17City of Roseville y Commissioner’s Handbook
<br />The rules of procedure at meetings should
<br />be simple enough for most people to un-
<br />derstand. Unfortunately, that hasn’t always
<br />been the case. Virtually all clubs, associa-
<br />tions, boards, councils and bodies follow a
<br />set of rules, Robert’s Rules of Order, which
<br />are embodied in a small but complex
<br />book. Virtually no one I know has actually
<br />read this book cover to cover.
<br />Worse yet, the book was written for an-
<br />other time and purpose. If you are running
<br />the British Parliament, Robert’s Rules of
<br />Order is a dandy and quite useful hand-
<br />book. On the other hand, if you’re running
<br />a meeting of a five member body with a
<br />few members of the public in attendance,
<br />a simplified version of the rules of parlia-
<br />mentary procedure is in order. Hence, the
<br />birth of “Rosenberg’s Rules of Order.”
<br />This publication covers the rules of
<br />parliamentary procedure based on my 20
<br />years of experience chairing meetings in
<br />state and local government. These rules
<br />have been simplified and slimmed down
<br />for 21st century meetings, yet they retain
<br />the basic tenets of order to which we are
<br />accustomed.
<br />“Rosenberg’s Rules of Order” are support-
<br />ed by the following four principles:
<br />1. Rules should establish order. The first
<br />purpose of the rules of parliamentary
<br />procedure is to establish a framework
<br />for the orderly conduct of meetings.
<br />2. Rules should be clear. Simple rules
<br />lead to wider understanding and
<br />participation. Complex rules create
<br />two classes: those who understand
<br />and participate and those who do
<br />not fully understand and do not fully
<br />participate.
<br />3. Rules should be user-friendly. That
<br />is, the rules must be simple enough
<br />that citizens feel they have been able
<br />to participate in the process. 4. Rules
<br />should enforce the will of the major-
<br />ity while protecting the rights of the
<br />minority. The ultimate purpose of the
<br />rules of procedure is to encourage
<br />discussion and to facilitate decision-
<br />making by the body. In a democracy,
<br />the majority rules. The rules must
<br />enable the majority to express itself
<br />and fashion a result, while permitting
<br />the minority to also express itself (but
<br />not dominate) and fully participate in
<br />the process.
<br />The Chairperson Should Take a
<br />Back Seat During Discussions
<br />While all members of the governing body
<br />should know and understand the rules of
<br />parliamentary procedure, it is the chairper-
<br />son (chair) who is charged with applying
<br />the rules of conduct. The chair should be
<br />well versed in those rules, because the
<br />chair, for all intents and purposes, makes
<br />the final ruling on the rules. In fact, all
<br />decisions by the chair are final unless over-
<br />ruled by the governing body itself.
<br />Because the chair conducts the meeting,
<br />it is common courtesy for the chair to take
<br />a less active role than other members of
<br />the body in debates and discussions. This
<br />does not mean that the chair should not
<br />participate in the debate or discussion.
<br />On the contrary, as a member of the body,
<br />the chair has full rights to participate in
<br />debates, discussions and decision-making.
<br />The chair should, however, strive to be the
<br />last to speak at the discussion and debate
<br />stage, and should not make or second a
<br />motion unless he or she is convinced that
<br />no other member of the body will do so.
<br />The Basic Format for an Agenda
<br />Item Discussion
<br />Formal meetings normally have a written,
<br />published agenda; informal meetings may
<br />have only an oral or understood agenda.
<br />In either case, the meeting is governed by
<br />the agenda and the agenda constitutes
<br />the body’s agreed-upon road map for the
<br />meeting. And each agenda item can be
<br />handled by the chair in the following basic
<br />format.
<br />First, the chair should clearly announce
<br />the agenda item number and should
<br />clearly state what the subject is. The chair
<br />should then announce the format that will
<br />be followed.
<br />Second, following that agenda format,
<br />the chair should invite the appropriate
<br />people to report on the item, including
<br />any recommendation they might have.
<br />The appropriate person may be the chair,
<br />a member of the governing body, a staff
<br />person, or a committee chair charged with
<br />providing information about the agenda
<br />item.
<br />Third, the chair should ask members
<br />of the body if they have any technical
<br />questions for clarification. At this point,
<br />members of the governing body may ask
<br />clarifying questions to the people who
<br />reported on the item, and they should be
<br />given time to respond.
<br />Fourth, the chair should invite public
<br />comments or, if appropriate at a formal
<br />meeting, open the meeting to public
<br />input. If numerous members of the public
<br />indicate a desire to speak to the subject,
<br />the chair may limit the time of each public
<br />speaker. At the conclusion of the public
<br />comments, the chair should announce
<br />that public input has concluded (or that
<br />the public hearing, as the case may be, is
<br />closed).
<br />Fifth, the chair should invite a motion
<br />from the governing body members. The
<br />chair should announce the name of the
<br />member who makes the motion.
<br />Sixth, the chair should determine if any
<br />member of the body wishes to second
<br />the motion. The chair should announce
<br />the name of the member who seconds
<br />the motion. It is normally good practice
<br />for a motion to require a second before
<br />proceeding with it, to ensure that it is not
<br />just one member of the body who is inter-
<br />ested in a particular approach. However,
<br />a second is not an absolute requirement,
<br />and the chair can proceed with consider-
<br />ation and a vote on the motion even when
<br />there is no second. This is a matter left to
<br />the discretion of the chair.
<br />Seventh, if the motion is made and
<br />seconded, the chair should make sure
<br />everyone understands the motion. This is
<br />done in one of three ways:
<br />1. The chair can ask the maker of the
<br />motion to repeat it;
<br />2. The chair can repeat the motion; or
<br />3. The chair can ask the secretary or
<br />the clerk of the body to repeat the
<br />motion.
<br />Eighth, the chair should now invite discus-
<br />sion of the motion by the members of
<br />the governing body. If there is no desired
<br />discussion or the discussion has ended,
<br />the chair should announce that the body
<br />will vote on the motion. If there has been
<br />no discussion or a very brief discussion,
<br />the vote should proceed immediately, and
<br />there is no need to repeat the motion.
<br />Appendix F. Rosenberg’s Rules of Order
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