City council is moving forward with an update to the rules and guidelines that govern members of council and the conduct expected of them.

The required bylaw was presented to council for initial review at its meeting Monday.

The 36-page document includes 200 sections, not including dozens and dozens of subsections.

It covers everything from procedures for meetings to council’s authority to declare emergencies.

It sets out guidelines for members of council to consider when determining if they have a conflict of interest in issues before council.

The proposed bylaw lays out what council can do during an election period, which runs from the day nominations close to election day.

The next municipal elections in the territory are scheduled for October.

An administrative report to council says it’s not a wholesale change to the council procedures bylaw last updated in 2016, but includes a reorganization of the document to make it easier to understand and more user-friendly.

The preamble to the bylaw says in part: “Whereas section 210 of the Municipal Act provides that council must, by bylaw, make rules for governing its procedures, including rules respecting the calling of meetings, the appointment of members of council to council committees, and any other matter that relates to the efficient administration of council’s decision-making process or council meetings, and….”

The procedures say if any section of the bylaw is ruled invalid by a court, the invalid section will be severed and the remainder of the bylaw would be deemed to have been adopted.

“Rules set out in this bylaw shall be the rules and regulations for the order and conduct of business in all regular and special meetings of council, all in-camera meetings of council, all committee of the whole meetings of council, and all council committee meetings,” says the bylaw.

During an election period, council is not allowed to make any decisions that would be binding on the next council, except on matters that come before council in the normal course of operations.

Nor is council allowed to make any major policy decisions during the election period.

The bylaw says members of council are to act with impartiality and integrity, exhibiting a lack of bias.

Council members are not to shout or raise their voices noticeably, or use offensive, vulgar or profane language during discussions.

When delegations appear before council, members can ask questions only for the purpose of seeking clarity, and they’re not to enter into debate, says the bylaw.

The bylaw is scheduled to go before council for first reading at its meeting next Monday.