Cambridge City Council Rules, Unruly Enforcement

Cambridge City Council Rules, Unruly Enforcement

[Published online April 17, 2006
print edition April 19, 2007 Cambridge Chronicle.]
http://www.townonline.com/cambridge/opinions/x731193587

Letter: Council vote a little fishy
Cambridge Chronicle
Tue Apr 17, 2007, 05:41 PM EDT
Cambridge -

“City Clerk Margaret Drury said that as long as none of city councilors realized
there was not a quorum, or a majority of members present, or called for a quorum
beforehand, the vote stands.”

“Drury also [said] the City Council’s voting procedures had never been
questioned in the past.” The most cooperative city employee is wrong twice.
(Erin Smith, “City Clerk: Don’t question councilors who missed vote,” Cambridge
Chronicle, Apr 12, 2007.)

Erin Smith correctly notes more is in play here than Robert’s Rules. The City
Council’s rules require a quorum. Rule 5 states, “The Mayor shall declare all
votes. [...] The mayor shall declare the results, but no such declaration shall
be made unless a quorum of the City Council has voted.”

It is wishful thinking to say the council was never questioned in the past about
rules violations. The clerk verifies my belief that city councilors and city
employees ignore public comment. During several meetings, a few citizens openly
challenged the council about having less than a quorum present. Once the mayor
threatened to have me removed when I noted that there was no quorum.

In many letters to the council, I pointed out the frequent anomalies on voting
(most recently my letter in the April 9 agenda). On that day there was no vote
on a motion to table an item. It was tabled without a vote. There are frequent
violations of City Council rules on suspending the rules. I detailed the
violations dozens of time.

It is clear that city officials hear selectively, see selectively, speak
selectively, and worst of all, enforce rules and laws selectively. That is the
major problem resulting from nine councilors being intentionally ignorant of the
rules of running a meeting. The City Council rules mandate that the meetings be
run by Robert’s Rules. It is a recurring problem with one-party government.

The mayor admitted on April 9 he is now taking classes on how to run a meeting
after being a councilor for 18 years. It is never too late to learn.

ROY BERCAW, Editor
ENOUGH ROOM
Cambridge MA USA