1779ORDINANCE NO. 1779 (#08 - 2025)
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND INTEGRATING THE CITY CODE WITH UPDATED
RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE JACKSONVILLE CITY COUNCIL AND
MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
WHEREAS, the Jacksonville City Council seeks to ensure clarity, consistency, and
efficiency in its governing procedures;
WHEREAS, the City Code should be updated to reflect the most effective procedural rules
to ensure orderly and efficient meetings;
WHEREAS, this ordinance establishes a comprehensive governance framework for the City
Council and municipal officials;
BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS, THAT:
SECTION ONE: JMC § 2.04.010 - Meetings Parliamentary Procedure shall be amended to
read as follows:
All meetings held on regular meeting nights and any other times shall be conducted pursuant
to the rules and regulations as set forth in Robert's Rules of Order and Procedural Rules for
Municipal Officials as published by the Arkansas Municipal League.
A quorum is defined as a majority of all members of the City Council. [A.C.A.14-43-
501(a)(2)(A)]. The mayor shall have a vote to establish a quorum as per state law [A.C.A.14-
43-501(b)(1)(B)].
The mayor shall be the ex -officio President of the City Council meetings [A.C.A.14-43-
501(b)(1)(A)]. In the absence of the Mayor, the Vice -Mayor or president as elected by city
council shall preside over City Council meetings [A.C.A.14-43-501(b)(2)].
SECTION TWO: JMC § 2.04. 011 - Reading of Proposed Ordinances and Resolutions shall be
amended to read as follows:
All ordinances shall be fully and distinctly read on three (3) different days unless two-thirds
(2/3) of all members of the City Council shall dispense with the rule. [A.C.A.14-55-202(a)].
Resolutions or other legislation to be discussed and/or enacted by vote of the City Council
shall be presented to the body after having only the title of said resolution read upon the record
of the meeting unless otherwise directed by a two-thirds majority vote of the City Council.
SECTION THREE: JMC § 2.04.020 - Matters to be Ruled upon—Form shall be amended to read
as follows:
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Items for a regular City Council meeting agenda shall be due to the City Clerk no later than
noon on the Friday prior to the meeting. No such item shall be added or removed from the
agenda unless specifically directed by the sponsoring elected official.
A majority of all the members of the City Council is required for the passage of a bylaw,
ordinance, resolution, or order. [A.C.A.14-55-203(b)]. The mayor shall have a vote when his
or her vote is needed to pass any ordinance, bylaw, resolution, order, or motion. [A.C.A.14-
43-501(b)(1)(B)]. No member of the City Council with a direct or indirect financial interest
in any items before the City Council shall participate in the discussion of or voting on such
matter.
SECTION FOUR: JMC § 2.04.025 - Effective Date of Legislation shall be amended to read as
follows:
For ordinances that include an emergency clause, a second roll call vote must be taken
immediately upon the passage of the ordinance to enact the emergency clause. The emergency
clause must be a true emergency, and the detail of the emergency must be included in the
ordinance. However, at no time shall the Emergency Clause be used to impose any fine,
penalty, forfeiture, or deprivation of liberty or property until after said legislation has been
published or posted as otherwise required by law.
The mayor has the power to veto any ordinance, resolution or order, or part thereof, adopted
by the City Council within five (5) days (Sunday's excluded) of the City Council vote. Before
the next City Council meeting, the mayor shall file in the City Clerk's office a written
statement of reasons for the veto. At the first City Council meeting following the veto, the
City Council can override the veto by a non -debatable two-thirds majority (7 affirmative
votes). [A.C.A.14-43-504(d)].
SECTION FIVE: JMC § 2.04.030 — Special Meetings shall be amended to read as follows:
Special or emergency meetings of the City Council may be called by any three (3) City
Council members or the mayor by submittal of the time and place of the scheduled meetings
and its agenda to all City Council members, the Mayor, City Clerk, and City Attorney by
electronic or written means for notification [A.C.A.14-43-502 (b)(2)(13)].
Proper notification for special or emergency meetings for all elected officials, local media,
and/or all persons desirous of being notified shall comply with the two-hour notification
requirement [A.C.A.25-19-106(b)(2)]. Notification shall be deemed given when all such
parties have been contacted or when an attempt to contact them has been made by phone
and/or e-mail.
SECTION SIX: JMC § 2.04.040 - Regular Meetings shall be amended to read as follows:
The Jacksonville City Council shall conduct regular business meetings at 6:00 p.m. on the lst
and Yd Thursday of each month at Jacksonville City Hall located at 1 Municipal Drive.
[A.C.A.14-43-502 (b)(2)(A)]. The City Council retains the authority to cancel and reschedule
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meetings as needed ensuring member's rights to adjust meetings in the best interest of the
City. The mayor is also granted the authority to cancel meetings, when necessary, provided
when proper notice and decision is made in accordance with established procedures.
All City Council meetings, whenever possible, will be held in the City Council Chamber and
shall be videoed and broadcasted on the city YouTube channel.
City Council meetings are always open to the public [A.C.A.14-43-502 (b)(2)(A)]. However,
meeting attendance is limited to the fire safety capacity of the meeting room.
SECTION SEVEN: JMC § 2.04.045 - Allowance of Non -City Council Comment shall be created
to read as follows:
Comment and discussion on items on the agenda are reserved for the City Council, Mayor,
City Attorney, and City Clerk except as provided below.
City staff and petitioners may present information and commentary to the City Council as
directed by the mayor or meeting chair during the introduction of an item of business prior to
a motion to approve that item of business.
Comment from the public on specific agenda items may be allowed by the City Council at its
discretion, as directed by the mayor or meeting chair. Public comment is allowed on a `first
come, first serve' basis and must be made from the public podium provided for that purpose.
Members of the public wishing to speak must identify themselves and their address for the
record in advance of speaking. Comments must be germane to the topic and will be limited
to three minutes in length. Repetitive comment is strongly discouraged and may be curtailed.
The City Council may further restrict such public comment in any fashion including, but not
limited to, the total number of speakers, the total time allotted for public comment, and the
cessation thereof. Citizens with comments or concerns regarding non -agenda items are
encouraged to contact department directors or council members for possible resolutions. This
contact information can be found on the city's website at www.cityofiacksonville.net.
All comments by citizens to elected officials shall be comments to the elected officials by the
citizens and will not be a discussion between elected officials and the citizens speaking.
Citizens and visitors attending City Council meetings are not allowed to comment, discuss,
or audibly or visibly demonstrate during the meeting except in the manner describe above.
Open comment or audible or visible demonstration of any kind from the audience is
prohibited. Comments from the podium or otherwise must not be personal, impertinent,
profane, or slanderous and must not be boisterous in nature. Violations of meeting decorum
will be called down by the Mayor and excessive or continued disregard of meeting decorum
could result in remove from the room for the remainder of the meeting. City Council members
may appeal to the chair to intervene as needed or, by majority vote, remove offenders.
SECTION EIGHT: All Ordinances and Resolutions or parts thereof in conflict herewith are hereby
repealed to the extent of such conflict.
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APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 20TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2025.
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS
J F LMORE, MAYOR
ATTEST:
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
.r-
STEPHANIE FRIEDMAN, CITY ATTORNEY