Terms Used In Iowa Code > Chapter 380 - City Legislation

• All of the members of the council: refers to all of the seats of the council including a vacant seat and a seat where the member is absent, but does not include a seat where the council member declines to vote by reason of a conflict of interest. See Iowa Code 380.1
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Amendment: means a revision or repeal of an existing ordinance or code of ordinances. See Iowa Code 362.2
• City code: means the city code of Iowa. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Clerk: means the recording and recordkeeping officer of a city regardless of title. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Council: means the governing body of a city. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Council member: means a member of a council, including an alderman. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Measure: means an ordinance, amendment, resolution, or motion. See Iowa Code 362.2
• motion: means a council statement of policy or a council order for action to be taken, but "motion" does not require a recorded vote. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Officer: means a natural person elected or appointed to a fixed term and exercising some portion of the power of a city. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Ordinance: means a city law of a general and permanent nature. See Iowa Code 362.2
• property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Recorded vote: means a record, roll call vote. See Iowa Code 362.2
• Signature: includes an electronic signature as defined in section 554D. See Iowa Code 4.1
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
• summary: shall mean a narrative description of the terms and conditions of an ordinance setting forth the main points of the ordinance in a manner calculated to inform the public in a clear and understandable manner the meaning of the ordinance and which shall provide the public with sufficient notice to conform to the desired conduct required by the ordinance. See Iowa Code 331.302
• Veto: The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President/Governor refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President/Governor returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President/Governor usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. In Congress, the veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
• year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1