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B. Aspirational statement: No councilmember shall engage in conduct which delays or interrupts <br /> the proceedings or which hinders honest, respectful discussion and debate. <br /> C. Aspiratlonal statement:City council meetings shall be conducted in a courteous manner that <br /> recognizes the validity of differing points of view and promotes the ideal of democratic <br /> discussion and debate free of insult,slander, and personal attacks and threats. <br /> D. To effectuate these aspirational goals, city councilmembers shall conduct themselves at council <br /> meetings in a manner consistent with the following: <br /> 1. No councilmember shall engage in private conversation or pass private messages while in <br /> the chamber in order to not interrupt the proceedings of the council. <br /> 2. No councilmember shall leave his or her seat or make any noise of disturbance while a vote <br /> is being taken and until the result of the vote is announced. <br /> 3. No councilmember shall use profane or obscene words or unparlimentary language or use <br /> language that threatens harm or violence toward another person during a council meeting. <br /> 4. No councilmember shall speak on any subject other than the subject in debate. <br /> 5. No councilmember shall speak without being recognized by the chair; nor shall any <br /> councilmember interrupt the speech of another councilmember. <br /> 6. No councilmember shall disobey the decision of the presiding officer on questions of order <br /> or practice or upon the interpretation of the rules of council. <br /> 7. No councilmember shall engage in disorderly conduct that disturbs or disrupts the orderly <br /> conduct of any meeting. <br /> VIII. MOTIONS.The purpose of this policy is to foster debate and discussion in an orderly manner, <br /> and not to suppress honest discussion with excessive formality. Without rules, confusion and <br /> disorderly proceedings would hamper all city action, no matter how well intended. Rules allow city <br /> business to be conducted as efficiently as possible, protect minority groups by giving every person <br /> a chance to be heard, prevent discussion of multiple topics at once, and allow decisions to be made <br /> by majority rule. <br /> A. Rights of councilmembers. All councilmembers are equal and have the same rights to make <br /> motions;object to motions in a timely manner; participate in debate; have their votes counted; <br /> and speak,when recognized,free of interruption. <br /> B. Obligations of councilmembers. The rights of individual councilmembers cannot be realized <br /> unless all councilmembers also recognize their obligations as members of the political body. <br /> Councilmembers are obligated to receive the recognition of the chair before speaking, except <br /> as otherwise provided by these rules. No one has the right to speak at whim. <br /> Page 7 <br />