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18 City of Roseville y Commissioner’s Handbook If there has been substantial discussion, it is normally best to make sure everyone understands the motion by repeating it. Ninth, the chair takes a vote. Simply asking for the “ayes” and then the “nays” is normally sufficient. If members of the body do not vote, then they “abstain.” Unless the rules of the body provide otherwise or unless a super-majority is re- quired (as delineated later in these rules), a simple majority determines whether the motion passes or is defeated. Tenth , the chair should announce the result of the vote and should announce what action (if any) the body has taken. In announcing the result, the chair should indicate the names of the members, if any, who voted in the minority on the motion. This announcement might take the fol- lowing form: “The motion passes by a vote of 3-2, with Smith and Jones dissenting. We have passed the motion requiring 10 days’ notice for all future meetings of this governing body.” Motions in General Motions are the vehicles for decisionmak- ing. It is usually best to have a motion before the governing body prior to dis- cussing an agenda item, to help everyone focus on the motion before them. Motions are made in a simple two-step process. First, the chair recognizes the member. Second, the member makes a motion by preceding the member’s desired approach with the words: “I move …” A typical motion might be: “I move that we give 10 days’ notice in the future for all our meetings.” The chair usually initiates the motion by: 1. Inviting the members to make a mo- tion: “A motion at this time would be in order.” 2. Suggesting a motion to the members: “A motion would be in order that we give 10-days’ notice in the future for all our meetings.” 3. Making the motion. As noted, the chair has every right as a member of the body to make a motion, but normally should do so only if he or she wishes a motion to be made but no other member seems willing to do so. The Three Basic Motions Three motions are the most common: 1. The basic motion. The basic motion is the one that puts forward a decision for consideration. A basic motion might be: “I move that we create a five-member committee to plan and put on our annual fundraiser.” 2. The motion to amend. If a member wants to change a basic motion that is under discussion, he or she would move to amend it. A motion to amend might be: “I move that we amend the motion to have a 10- member committee.” A motion to amend takes the basic motion that is before the body and seeks to change it in some way. 3. The substitute motion. If a member wants to completely do away with the basic motion under discussion and put a new motion before the governing body, he or she would “move a substitute motion.” A sub- stitute motion might be: “I move a substitute motion that we cancel the annual fundraiser this year.” Motions to amend and substitute motions are often confused. But they are quite dif- ferent, and so is their effect, if passed. A motion to amend seeks to retain the basic motion on the floor, but to modify it in some way. A substitute motion seeks to throw out the basic motion on the floor and substitute a new and different motion for it. The decision as to whether a motion is re- ally a motion to amend or a substitute mo- tion is left to the chair. So that if a member makes what that member calls a motion to amend, but the chair determines it is really a substitute motion, the chair’s designa- tion governs. When Multiple Motions Are Be- fore The Governing Body Up to three motions may be on the floor simultaneously. The chair may reject a fourth motion until the three that are on the floor have been resolved. When two or three motions are on the floor (after motions and seconds) at the same time, the first vote should be on the last motion made. So, for example, assume the first motion is a basic “motion to have a five-member committee to plan and put on our annual fundraiser.” During the discussion of this motion, a member might make a second motion to “amend the main motion to have a 10-member committee, not a five-member committee, to plan and put on our annual fundraiser.” And perhaps, during that discussion, a member makes yet a third motion as a “substitute motion that we not have an annual fundraiser this year.” The proper procedure would be as follows. First, the chair would deal with the third (the last) motion on the floor, the substi- tute motion. After discussion and debate, a vote would be taken first on the third motion. If the substitute motion passes, it would be a substitute for the basic motion and would eliminate it. The first motion would be moot, as would the second mo- tion (which sought to amend the first mo- tion), and the action on the agenda item would be complete. No vote would be taken on the first or second motions. On the other hand, if the substitute motion (the third motion) failed, the chair would proceed to consideration of the second (now the last) motion on the floor, the mo- tion to amend. If the substitute motion failed, the chair would then deal with the second (now the last) motion on the floor, the motion to amend. The discussion and debate would focus strictly on the amendment (should the committee be five or 10 members). If the motion to amend passed, the chair would now move to consider the main motion (the first motion) as amended. If the motion to amend failed, the chair would now move to consider the main motion (the first motion) in its original format, not amended. Third, the chair would now deal with the first motion that was placed on the floor. The original motion would either be in its original format (five-member committee) or, if amended, would be in its amended format (10-member committee). And the question on the floor for discussion and decision would be whether a commit- tee should plan and put on the annual fundraiser.