Removing Consent Agenda Item from Consent Agenda

[Guest Scott Bauer]

What is the procedure to amend an agenda, when a member wishes to discuss an item which was placed on a consent agenda? I imagine it is removed from the consent agenda and placed on the regular agenda.

 

Thank you,

Scott

[jstackpo]

RONR doesn't really say (p. 361 - "Consent Calendar") but the implication is that one person  --  an "objection"  --  is enough to remove an item for individual consideration. 

 

Some organizations have more complex rules for a Consent Agenda (or "calendar"); does yours?

[Richard Brown]

A proposed agenda can be amended by majority vote prior to its adoption.  After it is adopted, it can be amended or something can be taken out of order by a two-thirds vote.

 

Most ordinary societies do not have a "consent agenda".  That is normally found in public bodies such as city councils, school boards, etc.  RONR does not even mention a "consent agenda", but does mention a "consent calendar" as follows, on page 361.  Usually, an item can be removed from a consent calendar upon the objection (or request) of a single member:

 

"Consent Calendar. Legislatures, city, town, or county councils, or other assemblies which have a heavy work load including a large number of routine or noncontroversial matters may find a consent calendar a useful tool for disposing of such items of business. Commonly, when such a matter has been introduced or reported by a committee for consideration in the assembly, its sponsor, or, sometimes, an administrator, may seek to have it placed on the consent calendar. This calendar is called over periodically at a point established in the agenda by special rule of order, at least preceding standing committee reports. The matters listed on it are taken up in order, unless objected to, in which case they are restored to the ordinary process by which they are placed in line for consideration on the regular agenda. The special rule of order establishing a consent calendar may provide that, when the matters on the calendar are called up, they may be considered in gross or without debate or amendment. Otherwise, they are considered under the rules just as any other business, in which case the "consent" relates only to permitting the matter to be on the calendar for consideration without conforming to the usual, more onerous, rules for reaching measures in the body."

[Guest Scott Bauer]

Thank you for the help

[Guest Arthur541]

I find Robert's can be very simple in some places, and complex, ambiguous and difficult to weed through in others. Consent calendar is one of those I think could have been written more clearly. The phrase quoted from Robert's  "The matters listed on it are taken up in order, unless objected to, in which case they are restored to the ordinary process by which they are placed in line for consideration on the regular agenda." tells me that any objection automatically restores an item to the regular agenda. I don't see the requirement for a vote to remove an item. Yet, I see some internet articles saying one objection takes it off the consent agenda, and others saying no, removal from the consent agenda has to be through a vote. A city commission near me is having fits over their consent agendas. Four out of five commissioners are trying to push through items the one commissioner wants to discuss. And rightly so. There is a movement to accumulate and consolidate power.  

[Josh Martin]

I find Robert's can be very simple in some places, and complex, ambiguous and difficult to weed through in others. Consent calendar is one of those I think could have been written more clearly. The phrase quoted from Robert's  "The matters listed on it are taken up in order, unless objected to, in which case they are restored to the ordinary process by which they are placed in line for consideration on the regular agenda." tells me that any objection automatically restores an item to the regular agenda. I don't see the requirement for a vote to remove an item. Yet, I see some internet articles saying one objection takes it off the consent agenda, and others saying no, removal from the consent agenda has to be through a vote. A city commission near me is having fits over their consent agendas. Four out of five commissioners are trying to push through items the one commissioner wants to discuss. And rightly so. There is a movement to accumulate and consolidate power.  

Well, you might note that RONR also says that assemblies with consent calendars are supposed to adopt their own rules on this subject.

But unless the assembly's rules provide otherwise, one objection is plenty to remove an item from the consent calendar.