2002-052A (2).4
RESOLUTION NO.S :2^ 2002
RESOLUTION ADOPTING RULES OF THE TOWN BOARD OF
THE TOWN OF WAPPINGER
The following Resolution was introduced by Mr. Colsey and seconded by
Mr. Paoloni
WHEREAS, to ensure the orderly conduct of Town Board business, the Town Board
wishes to adopt a set of rules governing the Town Board.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby adopts the
"Rules of the Town Board of the Town of Wappinger," in the form annexed hereto, as the
governing rules of the Town Board.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that any other governing Rules of the Town Board are
The foregoing was put to a vote which resulted as follows:
JOSEPH RUGGIERO, Supervisor
ROBERT L. VALDATI, Councilman
VINCENT F. BETTINA, Councilman
JOSEPH P. PAOLONI, Councilman
CHRISTOPHER J. COLSEY, Councilman
Dated:-", inger Falls, New York
%2002
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Voting Aye
Voting Aye
Voting Absent
Voting Aye
Voting Aye
The Resolution is hereby duly declared adopted.
�_�
, _,_ � - - , J. - 7111- /-', /le r- � �
GLORIA J. M7, TT CLERK
Town of Wappinger
New York
Rules of the Town Board
of the
Town of Wappinger
Section 1. Regular Meetings of the Town Board
1.1 Regular meetings of the Town Board shall be held on the second and fourth
Monday of each month.
1.1.1 The Annual Reorganization Meeting shall be scheduled by
Resolution of the Town Board during the prior December.
1.1.2 The first meeting of the month shall be deemed the Town Board
Workshop meeting.
1.1.3 Meetings scheduled for the second and fourth Monday of each
month shall be held without prior written notice to the Board
Members.
1.2 In the event that a Regular Meeting date falls on a legal holiday, as
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date of such meeting at a previous Board meeting.
1.3 The time and place of a Regular Meeting date may be changed, or may be
cancelled, by the affirmative vote of three (3) members of the Town Board.
Cancellation of any Regular Meeting must occur at a duly constituted Board
meeting. Except for cause, there shall be at least one regular Town Board
meeting conducted each calendar month. The Supervisor may cancel any
Regular or Special Meeting because of inclement weather conditions or
other emergency.
1.4 A quonlm of a Town Board shall consist of three (3) Board Members
present.
1.5 The Committee of the Whole meeting of the Town Board shall be held as
needed.
1.5.1 Any Committee of the Whole meeting relating to agenda items to
be placed on the next ensuing Town Board meeting must be held at
least five (5) days prior to such Town Board meeting.
Section 2. Special Meetings
2.1 Special Meetings of the Town Board may be called by the Supervisor at any
time upon two (2) days notice by fax, email or telephone.
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2.2 Upon the written request of two (2) Town Board members, the Supervisor
shall, within ten (10) days of receipt of such request, call a Special Meeting of
the Town Board.
2.3 The Supervisor shall give written notice of the date, time and place for the
Special Meeting as well as a list of the items to be discussed at such Special
Meeting, no later than forty-eight (48) hours prior to such meeting by fax,
email or personal delivery.
2.4 Except in the case of an emergency, notice of a Special Meeting may be made
by regular mail to each of the Board Members addressed to the Board
Member's regular place of residence. An Affidavit of mailing by the Town
Clerk or his/her duly constituted Deputy shall be presumptive evidence that
such notice was duly served upon the Board Members.
2.5 Notice of a Special Meeting may be made by personal delivery. An Affidavit
of personal service of the notice shall be filed with the Town Clerk at least
four (4) hours prior to the Special Meeting and will be deemed duly sufficient
proof of service.
2.6 Any Town Board Member may name one or more designees to receive notice
of a Special Meeting, either by fax, email, personal service or regular mail.
The name(s) and address(es) of such designee(s) must be submitted in writing
to the Town Clerk. If no designee has been named, then notices of a Special
Meeting must be served only upon the Town Board Member, as herein
provided.
2.7 A Special Meeting cannot be held until each Town Board Member has been
duly served with a notice of such Special Meeting as provided in these rules or
the Town Board Member(s) has executed a Waiver of Notice for such Special
Meeting.
Section 3. Supervisor
3.1 The Supervisor shall be the Presiding Officer and shall chair each meeting of
the Town Board. In the event, the Supervisor shall fail to appear at the time
fixed for such Town Board Meeting, the Deputy Supervisor, or in his/her
absence the Town Clerk, shall call the meeting to order. The Town Board, by
a vote of at least three (3) of its members, shall select a member- to serve as
Presiding Officer and Temporary Chairman for said meeting. If the
Supervisor shall arrive after such meeting has been commenced, he/ she shall
immediately assume the duties of Presiding Officer and Chair of the meeting.
3.2 The Town Clerk, Supervisor, or Deputy Supervisor shall determine the
presence or absence of a quorum of the Town Board. In the event that a
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quorum is lacking, the person presiding over said meeting shall adjourn the
meeting until the next regularly scheduled Town Board meeting or duly called
Special Meeting.
Section 4. Public Comment
4.1 The members of the public may make statements and/ or comments
concerning any item contained on the printed agenda for any Regular or
Special Town Board meeting. Such comments shall be limited to two (2)
minutes per member of the public. The Town Board, by motion, may defer
any agenda item to the end of the meeting for further discussion and public
comment
4.2 Other than items for which a Public Hearing was conducted, upon the
affirmative vote of three (3) members of the Town Board, the Rules may be
suspended to permit further comment by the public prior to vote by the Town
Board.
Section 5. Meeting Agenda
5.1 The Agenda shall be prepared jointly by the Supervisor and the Town Clerk.
Any Town Board Member may request an item to be placed on the Agenda.
5.2 Except in the case of an emergency, the Agenda of a Regular Town Board
Meeting shall be closed at 1:00 p.m. five (5) days prior to the date of such
Regular Meeting.
5.3 Except in the case of an emergency, items may be added to the Agenda of any
Regular Meeting after the close of the Agenda provided such items are listed
as "Items Proposed For Special Consideration". Stich items shall require the
affirmative for three (3) members of the Town Board to open the item for
discussion and the affirmative vote of four (4) members to take possible
action, otherwise such items will be placed on the Agenda for the next
regularly scheduled Town Board meeting.
5.4 Except in the case of an emergency, the Agenda for a Special Board Meeting
shall be closed at 1:00 p.m. two (2) days prior to the date of such Special
Board Meeting.
5.5 Except in the case of an emergency, items may be added to the Agenda of any
Special Board Meeting after the close of the Agenda provided that such
Agenda items are listed as "Items for Discussion". Such items shall require
the affirmative for three (3) members of the Town Board to open the item for
discussion and the affirmative vote of four (4) members to take possible
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action, otherwise such items will be placed on the Agenda for the next
regularly scheduled Town Board meeting.
5.6 No items shall be placed on the Agenda or considered by the Town Board
unless documentation relating to the Agenda item has been delivered to the
Town Clerk no later than 1:00 p.m. on the Wednesday immediately preceding
the scheduled Regular Meeting.
5.7 Notwithstanding the foregoing, claims served on the Town or its employees
may be added to the Agenda of any Regular Meeting at any time up to the
commencement of this scheduled meeting. In the event that an item has been
placed on the Agenda for which no documentation has been made available by
the time prescribed, or from a previous meeting, then the Supervisor shall
automatically remove the item from the Agenda and so notify the Town Clerk
before final preparation thereof, however, additional documentation may be
submitted up to the time of the meeting. Items designated "for discussion" are
exempt from documentation but no action may be taken without the
affirmative vote of four (4) Members of the Board.
Section 6. Clerical Assistance
6.1 Should any Town Board Member so request, clerical assistance shall be made
available to him or her through the Office of the Supervisor. Such clerical
assistance shall only be for official Town Business.
Section 7. Order of Business
7.1 The Regular Order of Business for all Regular or Special Town Board
Meetings shall be as follows:
• Call to order
• Salute to the Flag
• Roll Call
• Public Hearings
• Receipt and approval of Minutes
• Suspension of the rules to allow public comment on Agenda items
with a two (2) minute time limit per person
• Agenda Items
• General suspension of the rules
• Items for Discussion
• New Business
• Adjournment
7.2 No later than 4:00 p.m. four (4) days prior to the scheduled Regular or
Special Town Board Meeting, the Town Clerk shall mail, or forward via fax,
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copies of the Agenda together with documentation for all submitted agenda
items. In the case of an emergency Special Town Board Meeting conducted
on less than ten (10) notice, the Town Clerk shall provide copies of the
Agenda together with documentation at least twenty-four (24) hours before
such Special Board Meeting.
7.3 The Supervisor, or in her/ his absence, the Deputy Supervisor, or, in their
absence, the Town Clerk, may with the consent of the majority of the Board
Members present change the order of the Agenda during any meeting of the
Board. The Regular Order of Business or the Order of the Agenda shall be
made upon motion duly made, seconded and carried by the Board.
7.4 Upon the affirmative vote of three (3) members of the Town Board, new items may
be added to the Agenda during any Regular or Special Town Board meeting
for discussion only. No action may be taken on such items without the
affirmative vote of four (4) Town Board members. After the Agenda has
been prepared, new items may be added during any Regular or Special Town
Board meeting; such new items shall be designated as "Items for
Discussion". No action may be taken without the affirmative vote of four
(4) Town Board members, otherwise the item will be placed on the next
regularly scheduled Town Board meeting.
7.5 No Board vote shall be required for claims which have been served upon
the Town or its employees and received after the Agenda has been printed.
The Town Clerk shall notify the Board during the Board Meeting of the
receipt of such claims which shall be referred to the Attorney to the Town for
appropriate action.
Section 8. Rules of Order
8.1 All Regular and Special Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with
Town Law, and, except where inconsistent with Town Law, shall be governed
by the latest edition of the Robert's Rules of Order.
8.2 The affirmative vote of three (3) members of the constituted Town Board
voting at any meeting shall be required to adopt any action, motion or
resolution, except in those instances where New York State Law or these rules
of procedure require a greater affirmative vote.
8.3 These rules may be suspended, amended or rescinded by the affirmative vote
of three (3) members of the Town Board.
8.4 These rules shall remain in effect until new rules are adopted by the new
Town Board.
8.5 Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the rules of debate on any topic and shall
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be strictly followed.
8.6 A motion to aujourn may be made by any member who shall have been
recognized by the Supervisor or, in his/ her absence, the Deputy Supervisor
or, in their absence, the Town Clerk. Such a motion shall not be recognized
during a roll call or while the board is engaging in voting. A motion to
adjourn shall be decided without debate. Unless excused, members shall not
leave a meeting until the Supervisor or, in his/ her absence, the Deputy
Supervisor or, in their absence, the Town Clerk shall announce that the
meeting is adjourned.
8.7 The vote upon every question shall be taken by ayes and nays, and the names
of the Board Members present and their votes shall be entered in the minutes.
The Board Members shall vote first, in the order of wards, and the Supervisor
shall vote last.
Section 9. Deputy Supervisor
9.1 Upon request of the Supervisor, when the Supervisor is absent or
incapacitated, or when a vacancy exists in the Office of the Supervisor, the
Deputy Supervisor shall be the Acting Supervisor. During such period, the
Deputy Supervisor shall be vested with all the powers and may perform all the
duties of the Supervisor as provided herein or by applicable New York State
Law.
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