M E M B E R S ’ M A N U A L

Boards & Commissions

Roles and Responsibilities of Board Members

3 Who May Serve 3 Board Terms 3 What Makes a Board? 4 Attendance 4 Quorum 4 Meetings 5 Orientation 5 ConflictofInterest and Recusal 5 StaffSupport 6 Annual Review Process 6 Successful Meetings 6 Successful Boards 7 Board Documentation

Roles and Responsibilities ofStaffLiaisons

9 Regulations that Apply to All Boards 9 Meetings: Scheduling Rooms 9 Video Recording 9 Agenda Preparation10 Open Meetings Act10 Quorum10 AttendanceandConflicts ofInterest 11 Minutes 11 Tracking and Reporting Requirements

12 New Member Recruitment12 StaffLiaisonResponsibilities13 ChangetoBy-Laws13 ElectionofOfficers13 Annual Review13 Packets

ConflictResolution for Board Members

15 WhatisConflict?15 ReasonsBehindConflict16 RespondingtoConflict16 ActiveListening17 StepstoResolveConflict

ConflictManagementFive Modes

19 One: Competing19 Two: Avoiding20 Three: Accomodating20 Four: Compromising21 Five: Collaborating21 ConflictManagementChart

Oklahoma Open Meetings Act Guidelines

23 Prior to a Meeting23 Places and Times for Meetings23 Voting24 Executive Sessions24 Minutes

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M E M B E R S ’ M A N U A L

Boards & Commissions

24 New Business24 During the Meeting24 What Constitutes a Meeting?24 Action Does Not Comply... 25 Basic Parliamentary Procedures25 Type of Motions25 Main Motions25 Six Steps of a Motion25 Secondary Motions26 Subsidiary Motions26 Privileged Motions27 IncidentalMotions

Basic Parliamentary Procedures

29 Glossary of Motions31 Glossary of Terms

B O A R D M E M B E R S

Roles & Responsibilities

In this document, the term “board” applies to a trust, board, commission, task force, or other body as created by the City of Edmond.

Who May Serve

Inordertoserveonaboardorcommission,amem-ber must be a resident of Edmond. An exception may exist when members are nominated by a non-City en-tity,suchastheChamberofCommerce,theEdmondSchoolBoardortheUniversityofCentralOklahoma,as approved by the City Council.

A Council Member or the Mayor nominates an in-dividualtoaCityboard,thenameisplacedontheappropriateCouncilagenda,andtheappointmentisvoted on by the full Council. Those interested in serv-ing on a board should complete an online application found at edmondok.com/bcapp.

BoardmembersrepresenttheCityofEdmond,andformanycitizens,maybetheironlycontactwiththeCity.ItisimportantthatmembersfollowtheCity’sordinances. Members should be aware of and avoid conflictsofinterest,shouldnotsolicitoracceptgiftsand should not use City property for personal use.

Boardmembersshould,atthebeginningoftheirterm,signawrittenacknowledgementstatingthattheyareincompliancewiththeCity’sConflictofInterestpolicy,Section63oftheCity’sCharter.Tomaintaineligibility,boardmembersmustcon-tinuetomeetresidencyrequirements,beincompli-ancewiththeCity’sConflictofInterestAgreementand meet the attendance requirements. Sometimes a person may be appointed to serve on a task force or committeethatiscreatedforaspecificpurposeorforaspecificlengthoftime.Theordinancecreatingthetaskforcewillcontainspecificinformationregardingthat task force.

Board Terms

Council appointments are for three years; appoint-ments are limited to three complete three-year terms. The Council may make an exception in order to provide for continuity of historical knowledge and/ororiginalterm,andarenotconsideredto be a full term. Terms commence in either June or October,andarestaggeredasmuchaspossiblebyyear.Appointmentsbynon-Cityentities,suchas the Chamber of Commerce or Edmond School Board,maybeforotherperiodsoftime.

Boards assist the Edmond City Council by providing a preliminary public hearing for issues that may go before the Council, by making recommendations to the Council, by advising City staff and by providing programming and activities that enhance the quality of life in Edmond.

This manual is designed to serve as a guide to current and potential board members in order to maximize their benefit to the Council and the Edmond community.

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What Makes a Board?

The majority of boards in the City of Edmond are advi-sory boards. The boards make recommendations to the City Council. They are charged with reviewing is-sues,hearingconcernsofcitizens,understanding andexploringpossibleoptions,andprovidingfeed- backandrecommendationsthatCouncilorstaff may act upon.

Inaddition,severalboardsadministerprogramsthrough funding provided by the City Council. Typically a Council Member is assigned to boards withfinancialoversight.

Attendance

Everyeffortshouldbemadetoattendallmeetings.Theinability to attend a meeting should be communicated tothechairorstaffliaisonbythememberasfarinad-vanceofthemeetingaspossible,sothattheability to have a quorum can be determined.

Ifamemberisabsentforthreeconsecutiveregularmeetings,orone-thirdofallregularmeetingsinatwelvemonthperiod,themembermay,atthediscretionoftheMayorandCityCouncil,beremovedfromtheirposition. Some boards have separate attendance poli-cies,asdescribedintheirby-laws.Absencesforillnessorinjurymaybeconsideredanexception,aslongas themembernotifiestheboard’schairandstaffliaisonin writing of the reason for the absence before the next regular meeting. Electronic communication is acceptable.

Quorum

Inorderforaboardtomeetandconductbusiness,aquorum must be present. A quorum is a simple majority ofthecurrentmembership,unlesstheordinancethatcreatedtheboardorcommissionspecifiesthenumberneededforaquorum.Unfilledpositionsdonotchangethe requirements for a quorum. Quorums are deter-mined within ten (10) minutes of the posted meeting time.Ifthereisnoquorum,themeetingiscancelledand any business to be conducted must be re-posted on another agenda with appropriate public posting.

Meetings

The City requires that all boards and commissions comply with the Open Meetings Act. Closed (executive) sessionsarenotallowed,unlesstheCityAttorneyhasgiven the board approval in advance. There are three primary features of the Open Meeting Act:

• The public must be permitted to attend the meeting.

• An agenda of the meeting including the date, time and location must be posted for public viewing 48 hours in advance or as prescribed by the City Attorney.

• Minutes of the meeting must be kept and made available to the public.

Boards should establish a regular meeting time and place,withmeetingstooccuratleastquarterly,al-though exceptions may exist by statute or by approval of the City Attorney. Schedules for all meetings must be published in advance for each calendar year.

Allitemsareplacedontheagendabythechairperson,inconsultationwiththestaffliaison.Allagendaspostedbythestaffliaison,shouldfollowastandardtemplateandwhenpossiblebecreatedintheCity’sagendasoft- ware.Ifaboardmemberwouldliketoaddanitem,thechairperson should be contacted with the request at leastfivedaysbeforethemeeting.

Agenda items should indicate if they are for discussion onlyorfordiscussionandconsideration,whichprovidesan item to be voted on by the members.

Only subjects listed on the posted agenda can be consid-ered for that meeting. Any other subject brought up by the public or a member of the board must be limited to providingafactualanswertoaquestion.Ifthesubjectneedsfurtherdiscussion,itmustbeplacedona future agenda.

Proceedings of each meeting shall be recorded in the form of minutes. The minutes will be written by the recordingsecretaryoftheboardorthestaffliaison,

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andshouldbekeptonfileandavailabletothepub-lic if requested. Provisions should be made by each board to keep minutes in the absence of the record-ingsecretaryorstaffliaison.

Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the chair in order to conduct business that needs action prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. Thesamerulesregardingposting,attendanceandquorum shall apply.

Orientation

Afteranappointmentismade,preferablypriorto thenextboardmeeting,thenewmembershould be provided with:

• The current roster, including contact information (name, address, telephone and cell phone numbers and email) of all members.

• Staffliaisoncontactinformation

• Meeting time and location

• Anybudgets/financialreportspertaining to the board

• The three most recent agendas, minutes and supporting documents

• Any by-laws or organizational documents of the board

• Any mission statements, annual plans, goals and objectives or programming plans for the current and future year.

Theboardchairandstaffliaisonshouldmeetwiththe new member prior to the next meeting. This serves as an opportunity to explore with the new memberanyparticularinterests,abilitiesorexperi-ence that the new member brings to the board. Such a meeting would also allow the new member to ask any questions regarding their new role. A brief ex-planationoftheCity’sstructure,budgetingprocess,

interaction with other City departments and key names and positions for those departments would also be appropriate.

ConflictofInterestandRecusal

At the beginning of each meeting members will sign anattendancesheet,whichwillincludeboardname,date and time. This form will indicate 1) that the memberhasnoconflictofinterestwithanyitemontheagenda,or2)thenumberoftheagendaitemoritemsinwhichaconflictofinterestexists.Ifaconflictofinterestexists,aboardmembermustrecusehim/herself from any discussion or vote on the item.

Membersmustnotdiscusstheconflictofinterestwith the board or any individual board member; nor may the member address the board or an individual member as an advocate for him/herself or any other person.Itisnotrequiredthatthememberleavethediscussion,butitiscommonpracticeintheCityofEdmondtodoso.Anyconflictorrecusalshouldbereflectedinthemeetingminutes.

The requirements for recusal vary depending on the particular board. The City Attorney may be contacted toassistmemberswithquestionsregardingconflictsof interest or a need for recusal.

StaffSupport

TheCityManager’sOfficeappointsastaffmember,termeda“liaison,”tosupporttheboard.Theliaisonwillpreparetheagenda(withthehelpofthechair),post meeting notices and keep attendance records for theboard.Thestaffliaisonmayalsoactasrecord-ingsecretaryifoneisnotappointedbytheboard.Itis important to understand that the board does not superviseormanagethestaffliaison,andwhiletheboardmayrequestassistancefromstaff,theboardmay not direct them to perform work on behalf of the board.

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Theboardmay,however,requestinformationor resources from other departments through the staffliaison.

See“StaffLiaisonRolesandResponsibilities”sectionfor additional information.

Annual Review Process

The City Council may annually determine if any boards will be required to participate in a review process.

The review will consist of the preparation of an Annual Report,whichispreparedduringaregularmeetinginthefirstquarterofthecalendaryear.Theannualreporthas two parts: the annual review and the work plan.

The annual report should include:

• A summary of the board’s activities from the previous year

• Posted agendas for each board meeting

• Approved minutes for each meeting

• Each resolution or written recommendation sent to Council

The work plan includes:

• Goals and objectives for the next plan year which focus on long-range strategic issues

• Proposed activities for the next year that will assist the board in achieving their goals and objectives

• Any request to revise the board’s by-laws, rules, procedures or mission statement

• Requirements for administrative and staffsupport

The annual report may also include a recommen-dationonwhethertheboardshouldcontinue,bedissolved,orhaveitsassigneddutiesandrespon-sibilities changed or transferred to another board. The review allows the members to rate their actions during the previous year to determine if they were in agreement with their mission statement and the goals and objectives indicated in the previous work plan.

The annual report and work plan should be submit-tedtotheCityManager’sOfficeforinitialreviewandthen submitted to City Council.

Successful Meetings

Asuccessfulmeetinginvolveseffectivecommunica-tion between individuals or groups which derive from good meeting planning and good facilitation skills.

Meetings should be under the control of the chair. Members are responsible for ensuring that the meet-ing is conducted in an orderly and professional man-ner. A set meeting procedure should be maintained and explained to those present at the beginning of the meeting. The published agenda should be adhered to,anddecisionsmadeinatimelymanner,inorderto ensure due process. Members should stay focused and avoid becoming overly involved in non-pertinent detailsorrequestsforadditionalinformation.Issuesshould evolve to a consensus.

Members should strive to make informed decisions. Strategiesincludekeepinganopenmind,hearingall the testimony or information before discussing theprosandconsofanitem,askingforclarificationwhenneeded,remainingfocusedonthefacts,listen-ing carefully before making or announcing a decision and avoid making the discussion personal.

Successful Boards

Being a member of a board for the City of Edmond is an opportunity to serve your community. You have been appointed to help the Council make sound decisions for the citizens of Edmond.

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Timely attendance is crucial. Members should ar-range personal schedules in order to be at the meet-ing,ontimeandavailableforthedurationofthemeeting. This will ensure that a quorum is present and the business of the meeting can proceed.

Members should prepare for each meeting by reading and reviewing the agenda in advance of the meeting and spending as much time as necessary to become thoroughlyfamiliarwitheachitem.Itiskeytoknowthe facts in order to make an informed decision.

Membersareencouragedtoaskthestaffliaisonforadditional information on any agenda item. This would include requests in advance of the meeting in ordertoallowthemeetingtoflowappropriately.

Beprofessional.Don’tminglewithfriends,acquain-tances,applicantsorobjectorsintheaudiencebeforethe meeting or during a recess as this can create the impressionofbias,dishonestyorconflict.

Be polite and impartial. Assist those who are not familiar with the protocol.

Be attentive to those who are presenting their point of view. This is an important issue to them and their voice must be heard.

Follow the policies and procedures for the board.

Asapublicofficial,itisaboardmember’sresponsibil-ity to know and follow the rules and regulations that govern the board.

Board Documentation

Not all of the boards of the City of Edmond are definedbyacityordinanceorresolution,orhaveby-laws or written policies and procedures. This manual is intended to provide guidance for Boards lacking these documents. And while boards are encouraged tocreatemissionstatements,by-laws,andpoliciesandprocedures,toprovidedirectionintheir

deliberationsandactions,alldocumentsshould be in accordance with any existing ordinances or resolutions pertaining to the board.

This manual covers the essential aspects of board membership and strives to serve as a guideline to beinganeffectivemember.Membersshouldcontactthe City Attorney with additional questions.

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S T A F F L I A I S O N S

Roles & Responsibilities

Regulations that Apply to All Boards

Oklahoma law requires that all boards comply with the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act. The three central features of the Act are:

1. The public must be permitted to attend meetings,

2. An agenda of the meeting must be posted for the public to see

3. Minutes of the meetings must be kept and made available to the public upon request.

Boards should also comply with the Open Records Act,anyotherstateorfederallawsthatpertaintotheirspecificboardandapplicableCityOrdinances.TheCityAttorney’sofficewillsupplyanyother appropriate documents as needed.

Meetings: Scheduling Rooms

A schedule of meeting dates for the entire year should be adopted in December for the following year. Once theschedulehasbeenapproved,theliaisonshouldarrange for a meeting room. Selecting one location forallmeetingsisrecommended.Staffshould

atthistimeaddressanyknownconflicts,suchaslegalholidays,whenaquorumwouldbeunlikely/impractical.

Video Recording

Uponoccasion,aboardmaywishtohaveameet-ings televised; if so please contact the Marketing and Public Relations Department to discuss the possibility.

Agenda Preparation

All boards for the City should operate in a similar manner so that the board system is as open and transparentaspossible.Staffliaisonsshoulduse the Agenda Quick program to create meeting agendas fortheboard(contacttheCityManager’sofficeif you need training on this software). All agendas mustincludethedate,time,locationandallis-suesthatwillbeconsidered.Itemsshouldbestatedas‘Discussion’(non-voting)or‘DiscussionandConsideration’(voting).Allitemsontheagendamusthave enough information in the description so that any reasonable person will be able to understand what the board intends to discuss during the meeting.

Boards are an established feature of Edmond’s municipal government. They offer citizens an opportunity to participate in the City’s governmental affairs. However, boards cannot perform effectively without support from City staff. Accordingly, the City Manager’s Office will appoint a staff liaison to provide support to a board. This section covers the general responsibilities of the staff liaison.

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TheagendashouldbecompiledbythestaffliaisonwithinputfromtheboardChairperson.Ifaboardmemberwantstoincludeanitemontheagenda,heorshemustcontactthechairperson,whoshould notifythestaffliaison.Therequesttoplaceanitem ontheagendashouldbesubmittedtothestaff liaisonatleastfive(5)daysbeforethemeeting.

All meeting agendas should be posted as City Council Workshops.

Open Meetings Act

The Oklahoma Open Meetings Act legislates the methods by which public meetings are conducted. Title 25 O.S. Sections 301-314 of the Oklahoma Statutesdefinesthelaw.

The act requires all public bodies to establish a regu-lar meeting schedule for each calendar by December 15 of the previous year. Calendars of regular meetings mustbefiledwiththeCityClerk’sOffice.Changesin regularly scheduled meetings require a 10 day notificationtotheCityClerk’sOffice.Inadditiontothecalendarnotice,allmeetingsrequireanoticetobepostedintheCityClerk’sOffice24hourspriortothemeeting,excludingweekendsandholidays.This notice must include an agenda which will limit the topics to be discussed at the meeting. Notice for reconvened meetings must be provided in the original meeting. Meetings that do not appear on thefiledscheduleofmeetingsrequirenoticetobeplacedoutsidethemainoffice48hoursinadvanceof the meeting and be transmitted to all individuals and news agencies who request it. The act does allow emergencymeetingsindiresituations,provided that every attempt is made to notify the public.

The act requires that all agencies record detailed minutesofthemeetings,includingthetimeanddate,themembersinattendance,thesubjectsdiscussedand any votes made. Voting in meetings must be pub-lic and recorded in detail in the minutes. The public

body may not prohibit an individual from recording an open meeting using either audio or video recording equipment.

Quorum

Staffliaisonsshouldcallorotherwisecontactboardmembers,preferablyatleast24hoursinadvanceofthemeeting,todeterminethattherewillbesufficientmembers in attendance for a quorum. A quorum is a simple majority of the total number of authorized boardmembers.Forasevenmemberboard,fourmembers are required for a quorum. Vacant seats do not change the number necessary for a quorum.

Ifthereisnoquorumwithinten(10)minutesafterthestartingtime,themeetingmustberescheduled.No discussion or action can occur.

Any member who indicates they cannot attend/or does not attend the meeting should be noted as absentinaccordancewiththeattendancepolicy, even if the meeting is ultimately cancelled.

Ifameetingistobecancelled,thestaffliaison shouldprovidetheCityClerk’sOfficewitha Notice of Cancellation.

AttendanceandConflictsofInterest

Thestaffliaisonshouldprepareanattendancesheetfor each meeting. Each board member must sign the attendance sheet and declare either that he or she has noconflictofinterestorthatheorshehasaconflictand indicate the item number.

Ifamemberhasaconflict,themembermustrecusehim or herself and cannot take part in any discussion orvoteontheissue.IntheCityofEdmond,memberswithaconflicttypicallyremovethemselvesfromtheroom at the time the agenda item is heard. All recus-als must be announced by the board member and noted in the written minutes.

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Minutes

UndertheOpenMeetingsAct,allmeetingsmusthavewritten action minutes. Minutes should be recorded bytherecordingsecretaryoftheboardorthestaffliaison. Templates for the preparation of minutes areavailablefromtheCityManager’sOffice.

Actionminutesshouldinclude,ataminimum, the following:

• Alistofboardmembers,staffandguestsin attendance when the meeting was called to order

• The time the meeting was called to order

• The subject of each deliberation (taken from the agenda)

• Each vote, order, decision or any other action that was taken

• The names of presenters, if there were any

• If and when any members leave the room for a discussion and when they return

• The time the meeting adjourned.

Minutes should be approved at the subsequent meeting of the board. Once the minutes have beenapproved,theyshouldbekeptonfile withthestaffliaison.

Tracking and Reporting Requirements

StaffliaisonsmusttrackandreporttotheCityManager’sOfficeanyproblemnotedassoonas possible with the following issues:

• If a member misses three consecutive reg- ular meetings, 1/3 of all regular meetings in a 12-month period or is in violation of the attendance requirements as contained in a board’s by-laws.

• If a board member has any change in their contact information, address, employment, etc. The City requires that members be residents of the City of Edmond, unless exempt by an ordi- nance, state or federal law, or any other excep- tion. If a board member moves out of the city, thestaffliaisonneedstonotifytheCity Manager’sOfficeassoonaspossible.

• If a board is failing to meet for any reason for more than six months.

• Ifaboardmemberresigns,thestaffliaison shouldmakeeveryefforttogettheresignation in writing, either in hard copy or electronic. When a board member resigns, the resignation mustbesenttotheCityManager’sOfficeupon receipt.TheCityManager’sOfficewillnotify the appropriate council member of the vacancy.

Appointments or reappointments are made by City Councilatregularmeetings.TheCityManager’sOfficewillnotifytheliaisonofallappointmentsorreappointments.Whenanappointmentismade, the liaison should consult with the board chair and arrange to:

• Contact the new member

• Advise of the meeting date, time, location

• Provide copies of the Boards and Commissions Manual,by-laws,proceduresandanydefining ordinances and

• ObtainasignedcopyoftheConflictofInterest form, available from the City Attorney.

• Ensure that all member information is current in the City’s tracking database.

• Participate in an orientation with the new member and the board.

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Board members cannot participate in a meeting untilasignedcopyoftheConflictofInterestform hasbeenfiled.

New Member Recruitment

Board members should assist in the recruitment of new members when there are vacancies. The most effectivemeansofrecruitmentisfacetofacecontactof those citizens who have shown an interest in a particular board. All interested parties should com-plete an application which can be requested from the CityManager’sOfficeorfoundontheCitywebsite,edmondok.com/bcapp .

StaffLiaisonResponsibilities

Staffliaisons,ortheirdesignatedstaffwhen appropriate,should:

• Ensure compliance with the ordinance, by-laws and state or federal laws, if any are applicable to the board.

• Assist the board chair in keeping the board’s activities within the scope of the board’s mission.

• Ensure the board’s actions are in compliance with the Open Meetings Act, the Open Records Act and the City’s Code of Ordinances.

• Work closely with the board chair to construct the agenda, provide back-up information on agenda items, forward information to new board members, and, when appropriate, maintain the budget and provide monthly financialreportstotheboard.

• Prepare the agenda and post the meeting in compliance with the Open Meetings Act.

• Prepare agenda packets and distribute to board members by their preferred method of receipt (see below).

• Take action minutes of the meetings and post the approved minutes, in the absence of a recording secretary for the board.

• Revise or cancel meetings, if necessary.

• Submit any desired changes to the board’s bylaws totheCityManager’sOffice,forapprovaland further action (see below).

• Managenewofficerelectioneachyear (see below).

• Assist the board in completing the annual review and work plan, if applicable, that is due in the firstquarteroftheyear(seebelow).

• Track attendance of board members and report anyproblemstoCityManager’sOffice.

• Report any changes in board members’ personal datatoCityManager’sOffice.

• ArrangeforanynecessaryCitystafftoattendthe meetings to respond to questions from the board or to make presentations. • Staffliaisonsshouldensureonlycriticalstaff attendboardmeetingstoconservestaffresources.

• Report any resignations immediately to City Manager’sOffice,andassisttheboardchairwith the recruitment of new members (see below).

• Provide backup documentation to board members in a timely manner.

• Assist the board chair with other duties as requested.Staffliaisonshouldconsultwith the City Attorney if needed to determine ability to meet requests of the chair or board.

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ChangestoBy-Laws

Allboardsshouldadoptstandardby-laws.Iftheboarddesiresachangetotheirby-laws,thestaff

liaisonshouldconsultwiththeCityAttorney,overseeappropriate board discussion of the issue and arrange for inclusion on a City Council agenda. Since it is the City’sdesirethatboardsbestandardized,aboardshouldhaveabusinessjustificationfortherequestedchange.Aby-lawamendmentisnoteffectiveunlessapprovedbytheCityAttorneyandtheCityCouncil,ifindicatedasnecessarybytheCityAttorney.If approved,theboardwillbenotifiedandcantake additional action necessary to make approved amendedby-lawsofficial.

ElectionofOfficers

Thestaffliaisonshouldscheduleanelectionofof-ficersduringthefirstmeetingofeachyear(orassoonasconvenientinmeetingmembers’termschedule).Officersareelectedforoneyeartermsbutmayserveunlimitedconsecutiveterms.LiaisonsmustnotifytheCityManager’sOfficeofthenamesoftheofficersfor tracking purposes every time there is a change inofficers.

Annual Review

Eachyear,selectedboardsmayberequiredto conduct an annual review and work plan using a pro-vided template. The City Council will designate which boards will conduct an annual review by December 31st.Thereportisdueduringthefirstquarterofthefollowingyear.Thestaffliaisonisresponsibleformaking sure the review is completed and the report isfiledinatimelymanner.

Packets

Thestaffliaisonwillprovideback-updocumentationfor the agenda items in a timely manner before the meeting.Itisrecommendedthatthematerialsbesent via email at the time the agenda is posted; how-everliaisonsshouldconfirmwitheachboardmemberthe preferred method of transmitting information.

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B O A R D M E M B E R S

Conflict Resolution

WhatisConflict?

Conflictisastrugglebetweenpeoplewithopposingneeds,ideas,beliefs,valuesorgoals.Conflictamonggroups of people working together is common be-causereasonablepeopleoftenhavedifferentpointsofview.Althoughfewpeoplegolookingforconflict,moreoftenthannot,conflictisaresultofmiscom-municationbetweenpeople.Conflictisnotnecessar-ily bad; it can serve to improve outcomes and deci-sions made by a group.

Understandingthenatureofconflictandhowboardmemberscaninfluencetheresultsisthekeyto effectiveconflictmanagement.

ReasonsBehindConflict

Theprimaryreasonsbehindmostconflictare:

• Differences• Needs• Perceptions• Power• Values

These are not negative things but they can become thecauseofconflictwhentheyarenotunderstood or accepted. Determining how people feel or what they are thinking may help identify some of the reasonsbehindtheconflict.

Differences are opinions that are unlike or dissimilar. Itisnotdifficulttofeelthreatenedorvulnerablewhensomeonehasadifferentopinion.Sometimesdiffer-encesofopinioninoneareamayaffectordamagearelationshipinanotherarea.Butdifferencescanalsobebeneficialandallowparticipantstoseeissueswithan open mind. Boards have a responsibility to allow differencestobeheardinarespectfulmanner.

Needs are conditions that are believed to be neces-saryorcritical.Theyarenotthesameasdesires,whichmaynotbeessential.Needs,ontheother hand,areessentialbecausetheycontributetoour selfworth,ourmotivationandourperformance. Ifneedsareignored,obstructedorconfusedwithdesires,theycanbeareasonbehindaconflict.

Perceptions are an understanding based on the senses or the mind; they are an immediate and intuitive recognition or appreciation of an issue. Each individual has a unique perception of the

Continued on next page.

Board members are provided with positive options for resolving conflict that may arise during the course of a meeting.

Conflict resolution seeks to recognize and address underlying issues. It involves taking action to keep a conflict from escalating. As a board member, efforts should be made to manage conflict before it escalates.

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worldandthepeopleinit,uponwhichactionsarebased. Edmond is a diverse city with many dif-ferent life experiences and educations that shape individuals’perceptions.Conflictmayarisewhenothersapproachanissuefromadifferentperception.Recognizing and helping others understand these varying perceptions is an important part of managingconflict.

Poweristheabilitytodooract.Itcanbepositivewhenitmeanstheabilitytoperformoracteffectively.Butinaconflict,powershouldnotbeusedincorrectlyto exercise control or to dominate. True power in managingconflictcomesthroughunderstandingthedifferences,needs,perceptionsandvaluesofothers.

A value canbeabelief,aprincipleorabehaviorthatanindividualthinksisextremelyworthwhile.Itissomethingofsignificantimportance.Conflictsoc-cur when a person interprets a value or principle of another person to be only a preference. Values can beapowerfulforcebehindaperson’spositioninaconflictanditisimportanttorespectthosevaluesduringaconflict.

RespondingtoConflict

Respondingtoconflictisadelicatebalancebetween cooperation and assertiveness.Peoplechoosetorespondtoconflictinvariousways.Some people choose to compete with others in order towin,whereasotherschoosetoavoidaconflictalltogether. Some people will accommodate others by lettingthemhavetheirwayandstillotherstrytofinda compromise or collaborate to obtain a mutually ac-ceptable resolution. The key is to choose the approach accordingtotheneedsandimportanceoftheconflict.(SeeConflictManagementChartonpage21)

Twogoalsofeveryconflictaretoclarifytheissue and maintain the relationship.

Sometimes board members have a choice whether or nottobeinvolvedinaconflict.Severalissuesshouldbe considered before a decision is made.

• The relative importance of the issue.

• The impact on the relationship with the other party.

• The potential consequences of engaging in theconflict.

Consideration of how an action or inaction will impact the board and its goals should be carefully weighed in advance.

ActiveListening

Inadditiontoknowingthereasonsfortheconflict,understanding the feelings of those involved in the conflictisalsoimportantinresolvingtheconflict.One way to do this is through active listening. Active listening is a way of listening and responding to others that improves shared understanding and trust.Itisanespeciallyusefulskillinaconflict.

Activelisteningtakespractice.Itrequiresfocusing onthespeaker’smessageinsteadofonthedistrac-tions of the presentation or the atmosphere and listening for ideas and not just facts. With active listening,themessagetakesprecedenceoverthe messenger;completethoughtsareidentifiedfrombeginning to end. An active listener asks questions to clarify what has been said before presenting his or her own ideas.

Members should employ good listening skills:

• Be attentive• Be non judgmental• Allowpeopletofinish• Stay on subject• Make sure you understand what the speaker is saying before formulating your own position

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StepstoResolveConflict

Public meetings can be challenging but they are an important part of the democratic process. As a board member,effortsshouldbemadetoensurethatmeet-ingsareaseffectiveaspossible.Themember’sroleisnottoeliminateconflict,buttoguidetheconflicttopositive results.

Somesuggestionstominimizeconflictina meeting are:

• Come prepared to every meeting, actively listen and ask pertinent questions.

• Carefully explain the purpose of the meeting, the expected outcomes, and the ground rules for the meeting.

• Be unconditionally constructive and address people with respect at all times.

• Treat all sides fairly and help balance emotion and reason.

• Focus on the issues, not the people, and separate relationship issues from substantive issues. Askspecificandneutralquestions.

• Acceptanddealseriouslywithdifficultpeople and avoid repetitious debate with speakers and other board members.

• Provide for balanced discussion on proposals and motions by inquiry, listening and gaining understanding by using persuasion, not coercion.

• Ensure that all points of view have been heard.

• Always provide time for consultation with other membersandstaffbeforedecisionsoragree- ments are made.

• Ensure that all solutions can be supported.

Conflictwillarisebecausereasonablepeopleoftenhavedifferentpointsofview.Conflictisnotalways abadthing;itcanoftenleadtobeneficialresults.

Understandinghowconflictmayarise,howpeopletypicallyrespondtoitandfactorsthatinfluenceitcanhelptomoreeffectivelymanageconflictwhen it arises.

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Conflict ManagementF I V E M O D E S

One: Competing

This mode is assertive and uncooperative. This is a power-orientedmode,inwhichanindividualpursueshisorherowninterestsatanotherperson’sexpense.

The competing mode is appropriate when:

• Quick decisive action needs to be taken —e.g., emergencies.

• Unpopular decisions need to be made.

• When vital issues must be handled.

• To protect yourself against people who take advantage of noncompetitive behavior.

Competing Skills:

• Arguing or debating• Standing your ground / being assertive• Usingrankorinfluence• Stating your position clearly• Asserting your own opinions and feelings

Two: Avoiding

This mode is unassertive and uncooperative—the individual does not immediately pursue his or her own concerns or those of the other person.

The avoiding mode is appropriate when:

• An issue is trivial, of only passing importance, or when other more important issues are pressing.

• A member is in a position of little power or is frustrated by something which would be very difficulttochange(nationalpolicies,etc.).

• Thepotentialdamageofconfrontingaconflict outweighsthebenefitsofitsresolution.

• Itisbeneficialtoreducetensionstoaproductive level and to regain perspective and composure.

• Gathering more information outweighs the advantages of an immediate decision.

• The issue seems symptomatic of another more basic issue.

Response to conflict can be categorized into five modes: Competing, Avoiding, Accommodating, Compromising or Collaborating. Each mode is characterized on the scales of assertiveness and cooperation. None of these modes are wrong; however there are right and wrong times to use each mode.

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Avoiding Skills:

• Ability to withdraw• Ability to leave things unresolved• Ability to sidestep issues• Sense of timing

Three: Accommodating

This mode is unassertive and cooperative—the op-posite of competing. An individual neglects his or her own concerns to satisfy the concerns of the other person. This mode can be problematic when used to“keepatally”ortobeamartyr.

The accommodating mode is appropriate when:

• You realize that you are wrong, to allow a better position to be heard, to learn from others and to demonstrate reasonableness.

• The issue is more important to the other person than to yourself—as a goodwill gesture to help maintain a cooperative relationship.

• Continued competition would only damage your cause. • Preserving harmony and avoiding disruption are especially important.

Accommodating Skills:

• Setting aside personal desires• The ability to yield• Selflessness• Obeying orders

Four: Compromising

This mode is moderately assertive and moderately cooperative.Theobjectiveistofindsomeexpedient,mutuallyacceptablesolutionwhichpartiallysatisfiesboth parties.

The compromising mode is appropriate when:

• Issues or goals are moderately important, but not worth the potential disruption of a more assertive mode. • Two opponents have equal power or status and are strongly committed to mutually exclusive goals. • Temporary settlements to complex issues are deemed desirable.

• Expedient solutions or timely considerations take precedence.

• Collaboration or competition fails to be successful.

Compromising Skills:

• Negotiating• Assessing value• Finding a middle ground• Making concessions

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Five: Collaborating

Thismodeisbothassertiveandcooperative.It involves an attempt to work with the other person tofindsomesolutionwhichfullysatisfiesthe concerns of both parties.

The collaborating mode is appropriate when:

• It is imperative to identify an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised.

• The objective is to learn—e.g., testing assumptions and understanding the views of others.

• Incorporating other’s concerns into a consensual decision is optimal in order to gain commitment.

• It is desirable to work through hard feelings that have been interfering with an interpersonal relationship, or to improve relationships.

Collaborating Skills:

• Issues or goals are moderately important, but not worth the potential disruption of a more assertive mode. • Two opponents have equal power or status and are strongly committed to mutually exclusive goals. • Temporary settlements to complex issues are deemed desirable.

• Expedient solutions or timely considerations take precedence.

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F I V E M O D E S O F C O N F L I C T M A N AG E M E N T

C O O P E R AT I V E N E S S

A S S E R T I V E N E S SFocused on my needs and desired outcomes

Focus on others needs and mutual relationships

C O M P E T I N G

A V O I D I N G

C O L L A B O R A T I N G

C O M P R O M I S I N G

A C C O M M O D A T I N G

Oklahoma Open Meetings ActG U I D E L I N E S

The following information covers some of the high-lights of the Act and members are encouraged to review the complete Act in more detail.

Prior to a Meeting

Notice of meetings must be provided to the City Clerk priortomeetings.Writtennoticeofthedate,timeandplaceofmeetingsmustbefiledwiththeclerkbyDecember 15th of the preceding year for regularly scheduled meetings. This schedule can be changed by written notice not less than 10 days prior to change. Specialmeetingscanbeheldbyfilinganoticeofdate,timeandplaceinwriting,inpersonorbyphonenotlessthan48hourspriortothemeeting.(Otherrules apply to emergency or continued or reconvened meetings).

Theagenda(includingdate,timeandplaceofmeet-ing) must be posted at least 24 hours before the meeting in prominent public view. This excludes Saturdays,Sundaysandlegalholidays,soanagendafor a regularly scheduled meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Monday,mustbepostedby10:00a.m.onthe preceding Friday.

Agendas should state the purpose of the meeting and clearly describe each agenda item so that an ordinary citizenwithnospecializedknowledgeoftheboard’sprior action or deliberations will be able to under-stand from the agenda what the board will be doing at the meeting.

Places and Times for Meetings

Meetings must be held at places and times that are convenient to the public.

Voting

The vote of each board member must be publicly cast and recorded. Votes will be recorded in the minutes. Ifamotioncarriesunanimouslyandtheminutesre-cord the required information regarding which board memberswerepresentandabsentatthemeeting,anentrystating“Motionpassed5-0”or“Motionpassedunanimously”issufficient.However,ifamotionpasseswithavoteof3-2,theminutesmustrecord the way each member voted.

Board members are responsible to have knowledge of the Open Meetings Act and the requirements that pertain to their board’s meetings. Penalty for willful violations of the Act is a fine up to $500 and/or imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year.

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Executive Sessions

The Act allows public bodies to conduct executive sessions under limited circumstances. Before an executivesessioncanbeconducted,itmustappearproperly worded on the agenda. The board must have a motion and a majority vote to enter an executive session and the City Attorney must be contacted if an Executive Session is being considered.

Minutes

Minutesofaboardmeetingmustbekeptbythestaffliaison and be made available for public inspection. Theseminutesareanofficialsummaryofthe proceedings and must contain:

1. The manner and time that notice was given of the particular meeting.

2. The members present and absent.

3. All matters considered by the board.

4. All actions taken by the board.

New Business

“Newbusiness”itemscanbediscussedataregularlyscheduled board meeting if that wording is on the agenda and it is a matter not known about or which could not have reasonably been foreseen prior to the time of posting the agenda. Boards should use cau-tion when discussing new business items because the public will not have advance knowledge that it will be discussed. Unless it is an urgent item that needs im-mediate attention it may be best to put it on the next board meeting agenda for consideration. New busi-nesscannotbeconsidered,orplacedontheagendafor“SpecialMeetings”.

During the Meeting

While enacted to encourage and facilitate an in-formedcitizenry’sunderstandingofgovernment, the Act does not guarantee a citizen the right to par-ticipate in the discussion or decision-making process at an open meeting. The Act provides that a person attending a public meeting may record the proceed-ingsbyvideotape,audiotapeorbyanyothermethodas long as such recording does not interfere with the conduct of the meeting.

What Constitutes a Meeting?

TheAct’sdefinitionofa“meeting”issufficientlybroadenoughtoincludenotonlyanofficiallysched-uled,formallyconvenedgatheringofapublicbody,but also any informal gathering where a majority of thepublicbody’smembersarepersonallypresentandconductingbusiness.The“conductofbusiness”includesnotonlytakingofficialaction,buttheentiredecision-making process in which the public body is engaged,includingmerediscussionsanddeliberationwherenofinalactionistaken.Asaresult,informalgatherings of a majority of board members trigger the requirements of the Act whenever public business isdiscussed.Forexample,ifthereisafivememberboard,ifthreeboardmembersaretogether,itwouldbe considered a meeting and an agenda must be posted and other rules of the Act followed. The Act also states that a public body cannot use electronic or telephonic communications to circumvent the Act,whichcouldincludeemailsandphonecalls.

What to do if it is discovered that an action inadvertently did not comply with the Act?

Ifaboarddiscoversthatanactioninadvertently didnotcomplywiththeAct,correctiveactioncan be taken. The proper procedure is to begin the entire OpenMeetingsActprocessoveragain,fromfilingnoticetothepostingofanagenda,holdinganopenmeeting at which votes are publicly cast and recorded and so on. Posting meeting information on websites: Ifaboardhasawebsite,itisrequiredthatalisting of regularly scheduled meetings be posted on the

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website. The website posting must also include the date,time,place,andagendaofeachmeeting.Thedate,time,placeandagendaofanyspecialoremer-gency meeting must also be posted on the website when reasonably possible.

This guide lists some of the major points of the Open MeetingsAct,butcertainlydoesn’tcovertheEntireAct and all of its requirements. Boards should main-tainacopyoftheActwiththestaffliaisonorattheboard’sregularmeeting,ifpossible,toreviewif there are questions on meeting requirements. For additionalclarificationcontacttheCityAttorney.

Basic Parliamentary Procedures

The board works through items on an agenda through a series of motions that allow for discussion and the action. A motion is a proposal on which the entire membership can take an action or a stand on an is-sue. Motions are designed to ensure that every item is addressed in an orderly fashion. Members partici-pateinmeetingsthroughstatingmotions,debatingmotions,amendingmotionsandvotingonmotions.

Types of Motions

There are four basic types of motions:

• Main• Subsidiary• Privileged• Incidental

Main Motions

The purpose of the main motion is to introduce items to the membership for their consideration. The chair-person should not allow discussion of any item until a motion has been brought forward. The chair must make sure that the motion makes sense and is clearly statedintheaffirmative.Forexample,statingamo-tionintheaffirmativelikethis:“ThemotionistosetthedatefortheholidayeventtoDecember10th.”

Notstatingthemotionintheaffirmativepresents the body with a double negative and no clear idea what the motion is about. For example “The motion is to not set the date for the holiday event to December10th.”

Itistheresponsibilityofthechairtomakesureanymotion is clearly stated for the record. Once a motion hasbeenmadeandseconded,itnolongerbelongsto the person who made the motion but rather it is ownedbytheentirebody,whichcanthendiscuss,amend,and/orvoteitupordown.

Six Steps of a Motion

After the Chair reads the motion and following dis-cussionifnecessary,anduponcallingforamotion.There are six steps in handling a motion that is approved without amendments:

1. A member seeks to be recognized, and once recognized, states the motion.

2. Another member seconds the motion.

3. The chair states the motion and that it has been seconded.

4. Members may additionally, if necessary, and permitted by the Chair discuss the motion.

5. The chair calls for a vote (if appropriate).

6. The chair states the result of the vote.

Secondary Motions

Parliamentary procedures become a little complicat-ed when items are discussed on multiple levels. Asidefrommainmotions,therearesecondarymo-tions. These occur after the main motion and are calledsubsidiarymotions,privilegedmotionsandincidental motions. All of these motions must be considered according to a particular order of prece-dence. The order of precedence tells you when a

Continued on next page.

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motion is in order and in what order to vote on pend-ing motions. The appendix to this module includes an outline of the ranking of the motions as well as what canandcannotbeamendedanddebated,andvotingrequirements.

Subsidiary Motions

Often,amainmotiondoesnothaveenoughinforma-tion and needs to be changed. The purpose of subsid-iarymotionsistochangeoraffecthowamainmo-tion is handled. The only way to do this is by making another motion. Some examples are:

• Movetopostponeindefinitelyortoaspecific date or time.

• Refer the main motion to a committee for further review.

• Amend a motion.

• Limit debate.

• Call for the previous question.

• Lay on the table.

Callforthepreviousquestionsimplymeans, “Ithinkweshouldvotenow.”

Sometimes this motion is referred to as Previous Question.Theintentistoceaseorstopdebate, which assumes an immediate call for the question.

Layonthetableisusedinseveralcases.Forinstance,iftheboardneedsstafftoansweraspecificquestionandthatpersonisnotpresent.Or,theywanttostopthe meeting to recognize a dignitary that just arrived. Aboardmembersays,“Imovethatwetablethis action.”Theyaresettingthequestionasidelong enough to allow something to occur before they take it up again.

Amotiontopostponeindefinitelyisusedtokillamain motion for the duration of the meeting and perhapspermanently.Ifthatisnottheintentofthemaker,thensheorheshouldpostponetoaspecificdate or time.

Subsidiary motions must be considered according torank,meaningalowerrankingsubsidiarymotionmay not be brought before the assembly and consid-ered until a higher ranking subsidiary motion is resolved.

Thus,afteramotionhasbeenrestatedbythechair, a new motion that ranks higher may be considered butnotamotionthatrankslower.Forexample,a motion to postpone to a certain time may not be brought forth if a motion for the previous question hasnotbeenresolved.However,amotiontopost-pone to a certain time may be brought even if a mo-tiontopostponeindefinitelyhasnotbeenresolved.All subsidiary motions must be resolved before the group can return to the main motion.

Privileged Motions

Privileged motions are used to bring up items that are urgent about special or important matters that areunrelatedtopendingbusiness.However,OpenMeeting requirements still apply and privileged mo-tions may not contradict Open Meeting requirements. Privileged motions are ranked and they have prece-dence over all other motions. Some examples are:

• Call for the orders of the day• Raise a question of privilege• Recess• Adjourn

Call for the orders of the day would be used if the order of business as stated on the agenda is not being followed. The member observes that the agenda is not beingfollowedandsays,“Icallfortheordersoftheday.”Thechair,whoisresponsibleformaintainingorder is then required to follow the agenda or call for a suspension of the rules.

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Raise a question of privilege permits a member to in-terrupt pending business to state an urgent personal request. This pertains to things like noise (maybe it is too noisy to hear when people are speaking) or personal comfort (too hot or too cold).

IncidentalMotions

AnIncidentalmotionprovidesameansofquestion-ing procedure concerning other motions and must be considered before the other motion. Some examples are:

• Call for point of order• Appeal the decision from the chair• Suspend the rules• Objection to consideration of a question• Division of the assembly

Motions to bring an item back when no other business is pending include:

• Take from the table• Rescind• Reconsider• Discharge to a committee

Motions to bring up non-posted business or to bring items back for reconsideration cannot be done on an ad hoc basis. You must be careful to include proce-dures for bringing an item back in your bylaws that comply with Open Meeting Act requirements. Whenindoubt,asktheCityAttorneyforclarification.Boards record agreement on motions by taking a voteofitsmembers.Therearefivemethodstovote.

Voice –thechairasksthoseinfavortosay“aye”thoseopposed,“no”.Anymembermaymoveforanexactcount if there is any doubt about which side prevailed. Forsmallbodies,itisrecommendedthatthechairannouncethevote.Forexample,thechairsays“Themotion carried on a 5 to 2 vote with Ms. Brown and Mr.Smithvotingno.”

This helps the membership know what happened becauseofteninsmallgroups,votesarebybodylan-guageorsilence.Remember,silencemeansconsent.

Roll Call –eachmemberanswers“yes”or“no”ashisor her name is called. This method is used when a recordofeachperson’svoteisrequired.

General Consent – when a motion is not likely to beopposed,thechairsays“Ifthereisnoobjection...”Themembersshowagreementbytheirsilence.However,ifonemembersays“Iobject”,theitem must be put to a vote.

Division – thisisaslightverificationofavoice vote.Membersraisetheirhandsorstand.Itdoes not require a count unless the chair so desires.

Ballot – members write their vote on a slip of paper. This method is used when secrecy is desired.

Regardlessofthemethodofvotingselected,each vote should be recorded in the meeting minutes.

Remember,therulesaredesignedtofacilitatefulldiscussion and participation by all members in the assembly. The purpose of these rules are not to be prescriptive,butrathertoprovideguidancetogroupsas they conduct their business. Board or commission members are expected to be a proactive participant inallmattersbeforetheboard;otherwise,silence assumes consent on any actions taken. Use this workbookmoduleasaresource,referbackasoften asnecessary,andselectsomeoneontheboardtoact as a parliamentary expert to ensure correct procedure whenever there is a question.

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GlossaryM O T I O N S & T E R M S

Main Motions – These motions bring new business (the next item on the agenda) before the assembly.

Motion to Lay on the Table – Temporarily suspends further consideration/action on pending question; may be made after motion to close debate has been carriedorispending.Ifadopted,itplacesthemainmotion and any of its adhering motions on the table orinthehandsofthesecretary.Itstaysonthetableuntil someone moves to take it from the table.

Motion for the Previous Question – Closes debate if successful,stopsdebateandtakesvoteimmediately.Ifadopted,thememberstakeavoteontheimmediatependingquestion.Ifthepreviousquestioniscalledonallpendingquestions,thenthevoteistakenon all pending questions.

Motion to Limit or Extend Debate or Discussion – Changesthestandardrulesofdebate.Limitsor extends the time of debate or the number of times a person can speak in debate; or to put a time limit on a particular motion.

Motion to Postpone to a Certain Time – States the time the motion or agenda item will be resumed. Discussionsanddecisionsareputoffuntillaterin the meeting or until the next meeting when no business is pending.

Motion to Refer to a Committee – States the com-mittee to receive the question or resolution; if no committeeexists,includesthesizeofcommitteedesired and methods of selecting members (election orappointment).Ifadopted,themotiongoestothecommittee to investigate and does not return to the membership until the committee is ready to report or until the membership has adopted a time for the committee to report back to the assembly.

Motion to Amend – Insertsorstrikesoutwords orparagraphs,orsubstituteswholeparagraphs orresolutions.Ifadopted,theproposedchange becomes part of the main motion.

Motion to Postpone Indefinitely – Kills the question/resolution for this session — exception – the motion to reconsider can be made in this session. Kills the main motion for the duration of the session.

Privileged Motions – These motions do not relate to thependingmotions.Instead,theyrelatetospecialmatters of immediate importance that may come up in the meeting. Since these are usually important matters,theymustbeaddressedimmediately.Theyare not debatable or amendable. After they have beenmadeandseconded,thechairvoteswith- out discussion.

Glossary of Motions

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Motion to Fix the Time to which to Adjourn – Sets a later time to continue this meeting before the next regular meeting or sets the time to adjourn the meet-ing.Setsthedate,placeandtimeforthenextmeet-ing to continue or members must adjourn at the time they have now set for adjournment. When that time comes,thepresidingofficermustannouncethatthetime for adjournment has arrived and then adjourn themeeting.Ifmemberswanttocontinuethemeet-ingatthispoint,theymustmovetosuspendthe rules in order to continue the meeting.

Motion to Adjourn – Endsthemeetingnow!It endsthemeeting,andthebusinesshaltsatthe pointwherethemembersadjourned.Ifmembers areinthemiddleofdiscussingamotion,the motion will be taken up at the next meeting.

Motion to Recess – Takes a short intermission and thenresumebusinesswherethemembersleftoff. Asaprivilegedmotion,amotiontorecessismadewhen other business is pending. Members take a short break.

Motion to Raise a Question of Privilege – Permits a member to make a request or a main motion relat- ing to the rights and privileges of the assembly or memberstoconsideritimmediately,becauseof itsurgency,whileotherbusinessispending.The chair’srulingdeterminestheoutcome.

Motion to Call for Orders – Makes the assembly conformtotheagendaororderofbusiness,ormakethe assembly take up a general order or special order. Stops whatever the assembly is doing and goes to the orders of the day.

Incidental Motions – These motions deal with ques-tionsofprocedurearisingfrompendingbusiness, buttheydonotaffectthependingbusiness.Theyhave no rank because they are taken up immediately.

Call for Point of Order – Corrects a breach in the rules.Thechair’srulingstandsunlesssomeone appeals it.

Motion to Appeal the Decision of the Chair – Statesdisagreementwiththechair’srulingand lets the members decide the disagreement by taking a vote.

Motion to Suspend the Rules – Sets aside a rule of the assembly (except by-laws or the charter). Rules are set aside so that members can do something contrary to the rules.

Objection to Consideration of a Question – Prevents themainmotionfrombeingconsidered.Iftwo-thirdsofthemembersvoteinthenegative,thenthemotioncannot be considered for the duration of the meeting. Itcanbeproposedagainatanothermeeting.

Division of the Assembly – Statesamember’sdoubtregarding the results of a vote. The vote is immedi-atelyretakeninadifferentwaythanitwasorigin- ally taken.

Motions that bring an item back before the assembly (when not other business is pending)

These motions are used to reconsider a previous item. These motions must be used in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.

Motion to Take from the Table – Takes a motion fromthetable.Takesamotionfromthetable,and it now becomes the immediate pending business.

Motion to Rescind – Changes something previously adopted either by striking out the entire action or bychangingpartofit.Ifadopted,thepreviously adopted motion is reversed or changed.

Motion to Reconsider – Reconsiders the vote on amotion.Ifadopted,themotionisagainbefore the assembly as if it had not been voted on.

Motion to Discharge to a Committee – Takes a matter out of the hands of the committee before its report isgivensothattheassemblycandecide.Ifadoptedand if a motion was referred to the committee by a subsidiarymotion,thenthemotionisimmediatelybefore the assembly for discussion.

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Glossary of TermsAdjourn – Termination of a meeting or session declared by the chair.

Agenda – Itemsofbusinessinameeting,handled in a particular order.

Amend – Changeamainmotionoramendment, bystriking,adding,orstrikingandadding.

Appeal – Questioningofadecisionbythechair,afterthe chair has ruled on a point of order. Any member who thinks the ruling is in error may appeal.

Bylaws – Basic rules agreed on by the members of anorganizationorgrouptodefinethegroupandguide them in the operation of the organization.

Chair – Thepositionofthepresidingofficerofa meeting or the person occupying that position.

Charter – A legal document which gives information necessary for incorporating a group or organization.

Convene – Tomeetasdelegates,chosenfrom units of a larger body to conduct business of the larger body.

Discussion of the pros and cons of a motion so that members can better decide if the motion should be adopted.

Dilatory – Motions or actions intended to distract from the business at hand or to waste time.

Division – Acallforavotebyadifferentmethod.

Ex-officio – ALatinexpressionwhichmeans literally,“byvirtueofoffice”.

Floor – The part of a meeting room reserved to participatingmembers.Toobtaintheflooristo begiven,bythechair,theexclusiverighttomake, or speak on a motion.

Germaine – Related to a motion or an amendment.Inorder–Offeredatthepropertime,whenappliedto a motion or to a debate. Behaving with proper decorum,whenappliedtomembersofanassembly.

Majority – More than half.

Out of Order –Motion or debate at an improper time. A member acting improperly during a meeting.

Pending – Any motion that has been stated by the chair. The last motion stated by the chair is immediately pending.

Precedence – Aranking,usuallyofmotions.

Quorum – The fewest number of members present atameetingthatcanlegallyconductbusiness.If notstateddifferentlyinthebylaws,thequorum is a majority of the members.

Recess – A short cessation of business after which business resumes from the point it was left.

Recognize – Thegivingbythechair,exclusiverightto a member to make a motion or speak in debate. Assignthefloor.

Standing Rule – A rule agreed to by members in a meeting to guide them in the conduct of the meeting.

Suspend Rule – To operate for a time outside the constraint of a rule that would prevent the action or procedure prevented by that rule.

Unanimous – Without a negative vote. Not necessarily with all in agreement.

Unfinished business – Business not completed at the previous meeting or business postponed to the current

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M E M B E R S ’ M A N U A L N O T E S

Boards & Commissions

M E M B E R S ’ M A N U A L

Boards & Commissions

City Manager’s Office | 359-4500 | City Attorney’s Office | 359-4350 | edmondok.com

For a digital version of this manual please visit edmondok.com/bc.