Okaloosa County BOCC — May 3, 2016 — Amendment to Board Procedures

RESOLUTION NO. 2016-__ A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF OKALOOSA COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING RESOLUTION 14-76 RELATING TO PROCEDURES FOR MEETINGS OF THE OKALOOSA COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS; ESTABLISHING A PROCEDURE FOR CONSIDERING MATTERS AT BOARD MEETINGS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners previously adopted Resolution 14-76 which established the Rules of Procedure to provide for the smooth and orderly function of the business of the Board and to provide a basis for resolving questions of procedure when they arise; and WHEREAS, those Rules of Procedure provided they should be periodically reviewed and amended as deemed necessary; and WHEREAS, on occasion, the Board is required to consider matters that have not been included on the published agenda for its meeting; and WHEREAS, it would be appropriate for the Board to establish a uniform process for the inclusion of items for the Board’s consideration at a meeting that was not included on the published agenda for that meeting. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Okaloosa County, Florida, as follows: SECTION 1: PURPOSE. The purpose of these Rules of Procedure (“Rules”) is to provide for the smooth and orderly functioning of the business of the Board of County Commissioners (“Board”) and to provide a basis for resolving questions of procedure when they arise. SECTION 2: APPLICABILITY. These Rules shall govern all official meetings of the Board. The members of the Board, County staff, and the public shall adhere to these Rules. SECTION 3: RULES OF ORDER. To the extent they are not in conflict with these Rules, Roberts Rules of Order Revised shall serve as a guide to official meetings of the Board. Accordingly, no action taken by the Board shall be deemed void or invalid because of the failure to adhere to Roberts Rules of Order Revised. SECTION 4: PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Board. In the absence of the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman shall preside. In the absence of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, a presiding officer shall be selected by a majority vote of those Commissioners present. The presiding officer of the Board shall have the following functions: 1  a. Opening the meeting and calling the meeting the order, having ascertained that a quorum is present. b. Announce the business to come before the Board, in accordance with the prescribed order of business. c. Recognizing Commissioners to speak. d. Recognizing members of the public or staff to speak. e. Deciding all questions of order. f. Preserving decorum and order, an in case of disturbance or disorderly conduct in the Commission Chambers, may cause the same to be cleared or cause any disruptive individual to be removed in order to maintain and preserve decorum and civility. g. Adjourning meetings when there is a sudden emergency affecting the safety of the Board and others. The decision of the presiding officer shall stand unless reversed by a majority vote of the members present after the proper motion has been made and seconded to reverse such a decision. SECTION 5: RULES OF DEBATE. a. Decorum. 1. Every Commissioner desiring to speak should address the Chairman, and upon said recognition by the Chairman, should confine discussion to the question under debate. 2. Commissioners shall refrain from: attacking another individual’s motives; speaking adversely on a prior motion not pending; speaking while another Commissioner is speaking; speaking against their own motions; a