City Council - Regular Meeting

In this video, we'll walk through several common motions used during meetings of Akron City Council. These motions help council members manage legislation efficiently and keep meetings running smoothly. Today, we'll cover four of the motions you'll hear most often. Refer, suspend the rules, place on the consent agenda, and adverse report. When an item is referred, it means they are taking time. This can happen when more information is needed, when a public hearing needs to be held, or when the topic requires additional consideration. Typically, legislation needs to be read in at three separate meetings before a vote is taken. A motion to suspend the rules allows counsel to bypass those additional readings and take action immediately. The motion requires a two-thirds affirmative vote instead of a simple majority. Suspending the rules is often used when legislation is time-sensitive or routine in nature. Some items, often those that are considered straightforward or non-controversial, may be placed on the Consent Agenda. The Consent Agenda groups several items together so Council can vote on them all at once, rather than individually. This helps save time and keeps meetings efficient. So when a committee recommends Consent Agenda, you'll see those items at the beginning of the next meeting's agenda. If any council member wants to discuss an item separately, they can request that it be removed from the consent agenda before the beginning of the meeting. An adverse report occurs when a committee recommends that legislation not move forward. This may happen if the committee believes the legislation isn't necessary, isn't ready, or doesn't align with current priorities. When a committee issues an adverse report, the full council votes on the committee's recommendation, which may result in the legislation being defeated or sent back for additional work. These motions, refer, suspend the rules, place on the consent agenda, and adverse report, are all tools that help Akron City Council conduct business effectively and transparently. Understanding them can make it easier to follow along during council meetings and stay informed about how decisions are made. Please follow Akron City Council on Facebook and check out our YouTube channel for more informative videos.