I. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES

I.A.     President of the Council: The President of the Council shall preside over the meetings of the Council and shall rule on interpretations of the rules of parliamentary procedure and these rules, subject to an appeal thereof to Council. He shall have the same powers and duties as the other Members, with a vote, but no veto power. He shall act as the presiding officer of Council and shall perform such other duties not inconsistent with his office as may be imposed by the Council or these Rules. The President of the Council shall serve for a term of two years as required by section 4.03 of the Charter.

I.B.     Vice President of the Council: The Council shall elect, by a majority vote, a Member as Vice President of the Council of the Council for a term of two years. The Vice President of the Council, in the absence or disability of the President of the Council or upon request by the President of the Council, shall be invested with all the rights and duties of the President of the Council.

I.C.     Acting President of the Council: In the absence of both the President of the Council and Vice President of the Council, the Council shall elect, by a majority vote, a Member as acting President of the Council, who shall preside over the meeting and shall, while acting as President of the Council, be invested with all the rights and duties of the President of the Council.

I.D.     Standing Committees:

I.D.1    Purpose. The Council shall create Standing Committees whose primary purpose shall be to consider and recommend to the Council action on ordinances and resolutions referred to such Standing Committees.

I.D.2    Composition and Officers. Each Standing Committee shall consist of three regular Council Members as well as one alternate Council Member. In addition, the President of the Council may serve as an ex officio member of each Standing Committee of which the President is not a regular or alternate member, with full voting rights, whenever fewer than three of the Committee’s regular and alternate Council Members are present. Each Standing Committee shall have one Chairperson and one Vice-Chairperson selected from among the three regular Council Members. The Council shall appoint by resolution the Chairpersons, Vice-Chairpersons and other regular or alternate members of all Standing Committees.

I.D.3    Committee Staff and Limitations. Standing Committees shall have the power, if desired, to request citizens and representatives of the appropriate Council appointees and the Chief Administrative Officer to assist in their responsibilities.  The Council, its members and Standing Committees shall deal with the administrative staff of any of its appointed officers or the Chief Administrative Officer solely through such appointed officers or the Chief Administrative Officer, respectively.  Neither Council nor any of its members or committees thereof shall give orders publicly or privately to any subordinate of the appointed officers of Council or the Chief Administrative Officer.

I.D.4    Meetings. Standing Committees shall hold such meetings and hearings as they deem necessary in order to carry out their functions.  However, each Standing Committee shall hold at least one regular meeting, if practicable, during every month in which there is scheduled a regular meeting of the Council. Standing Committees should endeavor to schedule these required monthly meetings so that they meet regularly on the same date and at the same time every month.

I.D.5    Terms and Removals. Terms of office for all Chairpersons, Vice-Chairpersons, regular members and alternate members shall be for a term not to exceed one term of Council.  So long as they remain Council Members, Chairpersons, Vice-Chairpersons, regular members and alternate members shall continue in office unless and until their successors are appointed. However, should any regular member of a Standing Committee fail to attend three regular meetings of his or her Standing Committee as described in Rule I(D)(4) above without attempting to ensure that the alternate member attends and votes in his or her stead, the Chairperson shall report such unexcused absences to the President of the Council, who may introduce a resolution for the Council’s action to remove such member from such Standing Committee.

I.D.6    Investigations. In accordance with section 4.16(a) of the Charter of the City of Richmond, each Standing Committee shall be authorized to make such investigations relating to those municipal affairs of the city as it may deem necessary and to investigate any or all departments, boards, commissions, offices and agencies of the City government and any officer or employee of the city concerning the performance of their duties and the use of property of the City; provided, however, that such investigations shall fall within the subject matter area of such Standing Committee.  In  addition, each Standing Committee shall conduct such investigations pursuant to section 4.16(a) of the Charter of the City of Richmond as the Council may require of such Standing Committee.  However, no Standing Committee shall order the attendance of any person as a witness or the production by any person of books and papers relevant to such investigation under the penalty of summons before the general district court, criminal division, for trial pursuant to section 4.16(c) of the Charter of the City of Richmond unless such order shall have been approved by adopted motion of the Council.  In the case of such an order necessary to an investigation that the Council requires a Standing Committee to conduct, the Council may prospectively authorize by adopted motion such orders at the time it assigns the investigation to the Standing Committee.

I.E. Ad Hoc Committees, Commissions, Authorities: The Council may establish ad hoc or other standing committees of Council and may appoint members of such committees or provide for the appointment of members of such committees by the President of the Council.  Committees may hold public hearings and perform such other duties as may be prescribed.  A committee may be instructed concerning the form of any report it shall be requested to make, and a time may be fixed for submitting any such report.