BD215 - Board Meetings Rules of Order

1. The chair shall preside at all meetings and is a voting member.
2. A meeting shall require a quorum of members to transact business. A majority constitutes a quorum.
3. Board action shall be restricted to published agenda items.
4. Only members shall have authority to make and second motions and vote on issues before the Board.
5. Members need not rise to gain the chair’s recognition.
6. The chair may decide the order in which members shall be recognized to address an issue, and shall attempt alternating between pro and con positions.
7. The chair shall have complete authority to recognize any audience attendee requesting participation in meetings.
8. The chair may rule on points of order brought before the Board.
9. All motions shall be made as positive actions.
10. All motions shall receive a second prior to opening the issue for discussion. If a motion does not receive a second, the chair may declare the motion dead.
11. The chair shall rule on all motions coming before the Board.
12. A motion shall be adopted or carried if it receives an affirmative vote from more than half of the votes cast unless by law or Board policy a greater number of votes is required. 
13. Roll Call Votes
    1. All members shall be listed in alphabetical order by last name.
    2. All roll call votes shall be called in alphabetical order, beginning at various positions on the list.
    3. The first roll call vote shall begin at the top of the list and proceed down. The second vote shall begin with the second name on the list and proceed down with the last name called to be the first person called on the previous vote.
14. Voting
    1. Any member may request a roll call vote. All votes regarding the distribution of funds or contractual agreements shall be roll call votes recorded as “ayes” or “nays” with indications of abstentions or passes.
    2. No member may vote by proxy. Every member present shall vote on all questions unless excused by the Board. Reconsidering a vote may be moved only by a member who voted with the majority. If the motion to reconsider prevails, the matter under consideration shall be decided at that or the next regular meeting.
    3. Members shall not be allowed to give or change their votes on any questions after the chair has announced the results unless by unanimous consent.
15. The chair shall have the authority to declare a recess at any time to restore decorum to a meeting.
16. A quorum need not be present to adjourn a meeting. The secretary shall call the roll, and present members shall adjourn.

Iowa Code 279.4

Adopted: January 17, 1984
Reviewed: 2005, 2010, 2011, 2019

Revised:
January 10, 2000

October 10, 2011

June 12, 2023