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Council approves first reading of new rules-of-order ordinance after extended debate on amendments and reconsideration
Summary
On first reading council adopted a revisions package for the rules of order, including an option allowing the presiding officer to make a motion if they relinquish the chair; members debated friendly-amendment language and how amendments between readings should be handled.
The City Council approved the first reading of a new rules-of-order ordinance after extended discussion over whether to permit "friendly amendments," how to treat amendments between first and second readings, and how the presiding officer may interact with motions.
Alderman Fuller moved to approve option 2 (document language identified in the packet as option b under item 3), which would allow the presiding officer to make or second motions if they temporarily relinquish the chair. The city attorney explained that the packet’s draft contains language that treats friendly amendments as requiring unanimous consent or, if objected to, as a formal amendment requiring a motion and vote. The mayor and several council members discussed whether allowing explicit friendly-amendment language would materially change practice; the mayor withdrew a proposed amendment after the city attorney described the procedural equivalence.
Council members also debated how the rules should treat amendments to an ordinance between first and second readings and whether such changes risk repeated reconsideration loops. Alderman Samuelson and Alderman Olsen said that revisiting items between readings can be necessary to reflect public input; Alderman Fuller warned against repeatedly reopening decisions. The city attorney cautioned that reconsideration of a first-reading vote could create a circular process and recommended the council carefully define reconsideration procedure if it wished to change current practice.
After debate the council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance on first reading, including the presiding-officer option (option b). The vote advances the ordinance to the second reading, where additional amendments — if proposed — would be considered under the council’s rules and state law requirements for ordinances.
