The council shall hold a regular meeting at least once each month in the city at a time and at a place which it designates. It shall adopt rules for the government of its members and proceedings. The mayor upon his or her own motion may, or at the request of three members of the council shall, call a special meeting of the council for a time not earlier than three nor later than forty-eight hours after notice of such meeting is given. Special meetings of the council may also be held at any time by the common consent of all the members of the council.

A majority of members of the council shall constitute a quorum for its business, but a smaller number may meet and compel the attendance of absent members in a manner provided by ordinance.

The council shall cause a journal of its proceedings to be kept. Upon request of any of its members, the ayes and nays upon any question before it shall be taken, and a record of the vote entered in the journal.

No action by the council shall have legal effect unless the motion for the action and the vote by which it is disposed of take place at proceedings open to the public.

The mayor shall be chairperson of the council and preside over its deliberations. The mayor shall have a vote on all questions before it. The mayor shall have authority to preserve order, enforce the rules of the council, and determine the order of business under the rules of the council.

At its first meeting after this charter takes effect and there after at its first meeting of each odd-numbered year, the council shall elect a president from its membership. In the mayor’s absence from the council meeting, the president shall preside over it. Whenever the mayor is unable to perform the functions of his office, the president shall act as mayor.

Except as this charter otherwise provides, the concurrence of a majority of the members of the council present at a council meeting shall be necessary to decide any question before the council. The votes taken shall be recorded by ayes, nays and abstentions.