Council misinterprets Robert’s Rules of Order

The City Council last night adopted new rules for how it conducts its various meetings and in the process completely mangled Robert’s Rules of Order.

It’s really no big deal and, to be honest, I actually found it somewhat amusing and, in a way, quaint the way the council has been handling its business. For example, at a normal council agenda meeting, an item will come up on the agenda, the council will discuss it, then someone will make a motion on whether to approve or reject it. That process violates Robert’s Rules of Order’s section called "What Precedes Debate." That section states:

"Before any subject is open to debate it is necessary, first, that a motion be made by a member who has obtained the floor; second, that it be seconded (with certain exceptions); and third, that it be stated by the chair, that is, by the presiding officer. The fact that a motion has been made and seconded does not put it before the assembly, as the chair alone can do that. He must either rule it out of order, or state the question on it so that the assembly may know what is before it for consideration and action, that is, what is the immediately pending question. If several questions are pending, as a resolution and an amendment and a motion to postpone, the last one stated by the chair is the immediately pending question."

That may all sound like a load of gibberish but let me explain it using an example from last night’s agenda. Say, item 10, which was a zoning ordinance change. What the above citation from Robert’s Rules of Order means is that before any discussion could be had on the subject, someone on the council had to make a motion to approve or deny approval of the ordinance in question and then the chair has to declare that the motion has been made.

However, the way the council decided to do it is to open debate once a motion is made and approved to open debate. Like I said, that’s wrong, but it’s not serious and in its own, homegrown way, kind of cute.