A detailed review of the rules that govern how the Aberdeen City Council conducts business has been completed, setting the stage for the first update of the rules of procedure in more than a decade.
"Thank you for indulging me in the nerdy work of rules," Mayor Patrick McGrady told council members Monday evening after they finished their discussion of the mayor's suggested changes.
The discussion started Aug. 3 during a special meeting of the mayor and council, and it ended during Monday's regular council meeting.
The mayor said he will work with the city clerk to prepare a resolution with the updated rules and then bring it back for a council vote at the next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 22, "and then we'll rock and roll."
McGrady wants city residents to have an up-to-date guide on how the mayor, City Council and city manager work together to conduct the city's business.
The rules of procedure, which were last updated in February 2006, cover matters such as the time and location of council meetings, meeting agendas, the procedure for approving a resolution or ordinance and the various duties of council members, the mayor and the city manager.
Topics covered at Monday's review includes procedures for introducing and acting on resolutions, procedures for suspending or amending the council rules and council members serving as liaisons to community organizations that get support from the city or are key partners for Aberdeen.
City officials agreed to reduce, from four to three, the number of favorable votes needed to suspend or amend rules of procedure. At least three of the council members present can take a vote.
The City Council has four members, and at least three members make up a quorum, the minimum number of people needed to hold a meeting and a vote, McGrady noted. The mayor also has a vote.
McGrady said four votes to suspend or amend is "a very high hurdle." He said the council could not take any action under the previous requirement if there was a vacancy on the council, which was the case after last November's election, when two candidates tied for the fourth council seat, and the city did not have a provision in its charter at the time to handle election ties. The seat was not filled until April, when the council approved McGrady's nominee, Steve Goodin.
"I like a three-vote majority," McGrady said.
The list of organizations that get a council liaison was also updated. The Aberdeen Swim Club, the Senior Citizens' Board and the Taxicab Bureau were removed, since they do not exist anymore. The city owns and maintains the Aberdeen Family Swim Center, which is operated by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County.
Liaisons will still go to the Economic Development Commission, the Aberdeen Fire Department, the Appearance and Preservation Committee, the Boys & Girls Clubs, the Heritage Trust Committee, the Board of Parks and Recreation and the Planning Commission.
Council members suggested additional organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the local county-operated senior center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, the Aberdeen Room Archives & Museum, the county government and state government.
McGrady acknowledged Councilman Melvin Taylor's suggestion to have a liaison to APG. The Army post is Harford County's largest employer with 18,000 to 22,000 civilian and military workers.
"That would be a very valuable thing," McGrady said.