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Problem two: The minute taker and/or council members are confused about what has been <br />approved or disapproved. <br />Potential solutions: <br />a. All council action should be stated in a motion and voted upon. Even when the <br />council has agreed by motion to discuss things informally, all decisions should be <br />ratified in a formal motion that is put to a vote. <br />b. Complex motions and their amendments can be put in writing. Resolutions should <br />always be numbered, in writing, and adopted by a simple motion, "I move to adopt <br />resolution number " <br />c. The presiding officer should state the motion being considered prior to opening <br />debate and prior to voting. Once a vote has occurred, the presiding officer should <br />state whether the motion carried or failed. <br />d. Only one motion for council action may be considered at a time. <br />e. Amendments to motions are limited to two amendments. These amendments should <br />also be stated by the presiding officer prior to opening debate and voting. <br />f. In making amendments, the proponent of an amendment should use concise <br />language —preferably the model language identified in the rules, including: <br />"7 move to amend the motion by inserting between .... and .... "; or <br />"7 move to amend the motion by adding after ... ", or <br />"I move to amend the motion by striking out. . . "; or <br />"7 move to amend the motion by striking out ... and inserting ... "; or <br />"7 move to amend by striking out the motion ... and substituting the following. " <br />Problem three: One particular member of council disrupts the proceedings, and insults and <br />verbally attacks other council members. <br />Potential solutions: <br />a. No person, including a council member, has the right to disrupt the council's <br />proceedings through fighting, threatening physical harm, or engaging in offensive, <br />noisy, obscene or abusive conduct. This is a crime pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 609.72. <br />Aggressive, threatening conduct cannot be tolerated. The presiding officer should <br />follow the council's adopted bylaws to issue warnings when such conduct occurs and <br />then order removal of the person by the sergeant -at -arms. <br />b. The presiding officer can remind the council member that the rules require all <br />remarks to be addressed to the presiding officer alone. If the conduct persists, the <br />Minnesota <br />Mayors 67 <br />Association <br />