Board Rules and Procedures - Board of Supervisors

Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors

RULES OF PROCEDURE

(Adopted January 3, 2023)

Introduction

These rules of procedure were designed and adopted for the benefit and convenience of the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors. Their purpose is to help the Board conduct its affairs in a timely and efficient manner. The rules of procedure do not create substantive rights for third parties or participants in proceedings before the Board. Further, the Board reserves the right to amend the rules of procedure whenever a majority of the Board decides to do so. The failure of the Board to comply with the rules of procedure shall not invalidate any action of the Board. To the extent that there has been a deviation from the rules which follow, if there has been no objection by a Board member despite a reasonable opportunity to object, any such deviation shall be deemed consented to all members, and the rule in question shall be deemed suspended in that single instance.

SECTION 1 – PURPOSE AND BASIC PRINCIPLES

Section 1-1. Purpose of Rules of Procedure

To enable the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors (hereinafter referred to as “the Board”) to transact business fully, expeditiously and efficiently while affording every opportunity to citizens to witness the operations of government;

To protect the rights of each individual Board member;

To preserve a spirit of cooperation among Board members; and

To determine the will of the Board on any matter.

Section 1-2. Basic Principles Underlying Rules of Procedure

The business of the Board should proceed in the most efficient manner possible;

The Board’s rules of procedure should be followed consistently;

The Board’s actions should be the result of a decision on the merits and not a manipulation of the procedural rules;

Only one subject may claim the attention of the Board at one time;

Each item presented for consideration is entitled to full and free discussion;

Every member has equal rights to participate and vote on all issues;

Every member must have equal opportunity to participate in decision making;

The will of the majority must be carried out, and the rights of the minority must be preserved; and

The Board must act as a body.

SECTION 2 — MEETINGS

Section 2-1. When and Where Regular Meetings are Held

The time and place of regular meetings of the Board shall be established at each organizational meeting. Meetings shall be held in the Board Room, on the first floor of the county government center, as follows:

The second Tuesday of the month at 4:00 p.m. and the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m., except, there will be no regular meetings on the second Tuesday of July and on the fourth Tuesday of December, and the only December meeting shall be at 7:00 p.m.

If the Board subsequently desires to hold any other regular meeting the Board shall pass a resolution at a regular meeting of the Board as to such additional regular meeting day, place, and time. The Board shall cause a copy of such resolution to be posted on the door of the courthouse, on the door of the Board Room, and inserted in a newspaper having general circulation in the county or municipality at least seven days prior to the date of such additional regular meeting.

Section 2-2. Special Meetings

The Board may hold such special meetings, as it deems necessary, at such times and places as it may find convenient; and it may adjourn from time to time. A special meeting of the Board shall be called pursuant to Section 15.2-1417 of the Code of Virginia, as amended.

Special meetings may be called by the Chairman of the Board, or any two members of the Board in writing to the Clerk of the Board for the purpose stated in the notice of the special meeting. No matter not specified in the notice of special meeting shall be considered at such special meeting unless all members are present or sign a waiver, as required by Section 15.2-1418 of the Code of Virginia, as amended. The Clerk shall forthwith notify the members of the Board of the time and place designated and the purpose of the special meeting. Notice of the special meeting shall be-provided in accordance with Section 15.2-1418 of the Code of Virginia prior to the special meeting to each member of the Board. The notice may be waived if all Board members attend the special meeting or sign a waiver.
Notice to the public of any special meeting shall be given contemporaneously with the notice provided to the members of the Board, the County Attorney, County Administrator and the media.

Section 2-2.1: Remote Participation in Board Meetings

Members of the Board are hereby approved to participate in a meeting of the Board through electronic communications from a remote location that is not open to the public as provided in Code of Virginia § 2.2-3708.3, subject to the following requirements:

A supervisor wishing to participate from a remote location in a meeting of the Board shall notify the Chairman on or before the date of a meeting that the supervisor is unable to attend the meeting due to (i) a temporary or permanent disability or other medical condition that prevents the supervisor’s physical attendance, or (ii) a medical condition of a member of the supervisor’s family requires the supervisor to provide care that prevents the supervisor’s physical attendance, or (iii) the supervisor’s principal residence is more than 60 miles from the meeting location identified in the required notice for such meeting, or (iv) a personal matter, provided that the supervisor identifies with specificity the nature of the personal matter.
If participation by a supervisor through electronic communication means is approved, there shall be recorded in the minutes the remote location from which the supervisor participated; however, the remote location need not be open to the public and may be identified in the minutes by a general description. If participation is approved pursuant to subdivision 1(i) or (ii), the minutes shall include the fact that the supervisor participated through electronic communication means due to a (i) temporary or permanent disability or other medical condition that prevented the supervisor’s physical attendance or (ii) a family member’s medical condition that required the supervisor to provide care for such family member, thereby preventing the supervisor’s physical attendance. If participation is approved pursuant to subdivision 1 (iii), the minutes shall include the fact that the supervisor participated through electronic communication means due to the distance between the supervisor’s principal residence and the meeting location. If participation is approved pursuant to subdivision 1 (iv), the minutes shall include the specific nature of the personal matter cited by the supervisor.
If the absent supervisor’s remote participation would violate this policy, such remote participate is disapproved and the absent supervisor shall not be allowed to participate. The reason for such disapproval shall be recorded in the Board’s minutes.
Participation in a meeting through electronic communication due to a personal matter shall be limited, for each supervisor and in each calendar year, to two meetings of the Board or 25 percent of the meetings held per calendar year rounded up to the next whole number, whichever is greater.
A quorum of the Board must be physically assembled at the primary or central meeting
The Clerk shall make arrangements for the voice of the absent supervisor to be heard by all persons in attendance at the primary or central meeting location.

Section 2-3. Legal Holiday

When any regular meeting is scheduled to be held on a legal holiday, the meeting shall be held on the following business day, with no additional notice required, unless the meeting is canceled by a majority vote of the Board.

Section 2-4. Adjourned or Recessed Meetings

A meeting of the Board is “Adjourned” when the Board has finished its business and has brought the meeting to a close, with the intention of holding another meeting at a later date. Generally, when a meeting of the Board is Adjourned, the next meeting of the Board is preceded by opening ceremonies. A meeting of the Board is “Recessed” when the Board takes a break between sittings and after the recess business is resumed where it left off.

A properly-called regular or special meeting may be Recessed or Adjourned to a time and place certain by a motion made and adopted by a majority of the Board in open session during the regular or special meeting. The motion shall state the time and place when the meeting will reconvene. No further notice need be given of such a Recessed or Adjourned session of a properly called regular or special meeting.

Section 2-5. Continued Meetings

A regular meeting shall be continued to the time and place of the next regular meeting if the Chairman, or Vice Chairman, if the Chairman is unable to act, finds and declares that weather or other conditions are such that it is hazardous for Board members to attend the regular meeting. Such finding shall be communicated to the Board members and the press as promptly as possible. All hearings and other matters previously advertised shall be conducted at the continued meeting and no further advertisement is required.

Section 2-6. Organizational Meeting

The first meeting in January shall be known as the organizational meeting.

The Chairman shall be elected at the organizational meeting.

Following the election of the Chairman, he or she shall preside during the election of the Vice Chairman.

Following the election of the Vice Chairman, the Board shall:

Establish the dates, times and places for regular meetings; and

Adopt its Rules of Procedure.

Section 2-7. Procedure for Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman

The Chairman elected at the previous year’s Organizational meeting shall preside initially during the meeting at which the Chairman is elected. Following the election of the Chairman, he or she shall preside during the election of the Vice Chairman.

The presiding officer shall call for nominations from the Board.

Any Board member, after being recognized by the presiding officer, may place one or more names in nomination and discuss his or her opinions on the qualifications of the nominees.

After all nominations have been made the presiding officer shall close the nominating process and open the floor for discussion.

After discussion the presiding officer shall call for the vote.

The Board shall vote by roll call vote.

Each Board member shall cast one vote for any one nominee.

A majority of those voting shall be required to elect the Chairman or Vice Chairman. If no candidate receives such a majority in the roll call vote, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes shall be dropped from the slate of nominees and shall be ineligible for re-nomination at that meeting.

This process will continue until the Chairman or Vice Chairman, as the case may be, is elected by a majority of the supervisors present and voting.

The Chairman and Vice Chairman shall serve until the next organizational meeting and until their successor is appointed and qualified.

SECTION 3 – OFFICERS

Section 3-1. Chairman and Vice Chairman

The Chairman shall preside over all meetings of the Board at which he/she is present. The Vice Chairman serves in the absence of the Chairman. In the absence from any meeting of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman, the Board members present shall choose one of their members as temporary presiding officer.

Section 3-2. Clerk

The Clerk of the Board shall be the County Administrator appointed by the Board. (For purposes of Va. Code, § 15.2-1538, the Board’s adoption of these rules shall constitute the appointment of the Clerk.) He or she shall prepare the agenda for Board meetings, shall attend all Board meetings, and shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings. The Clerk may act through one or more deputies or assistants.

Section 3-3. Parliamentarian

The County Attorney shall serve as the Parliamentarian for the purpose of interpreting these Rules of Procedure and the Code of Virginia. If the County Attorney is unavailable, the County Administrator shall serve as the Parliamentarian.

Section 3-4. Preservation of Order

At meetings of the Board, the presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum. The presiding officer shall have the following powers:
To rule motions in or out of order, including any motion not germane to the subject under discussion or patently offered for obstructive or dilatory purposes;

To determine whether a speaker has become disruptive by exceeding reasonable standards of courtesy in his or her remarks and to entertain and rule on objections from other members on this ground;

To call a brief recess at any time;

To adjourn the meeting.
A decision by the presiding officer under any of the powers listed above may be appealed to the Board upon motion of any member. Such a motion is in order immediately after a decision under those powers is announced and at no other time. The member making the motion need not be recognized by the presiding officer, the motion does not require a second, and the motion, if timely made, may not be ruled out of order.

SECTION 4 – AGENDA

Section 4-1. Preparation

The Clerk of the Board shall prepare an agenda for the regularly scheduled meetings conforming to the order of business specified in Section 5-1 entitled “Order of Business.”

Any two Board members may request that items be placed on a meeting agenda by contacting the Clerk by noon six days prior to the Board meeting for which they wish the item scheduled.

All items which are requested to be placed on the agenda and which have not been submitted within the prescribed deadline shall be placed on the following regular agenda for discussion or consideration.

Nothing herein prohibits the Board from adding items to the agenda, provided that such a request is in the form of a motion, voted upon by a majority of the Board.

Any individual or group who wishes to address the Board during a regular meeting (outside of public comment periods) shall submit a written request to be on the agenda to the Clerk of the Board by noon at least six days prior to the Board meeting for which they wish the item scheduled. Upon receipt of such a request, the Clerk will consult with the Chairman as to whether the matter should be placed on the agenda.

Section 4-2. Delivery of Agenda

The Board meeting package, including the agenda and related materials, should be available to each member of the Board and the County Attorney four days prior to the Board meeting. Delivery by electronic means is the preferable method. Any materials necessary for a closed session of the Board shall be delivered separately and shall be plainly marked “confidential.”

Section 4-3. Public Access to Agenda Materials

The Clerk of the Board shall oversee posting of the agenda documents for all Board meetings on the Internet for public information as promptly as possible. Copies of the agenda will also be available in the office of the County Administrator at 600 N. Main Street, Suite 102, Woodstock, VA 22664 for public inspection. Furthermore, paper copies of agenda documents will be provided upon request in the Administration Office. Nothing in this section, however, authorizes public disclosure of materials marked “confidential” under § 4-2.

SECTION 5 — ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR BOARD MEETINGS

Section 5-1. Order of Business

At regular meetings of the Board the order of business shall generally be as follows:

Call to Order, Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance
Approval or Amendment of Agenda
Special Presentations
Consideration of Non-Action Items, if Applicable.
Public Comment (other than matters for which a public hearing has been or will be held).
Consideration of Consent Agenda
Public Hearings
Old Business
Consideration of Planning Commission Items
New Business
County Attorney’s Comments
Board Member Comments
County Administrator’s Comments
Other Business
Closed Session
Adjournment

The above order of business may be modified by the Clerk of the Board to facilitate the business of the Board.

Section 5-2. Consent Agenda

The consent agenda may include, by way of illustration but not limitation, the following:
Approval of minutes.

Ordinances or resolutions that are routine.

Any item believed to be routine and not controversial in nature.

Any item previously discussed in an open meeting.

The consent agenda shall be introduced by a motion “to approve” and shall be considered by the Board as a single item.

There may be a short discussion of consent agenda items to answer questions or clarify a matter. There shall be no lengthy debate or discussion of a consent agenda item.

Upon request of any Board member, an item shall be removed from the Consent Agenda. The item shall be considered separately after adoption of the Consent Agenda.

Section 5-3. Citizen Presentations and reports

Every petition, communication or address to the Board shall be in respectful language and is encouraged to be in writing.

Public Presentations and Comment:

Individuals or groups wishing to present at a regular Board meeting shall submit a written request to the Clerk of the Board by noon at least six days prior to the regular meeting date. All requests shall be considered as provided in § 4-1(E).

Public presentations shall be for the purpose of allowing members of the public to present any matter which deserves the attention of the Board. They shall not serve as a forum for debate with the Board.

Remarks shall be addressed directly to the Board and not to staff, the audience, or the media.

The presiding officer shall open the public presentations and comment.

Each speaker shall clearly state his or her name and address.

Presentations placed on the agenda shall be subject to such time limitation that is respectful of the Board but allows for question, comments and discussion among the members of the Board. Time limits may be noted on the agenda (presentations made under general comment periods shall be limited to three minutes per speaker.)

Speakers are not permitted to donate time to other speakers.

There shall be no public comment or presentations on a matter for which a public hearing has been or will be held.

Any issue raised by the public which the Board wishes to consider may be put on the agenda for a future Board meeting or work session by a majority vote.

Board members should not discuss issues raised by the public except by consent of a majority of the Board members present.

Once the Board has heard a presentation from an individual or organization on a particular subject, the individual or organization may not make another presentation on the same subject within three months of the first presentation, except by a majority vote of the members of the Board present and voting.

Other than as stipulated in these rules or during public hearings, no person shall be permitted to address the Board orally, except by permission of the Board, and such permission shall not be granted unless with the consent of a majority of the members of the Board present at such meeting.

No speaker’s time shall be extended except by unanimous consent or a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board members present.

Section 5-4. Prohibited Conduct

Persons appearing before the Board (or attending Board meetings) will not be allowed to:

Use profanity or vulgar language or gestures;

Use language which insults or demeans any person or which, when directed at a public official or employee is not related to his or her official duties, however, citizens have the right to comment on the performance, conduct, and qualifications of public figures;

Make non-germane or frivolous statements;

Interrupt other speakers or engage in behavior that disrupts the meeting including but not limited to applause, cheers, jeers, etc.;

Engage in behavior that intimidates others;

Address the Board on issues that do not concern the services, policies or affairs of the County.

The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum at Board meetings. After consulting with the County Attorney, he or she may order the expulsion of any person for violation of these rules, disruptive behavior, or any words or action which incites violence or disorder, subject to appeal to the Board. Any person so expelled shall not be readmitted for the remainder of the meeting from which expelled. Expulsion is an extreme remedy and should not be taken lightly.

Section 5-5. Public Hearings

This section of the agenda shall be for public hearings as required by County, State, or Federal law, or as the Board may direct.

The presiding officer shall conduct all public hearings.

The order of public hearings is generally as follows:

The presiding officer shall open the public hearing.

Hearings will typically begin with a brief presentation from a staff member and/or representative from the applicable board, authority or commission. The presentation should summarize the facts about the issue and any staff recommendation. Board members may seek clarification during the presentation.

The presiding officer shall then solicit comments from the public, each speaker must clearly state his or her name and address. There shall be a time limit of three minutes for each individual speaker.

Speakers are not permitted to donate time to other speakers.

Upon the conclusion of public comments, the presiding officer shall close the public hearing.

When a public hearing has been closed by the presiding officer, no further public comment shall be permitted. Board members, however, may direct questions to the applicant, the representative of the applicable board, authority, commission, committee, to a speaker, or to a staff member for clarification prior to taking any vote, if a vote is in order.

Section 5-6 Closed Meetings

No meeting shall become a Closed Meeting until the Board takes an affirmative record vote during the open meeting.

The motion shall state specifically the purpose or purposes which are the subject of the closed meeting and reasonably identify the substance of the matters to be discussed. The motion shall make specific reference to the applicable exemption(s) under the Freedom of Information Act which authorize the Closed Meeting.

Members should request the assistance of the County Attorney when making additions to the published Closed Meeting agenda.

No resolution, ordinance, rule, contract, regulation or motion considered in a Closed Meeting shall become effective until the Board reconvenes in an open meeting and takes a vote of the membership on such resolution, ordinance, rule, contract, regulation or motion which shall have its substance reasonably identified in the open meeting.

At the conclusion of a Closed Meeting, the Board shall reconvene in open meeting immediately thereafter and shall cast a vote certifying that to the best of each member’s knowledge:
Only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements were discussed; and;

Only public business matters identified in the motion convening the Closed Meeting were heard, discussed or considered.

Any member who believes that there was a departure from the above requirements shall so state prior to the presiding officer’s call for the vote, indicating the substance of the departure that, in his or her judgment, has taken place.

The failure of the certification to receive the affirmative vote of the majority of the members present during the Closed Meeting shall not affect the validity or confidentiality of the Closed Meeting with respect to matters considered therein in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

The Board may permit non-members to attend a Closed Meeting if their presence would reasonably aid the Board in its consideration of an issue.

Individuals attending a Closed Meeting should respect the Board’s decision that the subject matter is too sensitive for public discussion and should treat the Closed Meeting discussion as confidential.

SECTION 6 – RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR BOARD MEETINGS

Section 6-1. Quorum

As provided by Section 15.2-1415 of the Code of Virginia, a majority of the members of the Board must be present to conduct business. A quorum is a majority of the entire membership of the Board, including any vacant seats.

Quorum refers to the number of members present at a meeting, not the number of members voting on an issue. If no quorum is present or if a quorum is lost, the Board can only (i) Adjourn, (ii) Recess, or (iii) take steps to obtain a quorum.

If the Virginia Conflict of Interests Act prevents some of the members of the Board from participating in an item of business, Sections 2.2-3112 and 15.2-1415 of the Code of Virginia provide that a majority of the remaining members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

Section 6-2. Priority in Speaking on the Board

When two or more members of the Board wish to speak at the same time, the presiding officer shall name the one to speak.

Section 6-3. Comments, Queries of Board Members

Board members are to observe the following rules during the discussion of agenda items:

The presiding officer shall keep discussion germane to the subject. Points of clarification shall be limited to questions only. The presiding officer shall rule other comments out of order.

Board members may address questions to the County Administrator or staff present at the meeting. Staff members should be at a microphone when answering Board members’ questions. All legal questions should be addressed to the County Attorney.

Section 6-4. Action by the Board

Items of business will be considered and dealt with one at a time (except for those on the consent agenda), and a new proposal may not be put forth until action on the preceding one has been concluded.

Section 6-5. Motions

Informal discussion of a subject is permitted while no motion is pending.

Any member, including the presiding officer, may make a motion.

Members are required to obtain the floor before making motions or speaking, which they can do while seated.

A member may make only one motion at a time.

Except as otherwise stipulated in these rules of procedure, all motions require a second and a motion dies for lack of a second.

Section 6-6. Main Motions

A main motion is any motion that deals with the merits of an item of business and is within the Board’s legal powers, duties and responsibilities.

A main motion is out of order while another main motion is pending.

Section 6-7. Procedural Motions

Procedural motions are those motions that the Board may use to “act upon” a main motion by amending it, delaying consideration of it, and so forth. Procedural motions are in order while a main motion is pending and at other times, except as otherwise noted.

In addition to main motions, only the following procedural motions, and no others, are in order. Unless otherwise noted, each motion requires the floor and a second, is debatable, may be amended, and requires a majority of the votes cast, a quorum being present, for adoption. Procedural motions are listed below in their order of priority. If a procedural option is not listed below, then it is not available.

To Appeal a Procedural Ruling of the Presiding Officer. A decision of the presiding officer under Rule 3-4(A) may be appealed to the Board which shall decide the matter by majority decision. Such an appeal is in order immediately after such a decision is announced and at no other time. The member making the motion need not be recognized by the presiding officer, the motion does not require a second, and the motion, if timely made, may not be ruled out of order.

Motion To Adjourn. At a meeting of the Board, a motion to adjourn shall always be in order, except the motion may be made only at the conclusion of action on a pending matter; it may not interrupt deliberation of a pending matter. The motion is not debatable and cannot be amended.

To Take a Brief Recess. This motion allows the Board to pause briefly in its proceedings. A motion to take a brief recess is in order at any time except when a motion to appeal a procedural ruling of the presiding officer or a motion to adjourn is pending

To Suspend the Rules. The Board may suspend provisions of its rules of procedure in accordance with Section 8-2. The Board may not, however, suspend any provisions of the rules that state requirements imposed by law on the Board

To Defer Consideration. The Board may defer action on a substantive motion to a more convenient time. The Board may use the following motions to defer consideration of a main motion:

(a) The motion to “lay on the table” is used to temporarily set aside an item of business to deal with a more urgent item. Once an item of business has been laid on the table, a motion to “take from the table” is needed to bring the item back before the public body for discussion.

(b) The motion to “postpone” delays debate on an item of business so that it may be considered at a later date. An item of business may be “postponed definitely,” when it is continued to a definite time or date or “postponed indefinitely” if no future time or date is specified in the motion. A matter that has been postponed to a certain time or day shall be brought up again automatically when that time arrives. When a matter has been postponed indefinitely it takes an affirmative vote of a majority of the Board to bring the matter back for further discussion.

(c) Section 15.2-2286 of the State Code requires that a zoning petition must be “acted upon” within a “reasonable time,” not exceeding one year. The Board may defer action on a zoning petition for consideration at a more convenient time. However, the Board may not dispose of a zoning petition with a motion to postpone indefinitely.

Call the Question. The motion to call the question is not in order until every member of the Board has had an opportunity to speak once and the deliberation by the Board on an item of business has exceeded thirty minutes. The motion is not amendable or debatable.

To Amend. Any main motion properly on the floor may be amended. An amendment to a motion must be pertinent to the subject matter of the motion. An amendment is improper if adoption of the motion with that amendment added would have the same effect as rejection of the original motion. A proposal to substitute completely different wording for a motion or an amendment shall be treated as a substitute motion. A motion may be amended no more than twice. Once a motion has been offered to the Board, it is up to the Board to decide whether or not it should be changed by amendment. It is not necessary for the person making the original motion to approve of any proposed amendment to the motion.

Substitute Motion. A substitute motion shall be allowed to replace any motion properly on the floor. It shall have precedence over an existing motion and may be discussed prior to being voted on. If the substitute motion fails, the former motion can then be voted on. If the substitute motion passes, the substitute motion replaces the main motion and the new main motion will be considered and acted upon by the Board. No more than one substitute motion may be made. If a substitute motion passes and replaces the main motion, no further substitute motions may be made.

Withdrawal of Motion. A motion may be withdrawn by the introducer at any time before it is amended or before the presiding officer puts the motion to a vote, whichever occurs first.

Motion to Prevent Reintroduction for Six Months. The motion shall be in order immediately following the defeat of a main motion and at no other time. The motion requires for adoption a vote of the majority of the entire membership (4) of the Board. If adopted, the restriction imposed by the motion remains in effect for six months. As with every other procedural motion, the motion to prevent reintroduction may be dissolved by a motion to suspend the rules.

Section 6-8. Debate

The presiding officer shall state the motion and then open the floor to debate. The presiding officer shall preside over the debate according to the following general principles:

The maker of the motion is entitled to speak first;

A member who has not spoken on the issue shall be recognized before someone who has already spoken;

A member of the Board may vote against his or her motion, but may not speak against his or her motion.

The presiding officer may participate in the debate prior to declaring the matter ready for a vote.

Board members shall not engage in electronic communications amongst themselves during any regular or special meeting.

Section 6-9. Abstentions

Each member of the Board who is present at a meeting is expected to vote upon all issues presented for decision unless prohibited from doing so by the Virginia Conflict of Interests Act or if action by the member on a particular matter would have an appearance of impropriety. A member who wishes to be excused from voting shall state his or her reasons for abstaining.

If there is an abstention, it shall be the responsibility of the Clerk of the Board to note the abstention and the reason for abstaining for the record.

Section 6-10. Method of Voting

After debate, the presiding officer shall ensure that the motion is clear and call for the vote.

All questions submitted to the Board shall be determined by a majority vote of the members voting on any such question, unless otherwise required by special or general law. A majority is more than half.

An “affirmative vote” by a majority of the Board present being necessary to adopt a motion, a tie vote means that the motion, resolution or issue has been rejected.

In order for a motion in a zoning matter to be adopted, it must be approved by a majority of those voting.

All questions submitted to the Board for decision shall be decided by a vote of the Board with an oral vote of “aye” or “nay”. Any member may request a roll call vote. In any case, the presiding officer shall announce the results of the vote.

Section 6-11. Decisions on Points of Order

Any Board member may raise a point of order without being recognized by the presiding officer. The presiding officer shall refer any point of order to the Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian shall advise the presiding officer who shall then make a ruling on the point of order. A Board member may appeal the ruling of the presiding officer to the full Board which shall decide the matter by majority decision.

SECTION 7 — BOARDS, AUTHORITIES, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES

Section 7-1. Appointments to Boards, Authorities, Commissions, and Committees

Members of boards, authorities, commissions and committees shall be appointed by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Board to serve specified terms as may be deemed to be appropriate by the Board.

Ad hoc committees, such as special task forces, may be created from time to time, for specific purposes, as determined by the Board.

SECTION 8 – GENERAL OPERATING POLICY

Section 8-1. Minutes of the Board Meetings

The minutes of the Board meetings shall reflect the official acts of the Board. They shall provide a summary of discussion and record Board votes. Minutes shall be considered for approval within a reasonable time after the meeting they record. Approved minutes constitute conclusive evidence of the events of a Board meeting.

Section 8-2. Amending the Rules of Procedure

These rules may be amended at any regular meeting, or at any properly called special meeting that includes amendment of the rules as one of the stated purposes of the meeting. Adoption of an amendment shall require an affirmative vote of four members of the Board.