The Ypsilanti City Council swore in newly elected council members Dan Vogt and Ricky Jefferson at a special meeting Monday evening before tackling multiple resolutions to set rules and procedures.

Vogt and Jefferson replace Council Member Bill Nickels and Mayor Pro Tem Trudy Swanson-Winston, who stepped down after serving 12 and 15 years, respectively.

Among the votes taken Monday:

• Selecting Council Member Lois Richardson as Mayor Pro Tem.
• Approving a resolution 6-1 to place Mayor Paul Schreiber in the regular council voting rotation. Previously, Schreiber voted last and was the lone vote against the resolution.

Council Member Pete Murdock added the resolution to the agenda. He said there is nothing in Robert’s Rules of Order, which are guidelines the City Council follows in running its meetings, that says the chair votes last. He said it has been his experience on council that the mayor and council both vote according to the alphabetical order of their last names. He added he sees no reason why Schreiber should get to vote last.

Council Member Brian Robb said Schreiber has the same powers as other council members, per the city charter.

Schreiber said Robert’s Rules don’t technically say the mayor casts the final vote, but do say the chair can cast the deciding vote in a tie. He said the current order was more in spirit with Robert's Rules, and he would prefer to keep the final vote.

He said casting the last vote is also helpful because he simultaneously considers policy and concentrates on running the meeting.

“It’s more in keeping with Robert’s Rules, and I think it’s a courtesy to the person running the meeting,” Schreiber said. “But this is council’s desire, so I’m going with it.”

The council also approved a resolution 6-1 to allow friendly amendments to resolutions. The City Council previously didn't permit friendly amendments per Robert’s Rules, but Murdock, who introduced the change, said it would help save time.

Instead of having a roll call vote on amendments, as was previously required, a council member can make a "friendly motion." That motion must be seconded by another council member or the mayor. If there are no objections, the friendly amendment is made.

Should someone object, the amendment would go to a roll call vote.

Schreiber was the lone no vote. He said resolutions are posted on the city's website ahead of time, and two council members could easily change the intent. He also said he preferred not to allow friendly amendments because meetings are better run without them.

Paul Schreiber was the lone no vote on several issues Monday.

Murdock said the purpose for allowing friendly amendments was for cases where technical issues, such as spelling errors or typos, need to be addressed. Schreiber suggested changing the wording to say friendly amendments could be used to address “technical” issues with a resolution, but Murdock contended the objections of one council member could bring an amendment to a vote.

In addition, the council voted 6-1 on a new policy on mayoral appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions. Schreiber wanted the new council to have a vote on the policy, which was proposed by Murdock at an earlier meeting.

Per the new rules, appointees will serve for a fixed term. The city clerk will notify City Council 60 days prior to an appointee’s term ending. The mayor then must propose an appointment in that time period. If one can’t be found or agreed upon by council, a 60-day extension can be granted with a two-thirds council vote.

Schreiber previously argued he is concerned over instances when council members disagree on an appointment, which could cause long delays in finding a qualified candidate willing to serve. He said finding people to serve on boards and commissions can be challenging, and he doesn’t want boards affected by failure to find a replacement. Previously, appointees continued serving until they were reappointed or replaced.

Vogt said he understood both positions and suggested an extension period of 120 days instead of 60.

“I’m open to a longer period than 60 days, but I don’t think it's good policy to have it completely open-ended,” he said. 

Richardson said she thought 120 days was too long, but found 90 days reasonable “in the spirit of cooperation.”

Robb responded even a 60-day extension is “pathetic.”

“Get the appointments in on time, if we reject them, bring back another one,” he said.

Council Member Mike Bodary agreed.

“The appointments are going to be announced as we go along, so this shouldn’t be blindsiding anybody,” he said.

Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530. Find more Ypsilanti news on our Ypsilanti page.