(A) (1) Any news medium organization that desires to be given advance notification of special meetings of a municipal body shall file with the Clerk of Council a written request therefor, on a standard form to be provided by the Clerk of Council.
(2) Except in the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action as referred to in division (D) below, a special meeting shall not be held unless at least 24 hours’ advance notice of the time, place and purposes of such special meeting is given to the news media that have requested such advance notification in accordance with division (B) below.
(B) (1) News media requests for such advance notification of special meetings shall specify:
(a) The municipal body that is the subject of such request;
(b) The name of the medium;
(c) The name and address of the person to whom written notifications to the medium may be mailed, telegraphed or delivered;
(d) The names, addresses and telephone numbers (including addresses and telephone numbers at which notifications may be given either during or outside of business hours) of at least two persons to either one of whom oral notifications to the medium may be given; and
(e) At least one telephone number which the request identifies as being manned, and which can be called at any hour for the purpose of giving oral notification to such medium.
(2) Any such request shall be effective for six months from the date of filing with the Clerk of Council or until the Clerk of Council receives written notice from such medium canceling or modifying such request, whichever is earlier. Each requesting news medium shall be informed of such period of effectiveness at the time it files its request. Such requests may be modified or extended only by filing a complete new request with the Clerk of Council. A request shall not be deemed to be made unless it is complete in all respects, and such request may be conclusively relied on by the city, the municipal body that is the subject of such request and the Clerk of Council.
(C) The Clerk of Council shall give such oral notification or written notification, or both, as the Clerk of Council determines, to the news media that have requested such advance notification in accordance with division (B) above, of the time, place and purposes of each special meeting, at least 24 hours prior to the time of such special meeting.
(D) In the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action, a special meeting may be held without giving 24 hours’ advance notification thereof to the requesting news media. The persons calling such meeting, or any one or more of such persons or the Clerk of Council on their behalf, shall immediately give oral notification or written notification, or both, as the persons giving such notification determine, of the time, place and purposes of such special meeting to such news media that have requested advance notification in accordance with division (B) above. The minutes or the call, or both, of any such special meeting shall state the general nature of the emergency requiring immediate official action.
(Prior Code, § 208.04) (Ord. 467-75, passed 12-29-1975)