b.
The town clerk, deputy town clerk, or an appointed clerk shall perform the duties of clerk for the town meeting under
s. 60.15, Wis. stats.
c. The town meeting may require the clerk to keep a poll list with the name and address of each elector voting at the meeting.
N. Excused Voting. For voting upon orders, motions, resolutions, ordinances, action items, business items, or any other question, all individual members of the town board present at the town board meeting shall vote when that individual town board member's name is called unless for special cause a town board member has been excused prior to the vote by an affirmative roll call vote of the remaining members or if the town board member states that he or she refuses to vote. No reason need be stated for a refusal to vote. Any member of the town board voting in the majority on any matter may move for reconsideration of the vote at the meeting at which the vote was taken. A motion to reconsider being proposed and then defeated shall not be renewed. No vote for rescission of any action shall be taken without majority vote of the town board and then only if rescission of the action is an agenda item.
O. Motions Stated. Prior to any debate on any matter, the members of the town board shall be entitled to a clear understanding of the motion before the town board. The person making the motion shall clearly state the motion. There shall be requested a second to any motion prior to any debate or discussion of the motion by the town board. Motions made in writing by a member of the town board and provided to the town clerk prior to the meeting shall be provided priority in the appropriate order of business. The town chair shall restate the motion prior to any debate and discussion. Any member of the town board, prior to a vote on the motion, may request that the motion and any amendments adopted to the motion be reduced to writing and submitted in writing to the members of the town board prior to the final vote on the matter. All votes on motions, resolutions, orders, and ordinances shall be recorded by town clerk or other agent of the town board.
P. Change of Vote. No member of the town board may change his or her vote on any action item, business item, motion, or question after the final result has been announced by the presiding officer.
Q. Priority Matters. When any action item, business item, motion, or question is before the town board, no other action item, business item, motion, or question shall be in order except any of the following:
1. A motion to adjourn or recess the meeting.
2. A motion to lay the question on the table.
3. A motion to call the question.
4. A motion to postpone the question to a date certain.
5. A motion to refer the question to a standing committee or other committee.
6. A motion to amend or divide the questions.
7. A motion to postpone the question indefinitely.
8. A motion to introduce a matter related to the question.
R. Motions with Preferences. During any meeting of the town board certain motions will have preference. In order of preference, the items to be given preference are:
1. Motion to Adjourn. A motion to adjourn can be made at any time and has first precedence. This is a nondebatable motion.
2. Motion to Lay on Table. A motion to lay on the table may be made when the subject matter appropriate for tabling is to be debated or discussed. This motion is a nondebatable motion.
3. Motion to Call Previous Question. A motion to call the previous question may be made at any time after the debate or discussion commences related to any action item, business item motion, or question that is properly before the town board. This motion is a nondebatable motion. This motion, if adopted, ends the debate and discussion at the meeting on the action item, business item, motion, or question. The motion, if adopted, brings the town board to a direct vote with the first vote on any amendments, if any, and then to the main action item, business item, motion, or question.
4. Motion to Postpone to Date Certain. A motion to postpone to a certain date may be made at any time after the debate and discussion commences on an action item, business item, motion, or question that is properly before the town board. This motion is debatable. This motion, if adopted, ends the debate and discussion at the meeting on the action item, business item, motion, or question. This motion must establish a date and time certain when the debate and discussion before the town board will continue. The date and time established must be on a date and time for a regularly scheduled or special meeting of the town board.
5. Motion to Committee. A motion to refer to a committee may be made at any time after the debate and discussion commences on an action item, business item, motion, or question that is properly before the town board. The motion is debatable. This motion, if adopted, ends the debate and discussion at the meeting on the action item, business item, motion, or question. This motion, if adopted, forwards the action item, business item, motion, or question to a committee for further review and discussion. The committee must be a committee of the town board.
6. Motion to Amend or Divide Question. A motion to amend or divide the question may be made at any time after debate and discussion commences on the action item, business item, motion, or question properly before the town board. The motion is debatable. This motion, if adopted, divides the main action item, main business item, main motion, or main question pursuant to the method described and adopted in the motion to divide.
7. Motion to Postpone Indefinitely. A motion to postpone indefinitely may be made at any time after debate and discussion commences on the action item, business item, motion, or question properly before the town board. This motion is debatable. This motion, if adopted, ends the action item, business item, motion, or question.
8. Motion to Introduce Matter Related to Action Item, Business Item, Motion, or Question. A motion to introduce a matter related to the action item, business item, motion, or question may be made at any time after the debate and discussion commences on the action item, business item, motion, or question properly before the town board. This motion is debatable. This motion, if adopted, expands or adds to the debate and discussion new items related to the main action item, main business item, main motion or main question pursuant to the method described and approved in the motion to introduce a matter related.
9. Motion to Reconsider. A motion to reconsider may be made by a member who cast a vote on the prevailing side of the question proposed to be reconsidered if the motion is made at the same meeting at which the decision was made or at the next meeting of the town board. A motion to reconsider being made and the vote lost shall not be renewed nor shall the subject be considered a second time. The town board shall not act upon the motion to reconsider if vested rights of the town or any person will be violated by the reconsideration action of the town board.
10. Motion to Rescind. A motion to rescind may be made by any member of the town board at any time to rescind a decision made at a prior town board meeting, but shall require a majority vote of the town board. The town board shall not act upon the motion if vested rights of the town or any person will be violated by the rescission action.
11. Action Items, Business Items, Motions, or Questions. No action item, business item, motion, or question at a public meeting shall be included, or considered, by the town board on its business order agenda unless the action item, business item, motion, or question was initially presented to the town board and included on the meeting agenda by a town board member or the town clerk. No member of the town board shall request, at a meeting of the town board, a vote from the general public unless the proposed vote of the general public is so noted by the town chair or the presiding officer of the meeting as strictly an advisory vote to the town board and the vote was specifically included as a possible action item before the town board on the meeting agenda. Any vote taken by the general public at a meeting of the town board shall be considered by the town board only as an advisory vote and shall not be considered as a directory vote. Specific directory votes to require certain actions to be taken by the town board may only occur at an annual or special town meeting if the action by the electors at the annual or special town meeting is provided for by state law. No directory vote will be taken at an annual or special town meeting if the action cannot be demonstrated as a statutory power of the annual or special town meeting.
S. Town Board Action at First Meeting. 1. Date of First Public Meeting. The first regular meeting of the town board shall be held on the ____ [insert day of week] in April in the odd year.
2. Appointment of Committees. The town chair or town board shall, at the first meeting or, if the established meeting agenda does not permit, at the second meeting, appoint or reappoint persons to the following special offices of the town, namely: [list].
3. Appointment, Designation, Retention, or Employment of Officers. The town board shall, at its first meeting or, if the established meeting agenda does not permit, at the second meeting, appoint, reappoint, designate, retain, or employ persons to the following town offices, if these offices have been previously created by the town board and their terms have expired, namely:
a. Town Attorney.
b. Town Engineer.
c. Town Auditor.
d. Town Surveyor.
e. Town Health Officer.
f. Town Humane Officer.
g. Town Superintendent of Highways.
h. Town Assessor.
i. Town Administrator.
j. Town Emergency Government Officer.
k. Town Plan Commission Members.
l. Town Ethics Board Members.
m. [list others].
4. Public Depositories. The town board shall, at its first meeting or, if the established meeting agenda does not permit, at the second meeting, designate one or more public depositories for depositing town funds.
5. Town Constable. The town board shall, at its first meeting or, if established meeting agenda does not permit, at the second meeting, designate the jurisdiction and duties of the town constable if the office of town constable has been created.
6. Other Actions. The town board shall, at its first meeting or, if the established meeting agenda does not permit, at the second meeting, address, in addition, the following items: [list].
T. Suspension of Rules. The rules of conduct under this ordinance or any part of these rules or any other rules of conduct of the town board may be temporarily suspended at any meeting of the town board, including any special meeting of the town board, in connection with any matter under consideration by the town board. Any rules of conduct may be suspended by a recorded affirmative roll call vote of two-thirds or more of the members of the town board present at the meeting unless the suspension would violate federal or state laws or regulations.
U. Amendment of Rules. The rules of conduct stated in this ordinance or any part of these rules or any other rules of the town board may be altered or amended at any meeting of the town board on proper notice and inclusion in the meeting agenda, including any special meeting or the town board. Any rules stated in this ordinance may be altered or amended by a recorded affirmative roll call vote of two-thirds or more of the members of the town board present at the meeting of the town board.
SECTION VI – APPLICABILITY OF RULES OF CONDUCT TO TOWN SUBUNITS
The rules of conduct stated in this ordinance shall control the conduct of all meetings of subunits of the town to the extent applicable.
SECTION VII – SEVERABILITY
If any provision of this ordinance or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this ordinance that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this ordinance are severable.
SECTION VIII – EFFECTIVE DATE
This ordinance is effective on publication or posting.
The town clerk shall properly publish this ordinance as required under
s. 60.80, Wis. stats.
Adopted this ______ day of ________, 20__.
[Signature of town board]
Attest: [Signature of town clerk]
Note: This procedure is adapted for compliance with the requirements of the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law, subchapter V of chapter 19, Wis. stats., and is not mandatory.
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Town of ________
________ County
The Town Board of the Town of ________, ________ County, Wisconsin, hereby provides its written notice and an agenda of the public meeting of the Town Board of the Town of ________ for ________ ___, 20__, at ____ __.m., at ________. The town chairperson, or a designee, has provided communication of this public meeting to the requisite news media and to the official town newspaper, if any.* The public may provide comments to the town board if a period for public comment is noted on the agenda and upon recognition by the presiding officer.
AGENDA
1. Call to order.
2. Roll call/Quorum call/Verification of public notice and approval of agenda of the town board meeting.
3. Public comments and suggestions from residents of the town and other persons present.** Introduction of guests.
4. Reading of minutes of prior meeting and approving these minutes after errors in the minutes have been rectified to the satisfaction of the town board.
5. Procedural motions by members of the town board. [List each motion and contents of motion to be discussed and possible town board actions to be taken.]
6. Communications and petitions by town clerk – No discussion or action.
7. Reports of specific standing committees. [List reports and content to be discussed by and with town board.] No action to be taken.
8. Reports of special committees, special commissions, and special boards. [List reports and content to be discussed by and with town board.] No action to be taken.
9. Reports of town officers. [List specific reports and content to be discussed with town board.]
10. Public hearings and advisory votes - [List and describe each individual subject and content and any possible discussion and possible action to be taken by the town board after the hearing.]
11. Specific matters for discussion and possible action by town board in open session:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv. [so continue]
12. Specific matters intended for discussion and possible action by town board for closed session under one or more of the below-noted closed-session exemptions and reasons that allow for closed session: (Optional)
i.
ii.
iii.
iv. [so continue]
13. Specific matters intended for discussion and possible action by town board for reconvened open session. (Optional) Future meeting agenda/Discussion and possible action on future town board agenda, including specific items for inclusion on or exclusion from future agenda.
14. Adjournment.
Dated this ______ day of ________, 20__.
Meeting notice posted or published as follows: [state method of publication or posting notice].
[Signature of town chair or designee]
19.84 (1) Public notice of all meetings of a governmental body shall be given in the following manner:
