Lowell’s Plan E form of government has an inherent weakness: No single person has the final say. Although the Mayor chairs the meetings, serves on the School Committee, and represents the city ceremonially, the Mayor has no more power than any other Councilor. The City Manager is the chief executive, but the City Manager works for the City Council. To remain on the job, the City Manager must keep most of the City Council happy which means doing what Councilors “ask” regardless of the wisdom or propriety of those requests. The City Manager executes policy set by the council which means the eleven City Councilors must set the direction of the city.
My recollection of the meeting was that quite a bit of time early on was taken up by time devoted to mayor’s business. It seemed to me that close to an hour was spent on this section of the agenda. A vast chunk of the remaining time was devoted to trash pickup and homeless issues. Hmm?
At last Tuesdays City Council meeting, the Mayor asked for a motion to go past the 10 pm Rule 5.
A motion was made to go past the Rule 5, not a motion to suspend the rules. To pass a motion as put forth, it requires a majority vote, since it was never made as a suspension of the rules.
If a suspension of the rules is asked for as spelled out in rule 32, before any role call, if two Councilors object, then the suspension of the rules can not be put forth and the meeting is over.
If there is a role call on the suspension of the rules, then it takes 2/3 to defeat the suspension of the rules.
There was never a motion to suspend the rules on the floor, what was on the floor was a motion to go past the 10pm rule 5. Under any regular motion, majority is the rule and 7-4 was a majority.
My recollection of the meeting was that quite a bit of time early on was taken up by time devoted to mayor’s business. It seemed to me that close to an hour was spent on this section of the agenda. A vast chunk of the remaining time was devoted to trash pickup and homeless issues. Hmm?
At last Tuesdays City Council meeting, the Mayor asked for a motion to go past the 10 pm Rule 5.
A motion was made to go past the Rule 5, not a motion to suspend the rules. To pass a motion as put forth, it requires a majority vote, since it was never made as a suspension of the rules.
If a suspension of the rules is asked for as spelled out in rule 32, before any role call, if two Councilors object, then the suspension of the rules can not be put forth and the meeting is over.
If there is a role call on the suspension of the rules, then it takes 2/3 to defeat the suspension of the rules.
There was never a motion to suspend the rules on the floor, what was on the floor was a motion to go past the 10pm rule 5. Under any regular motion, majority is the rule and 7-4 was a majority.