Quorum Clarification

ORDINANCE RE:  QUORUM CLARIFICATION

BE IT HEREBY ORDAINED BY THE LEGAL VOTERS OF THE TOWN OF STONINGTON IN LAWFUL TOWN MEETING DULY ASSEMBLED THAT THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE BE ESTABLISHED BY THE TOWN OF STONINGTON:

Section 1.      TITLE

This Ordinance shall be known as “Quorum Clarification”

Section 2.     DEFINITIONS

Wheneverin this Ordinance the following terms are used, they shall have the meanings specified below:

A.  “Quorum” --- the minimum number of members (never less than a majority) who must be present for a body to transact business or take a vote.

B.  “Recuse”  --- to remove oneself as a judge in a particular case because of prejudice or conflict of interest; to disqualify oneself from participating, in any way (including considering, discussing, acting, voting), in a particular matter because of prejudice or a conflict of interest.

Section 3.      QUORUM NEEDED FOR TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS

All elected or appointed Stonington Boards, Commissions, Committees, Agencies and subgroups thereof, shall have a quorum present for the transaction of business or to take a vote. Whenever a quorum is lost during a meeting, both the transacting of business and vote taking shall be discontinued.  If a quorum is regained, the meeting may continue.

Section 4.      RECUSED MEMBER NOT COUNTED IN QUORUM

A member of any elected or appointed Stonington Board, Commission, Committee, Agency or subgroup thereof, who recuses herself/himself  from an item of business shall not be counted in determining if a quorum of that elected or appointed Stonington Commission, Committee, Agency, Board or subgroup thereof, is present to transact business or take a vote on that item of business.

Section 5.      All Town Attorney opinions or parts thereof, that are inconsistent with this Ordinance, shall be superceded by this Ordinance.

Section 6.      EFFECTIVE DATE

This Ordinance shall become effective following an affirmative approval byTown Meeting and fifteen (15) days after publication in at least two (2) newspapers having a circulation in the Town of  Stonington.

Approved:  April 12, 2007
Effective Date:  May 2, 2007