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Motion of the Council of Allegheny County amending the Rules of Council for Allegheny County Council to clarify the Rules pertaining to decorum in Council's meetings.
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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 II. MEETINGS.
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M. Decorum in Meetings
1. Robert's Rules of Order shall serve as the determinant of proper decorum.
2. Proper decorum shall be maintained while the President is speaking, while a citizen is speaking, or during a voting procedure.
3. A council member who has the floor shall refrain from dealing in personalities and impugning the motives of others. Reference to other members of the Council shall be by proper title, i.e. Mr. Chairman, the last Council Member who spoke, the last citizen who spoke, or the former speaker.
4. Council members shall confine their remarks to the question before the Council. If any council member was absent from a committee meeting where a particular subject was discussed, that council member shall be recognized for debate on that subject only twice. Any debate beyond the two opportunities shall be at the discretion of the President. This rule shall not apply to the Sponsor, Committee Chair, or either Caucus Chair.
5. If a council member expresses a conflict of interest, the member shall state the conflict and refrain from further participation in the matter.
6. No member shall be permitted to conduct discussion on a bill during voting, or to explain his or her vote, except for an abstention, in which case the member shall be permitted to explain the reason for the abstention.
7. When a speaker is called to order by the President, that person shall relinquish the floor immediately until the question of order is resolved.
8. Unless previously scheduled according to the procedures set forth for scheduling public comment contained within Section I of this Article, no p...
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