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Motion of the Council of Allegheny County Council amending Rules of Council for Allegheny County Council.
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NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY,
That this Council hereby amends the Rules of Council as follows:
ARTICLE I. ORGANIZATION OF COUNCIL.
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E. Committees of Council
Committees are established to consider, investigate, or take action in regard to matters or subjects brought before Council and shall be organized and led by a Chair who shall be named by the President. The Committee Chair may convene a public forum to elicit public comment or input on issues under consideration by the committee. Committees shall present their findings to Council in either a formal or informal manner. The President is an ex officio member of each committee. Each committee shall be established to function during the term of each President. Unless re-established under the successive President, they shall cease to exist. Nothing shall prevent the President from dissolving a committee prior to the end of his or her term. No committee shall meet or be staffed unless called by the Chair of the committee according to these Rules.
1. Standing Committees - The President, upon election, shall establish the standing committees of Council and appoint the members and the chair of each committee. Standing committees shall meet Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays beginning no earlier than 4:00 p.m. When unable to attend a scheduled committee meeting, the chair of each committee may appoint a member of the committee to act as presiding officer. The number and scope of each committee shall be at the discretion of the President, except that the following shall always be established as standing committees:
i. Executive Committee - The Executive Committee shall make recommendations designed to improve and expedite the business and procedures of Council and its committees and to propose any amendments to the Rules deemed necessary. The Executive Committee shall also be charged with making recommendations and approving actions proposed by the Chief of Staff regarding personnel matters.
ii. Budget & Finance Committee - The Budget & Finance Committee shall have the responsibility of reviewing and making recommendations regarding taxation, appropriations, and the pursuit of other revenues used for County operations, specifically those pertaining to the County's Capital Budget, Operating Budget, and Grants and Special Accounts Budget.
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F. Liaisons
1. The President may name council members as liaisons to County authorities and agencies, as he or she deems appropriate. A liaison shall attend each meeting of the authority or agency or, by making a request to the Chief of Staff, may have a staff person attend in their stead.
2. The liaison shall deliver a report on the meeting of the authority or agency at the next regularly scheduled meeting of Council. The report may be written and/or verbal but shall be a part of the Council agenda. As such, the liaison shall, following the rules regarding placing items on the Council agenda, advise the Clerk when a report is necessary.
3. At the discretion of the President, any matter relating to a county authority or agency that the liaison has brought forth as being of concern may be transformed into a special or advisory committee. The committee shall be charged with reporting back to Council and shall follow all rules regarding special meetings of Council.
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ARTICLE II. MEETINGS.
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J. Regular Meeting Procedure
1. Quorum - A majority of seated members of Council shall constitute a quorum necessary to transact official business. A quorum must be present at the meeting site or by telephone in order to transact official business. Any Council Member arriving after the roll call has been completed shall be recorded by the Clerk as "Present, late" and at what point in the agenda the member was seated shall also be recorded. A Council Member who has answered roll call at any regular meeting of the Council shall not be permitted to absent himself from such meeting without notifying the President or other presiding officer. If a quorum is present, the President or Presiding Officer shall proceed with the order of business prescribed for the meeting.
2. Lack of Quorum - If, upon the call of the roll, a quorum is not present, the President or Presiding Officer shall order a recess for the period of not more than thirty (30) minutes. If a quorum is not present at the conclusion of the recess, the President or Presiding Officer shall declare the meeting canceled.
3. Loss of Quorum - If, in the process of a meeting, it is determined that a quorum is not present, all business shall automatically stop. The Council may, by majority vote of those in attendance:
ii. Fix another day at which to reconvene;
iii. Adjourn and return at the next regular meeting;
iv. Recess for not more than 30 minutes. If a quorum is not present at the conclusion of the recess, the President or presiding officer shall declare the meeting cancelled.
The names of those members present and their decision shall be recorded in the minutes, stating a quorum was not present and the time set for another meeting. If a day other then the next regularly scheduled meeting date is chosen, notice of such meeting shall be posted prominently in the Courthouse and on the Allegheny County website.
4. Participation by Telephone - Those Council Members wishing to participate in a regular or special meeting of Council must notify the Clerk or Chief of Staff no later than 12:00 noon on the day of the meeting. The number of Council Members who may participate by phone at any one meeting is limited to five. Phone participation will be via speakerphone in the council chambers. Any Council Member who wishes to participate by telephone must have his or her call connected no later than five minutes after the start of any meeting in order to take part in any vote or be recognized by the presiding officer.