Effective Meetings
WisLine Programs
The Open Government and Parliamentary Procedure 2007
WisLine Series offered several programs relating to local government
meetings and parliamentary procedure.
The 2008 series begins in March, 2008. The online registration brochure will be available soon.
Parliamentary Procedure References
Groups may adopt a particular manual of
procedural rules as their parliamentary authority. The two most
popular manuals are:
Robert, Henry M. Robert's Rules of
Order Newly Revised. 10th Edition. Cambridge Massachusetts:
Perseus Publishing, 2000.
Sturgis, Alice. Sturgis Standard
Code of Parliamentary Procedure. Second Edition. New York:
McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1966.
References that are specific to local
governments in Wisconsin are:
Larmer, Larry E.
A Guide to
Parliamentary Procedure for Local Governments in Wisconsin. Dubuque:
Kendall-Hunt Publishing Company, 1998.  Order
form (PDF file, 95 kb)
League of Wisconsin Municipalities.
The Conduct of Village Board Meetings: Suggested Rules of
Procedure with Model Ordinance and Annotations. Madison,
Wisconsin: League of Wisconsin Municipalities, 1987.
League of Wisconsin Municipalities.
The Conduct of Common Council Meetings: Suggested Rules of
Procedure with Model Ordinance and Annotations. Madison,
Wisconsin: League of Wisconsin Municipalities, 1987.
PowerPoint
Slide
Presentations
Agendas and
Minutes for Local Government (PowerPoint
file, 128 kb, 34 slides). These slides
provide guidance to those department heads, committee chairs,
clerks, and secretaries charged with developing the agendas or
minutes for the meetings of local government bodies, including
boards, committees, and commissions.
Fundamentals of Effective Meetings: Basic Principles and Protocol
(PowerPoint file, 514 kb, 19 slides).
These slides provide an overview of parliamentary
procedure, emphasizing some of the most common areas of concern
for presiding officers. Many slides contain comprehensive
notes for instructors.
Parliamentary Procedure for Local Government (Supplement to
Video) (PowerPoint file, 127 kb, 19 slides).
These comprehensively annotated slides were designed to be used
with the parliamentary procedure videotape, "Parliamentary
Procedure in Local Government: Six Vignettes" (#17389, 28 min.,
videotape/color, 1992).
Order
video.
Some frequently asked questions (FAQs) and
fact sheets about local government meetings:
A
Few FAQ's on Parliamentary Procedure
(PDF file, 64 kb, 8 pages). This
document, a reproduction of a chapter from the Wisconsin Counties
Association's 2004 Wisconsin County Supervisor's Handbook,
provides an overview of parliamentary procedure for local
government.
Reconsidering Main Motions FAQs (PDF file, 47 kb,
2 pages). Description of the
special and rarely used "motion to reconsider."
Closing Debate (aka "Calling the Question") FAQs
(PDF file, 41 kb, 1 page).
Describes the proper procedure for ending debate. Also, debunks the
common misperception that any member may end debate simply by "calling
the question."
Voting Procedures for Local Government Bodies FAQs
(PDF file 44 kb, 2 pages).
Describes voting procedures, including unanimous consent.
Participation Rights of the Chairperson FAQs (PDF
file 46 kb, 2 pages). Often
poorly understood, the participation rights of the presiding officer
are explained in this document. A must-read for anyone teaching about
the roles and responsibilities of the chairperson.
Quorum
and Attendance of Members at Local Government Meetings FAQs
(PDF file, 45 kb, 2 pages).
Describes a quorum and what actions the
members of a governmental body may take in the absence of a quorum.
LGC Fact
Sheet #20: Public Participation in Local Government Body
Meetings
(PDF file, 105 kb).
This fact sheet describes the ways that governmental bodies can
provide for citizen input at their regular meetings.
Treatises that explain the legal bases
for some rules of procedure:
Hills, George A. Managing
Corporate Meetings: A Legal and Procedural Guide. New York: The
Ronald Press Company, 1989.
Mason, Paul. Mason's Manual of
Legislative Procedure. St. Paul: West Publishing Company, 1989.
Oleck, Howard L. and Cami Green.
Parliamentary Procedure for Nonprofit Organizations. Second
Edition. Philadelphia: American Law Institute, 1991.
Scholtzhauer, Virginia, Margaret A.
Banks, Floyd M. Riddick, and John R. Stipp. Parliamentary
Opinions II: Solutions to Problems of Organizations. Dubuque:
Kendall-Hunt Publishing Company, 1991.
This page last modified:
December 28, 2007
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