Number
050659
Version
SUBSTITUTE 2
Reference
Sponsor
THE CHAIR
Title
Substitute motion amending the Common Council Procedure and Rules.
Analysis
This motion makes the following changes to the Common Council Procedure and Rules:
1. The procedure for selecting the Common Council President is simplified by removing the requirement that the order of voting for the presidency be determined by lot. Members will vote in district number order.
2. A provision is added to permit the staff of the office of the City Clerk within the bar of the Common Council chambers during meetings, provided they are engaged in official business. The provision permitting former Common Council members and department heads within the bar of the chambers is deleted.
3. The following matters are assigned to the Community and Economic Development Committee: Community Development Block Grant (all matters); Development Fund appropriations; Emerging Business Enterprises; Land Bank; Library System, and Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation. With the exception of the Library System, which is typically assigned by current practice to Finance and Personnel, this codifies current practice.
4. Taxation and new revenue sources is moved from the authority of the Judiciary and Legislation Committee to the Finance and Personnel Committee. The new matter, lobbying, is assigned to the Judiciary and Legislation Committee.
5. The following matters are assigned to the Public Improvements Committee: flood control, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District; sale of surplus city-owned property to non-profit agencies for housing purposes, sewer projects, special privileges, and transportation including railroads. With the exception of the last matter, this codifies current practice.
6. The following matters are assigned to the Public Safety Committee: the Fire Department, the Health Department, the Police Department, and the Department of Neighborhood Services, except those matters pertaining to public facilities; and parking and parking structures, except parking structures owned by the city.
7. Cable television is assigned to the Utilities and Licenses Committee. This codifies current practice.
8. The following matters are assigned to the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee: blight designation, the Housing Authority, the Redevelopment Authority, and the sale of city-owned property to non-profit agencies for purposes other than housing. These all codify current practice.
9. The following matters are assigned to the Steering and Rules Committee: the office of the City Clerk and matters within the responsibility of more than one standing committee, in the discretion of the president.
10. The provision relating to the procedure for a committee minority report has been deleted.
11. The procedure for introduction files to council without a sponsor, i.e., by “The Chair”, is made a part of the Procedure and Rules. Included in this provision - which codifies a procedure that has been in place since the early 1990s - is a list of types of files that are not subject to the review required by this provision.
12. A provision is added requiring council members to serve on committees to which they are assigned by the Common Council President.
13. Various out-dated provisions relating to the manner in which records of meetings are recorded and kept are deleted or amended to reflect current practice.
14. Provisions redundant of the Milwaukee City Charter are deleted.
15. Certain sections of the Procedure and Rules are reorganized without altering their content to increase internal consistency.
Body
It is moved, by the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Common Council Procedure and Rules is repealed and recreated to read as set forth in the version of the Procedure and Rules attached to this file.
Requestor
Drafter
jro
09/20/05