Council Discusses Rotondo’s Request To Add More Motions per Meeting

The City Council sent to the Legislative Affairs Sub-Committee a motion by Councillor-at-Large George Rotondo that would expand the number of individual motions to ten per meeting.

“During summer months when we are not in session, sometimes we will have more than five motions that will need to be addressed and my thought is during that time period, if you would allow a certain amount – obviously you (Council President Anthony Zambuto) would dictate how many [motions] would be able to be spoken on depending on the president’s discretion,” explained Rotondo.

Ward 3 Councillor Arthur Guinasso asked aloud, “You serious?”

“There’s 11 councillors here,” continued Guinasso. “Ten motions [per councillor], that’s 110 motions. The public wants to know only the key issues of what’s happening at the particular time. I think if you need 10 motions if we meet twice a month, no problem – I just think this is absolutely absurd. Ten motions? It’s insane.”

Rotondo responded, “Some of us get called one o’clock in the morning. There are times when you have to actually put in a motion to accomplish certain things. Being an at-large councillor and not a ward councillor and having people call you because they don’t speak English.”

Rotondo continued his response before Guinasso interrupted him and said, “This is not a point of personal privilege.”

“Well, you attacked me based upon the fact that I wanted to provide a service to people,” said Rotondo.

Council President Anthony Zambuto sent the matter to the Legislative Affairs Subcommittee for further discussion.