Comments on The Overland Examiner: March 26th Council Meeting

Thank you very much!

But now you went and d...

2007-04-02T20:27:00.000-05:00

Thank you very much!

But now you went and did it. You said you are "always happy" to field Roberts Rules of Order questions.

Well, if you would be so kind as to click my name at the top of this post you will find a link to send an email to me.

If you contact me via email I bet I can send you a ton of RROO questions. Enough to move you rapidly from happy to ecstatic! :-)

Seriously, I would love the opportunity to discuss RROO via email if you would be so kind as to send me a note.

I'm always happy to field questions on RROO. A mo...

2007-04-02T20:16:00.000-05:00

I'm always happy to field questions on RROO. A motion to adjourn is covered in section 21 of the current (10th) edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised (RONR,) beginning on p. 225. In answer to your three questions:

1. "The privileged motion to Adjourn takes precedence over all motions expect for the privileged motion to Fix the Time to Which to Adjourn" (p. 227).

2. "When the adjournment closes the session in an assembly having its next regular meeting within a quarterly time interval.... if a question was pending at the time of adjournment, it is taken up as the first item under unfinished business..." (p. 228-9.)

3. "When it appears that there is no further business in a meeting of an ordinary local society that normally goes through a complete order of business at each regular meeting, the chair, instead of waiting or calling for a motion to adjourn, can ask, 'Is there any further business?" If there is no response, the chair can then say, 'Since there is no further business, the meeting is adjourned'" (p. 233).

Suzy, thanks for the kind words and I'm gla...

2007-03-30T17:42:00.000-05:00

Suzy, thanks for the kind words and I'm glad I could give you and others a chance to see it. BTW I sent you an email awhile ago and was wondering if you got it (I have to confess I was not sure I had the right email address).

What I found most interesting was that after Councilman Knode and Mayor Purzner have spent the last week or so on their web site's talking about how some video of events are edited while there's is not. Yet, now on Councilman Knode's website there is a partial, obviously edited (unless you think all that text appeared in the air miraculously :-) ), video of a portion of the meeting that you can see for yourself here. I guess this is just another example of a double standard.

nicastpj, Thank you for that information! Due to a family event ( no worries folks it is a good event :-) ), I've not yet found the time to research this issue in my own Robert's Rules. I would really appreciate it if you could direct us to that section of RRoO that covers this so we can review it and put this particular procedural issue to bed.

Also, I believe (but have not had a chance to research) that a motion to adjourn does not require a vote of the Council. However, since the city regularly calls for that vote at meetings I wonder if there was a specific reason for this. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks again for the information!

Speaking directly to the question of a motion to a...

2007-03-30T12:51:00.000-05:00

Speaking directly to the question of a motion to adjourn: an unqualified motion to adjourn is in order when another (main) motion is pending because an unqualified motion to adjourn is privileged. Anything left incomplete would be considered at the next meeting under "unfinished business," picking up right where it left off.

The rule against a motion being considered while another is pending refers only to a second main motion while the first main motion pending. Any number of other motions, called secondary, privileged, and incidental, are in order according to the rules of preference. For example, when a main motion is pending, motions to adjourn or recess, amend the main motion, lay it on the table or send it to committee, and close the discussion and immediately vote are all in order

You are my hero! I stayed up last night, had the ...

2007-03-30T09:21:00.000-05:00