CHAPTER III:
FORM OF GOVERNMENT

Section 7. Council.

The council consists of a Mayor and six councilors nominated and elected from the city at large.

Section 8. Mayor.

The Mayor presides over and facilitates council meetings, preserves order, enforces council rules, determines the order of business under council rules, votes in case of a tie, and has no veto authority. With the consent of council, the Mayor appoints members of commissions and committees established by ordinance or resolution. The Mayor must sign all records of council decisions and serves as the political head of the city government.

Section 9. Council President.

At its first meeting each year, the council must elect a president from its membership. The president presides in the absence of the Mayor, acts as Mayor when he/she is unable to perform his/her duties, and becomes Mayor when there is a vacancy in the office of Mayor. Upon the Council President’s ascendancy to Mayor, the council vice president becomes council president and the council must elect a new council vice president from its membership.

Section 10. Council Vice President.

At its first meeting each year, the Council shall appoint a vice president from its membership. The vice president presides in the absence of the Mayor and council president and acts as Mayor when the mayor and Council president are unable to perform their duties.

Section 11. Rules.

The Council must by resolution adopt rules to govern its meetings.

Section 12. Meetings.

The Council must meet in the city regularly at least once a month at a time and place designated by Council’s rules, and may meet at other times in accordance with the rules.

Section 13. Quorum.

Except as provided in Section 33, (Vacancies, Filling), four Council members shall constitute a quorum and be necessary to conduct business. However, a smaller number of Council members may meet and compel attendance of absent Councilors as prescribed by Council rules. If the Mayor’s inclusion is needed to establish a quorum, he/she may become a voting member for that meeting. As set forth in Section 33, (Vacancies, Filling), of this charter, a vacancy in the Council shall be filled by appointment by a majority of the remaining Council members, regardless of the actual number of remaining Councilors.

Section 14. Vote Required.

Except as this charter prescribes otherwise, the express concurrence of a majority of the Council members present and constituting a quorum, is necessary to decide affirmatively a question before the Council.

Section 15. Record of Proceedings.

A record of Council proceedings shall be kept by some mechanical device, as well as manually. The mechanical record shall be retained as provided for by state law.

Section 16. Ordinances.

The Council will exercise its legislative authority by adopting ordinances.

Section 17. Ordinance Adoption.

(1)    Except as authorized by subsection (b), adoption of an ordinance requires approval by a majority of the Council at two meetings.

(2)    If it contains an emergency clause, the Council may adopt an ordinance at a single meeting by a 2/3 approval of the Council.

(3)    Any amendment to a proposed ordinance must be read aloud or made available in writing to the public before the Council adopts the ordinance at that meeting.

(4)    After the adoption of an ordinance, the vote of each member must be entered into the Council minutes.

(5)    After adoption of an ordinance, the City Recorder must endorse it with the date of adoption and his or her name and title.

(6)    An ordinance may be suspended pursuant to changes in Oregon State Law.

Section 18. Effective Date of Ordinance.

Ordinances ordinarily take effect on the 30th day after adoption – the date approved by the City Council - or on a later date as provided in the ordinance. An ordinance that contains an emergency clause shall take effect as soon as it is adopted or on such later date specified in the ordinance.