Matters that come onto the council floor require six votes for approval. Because the votes on Thursday were unanimous, those matters did not have to be rescheduled.
NORTHAMPTON - The City Council approved contracts for three major employees' unions Thursday, despite coming perilously close to lacking a quorum.
The council endorsed three-year contracts ratified by the Northampton Association of Municipal Employees, the Northampton Administrative and Professional Employees Association and the Deputy Fire Chiefs union. The three unions represent a total of 117 city workers.
Council President William H. Dwight said the councilors had to test their knowledge of Robert's Rules of Order because three of them - Eugene Tacy, David Murphy and Maureen Carney - were absent. Because Tacy and Murphy sit on the Finance Committee, that committee did lack a quorum and financial matters, which are ordinarily discussed there first, had to be voted straight into the main council meeting.
Matters that come onto the council floor require six votes for approval. Because the votes on Thursday were unanimous, those matters did not have to be rescheduled.
In addition to approving the contract, the council accepted the results of the recent municipal election and voted to give the Arts Council review approval of public art. It also gave final approval to the 2014 tax rate, the so-called "Factor of One" that taxes commercial and residential property at the same rate.