Council flags inconsistency in Committee of the Whole codification and tables ordinance amid settlement questions

Council members spent part of the Jan. 8 Committee of the Whole reviewing a proposed protocols, policy and procedure ordinance and whether prior changes to Committee of the Whole rules were correctly reflected in the codified ordinances. Several members noted that wording in the codified text differs between Section 3 and Section 5, and one council member questioned whether the village’s prior settlement or release addressed the committee-selection process.

An exchange noted that the change to have the president of council preside had been voted on previously but may not have been codified uniformly. One member said they had "pulled it off the Internet" and could not explain the discrepancy; another noted the release did not specifically address committee selection.

After discussion, the council moved to place Ordinance number 5 (2026) on the table for the next council meeting; the motion passed on a recorded vote reported as 5–1. Members said the codified language will need attention so the ordinance reflects the council’s prior vote and the village’s codified ordinances are consistent.

Why it matters: codified ordinance language determines who may preside and how committees are constituted, and inconsistencies can raise questions about compliance with open-meeting requirements and past settlements or releases. The council will review the codified text before taking a final action.

Next steps: staff or council will correct the codified ordinance language and return Ordinance 5 for formal consideration at a subsequent meeting; no final codification was adopted at the Jan. 8 meeting.