105.01 MEETINGS OF COUNCIL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS; MINUTES.

   (a)   Council, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Architectural Board of Review, the Recreation Board, the Civil Service Commission and all other boards and commissions of the City and any committee thereof are hereby declared to be public bodies and their meetings shall be open to the public except as is hereinafter set forth. As used in this chapter "meeting" means any prearranged discussion of the public business of the public body by a majority of its members. The minutes of a regular or special meeting of any public body shall be promptly recorded and be open to the public for inspection at reasonable times. Such minutes need only reflect the general subject matter of discussion in executive sessions.

   (b)   Council determines that the Official Meeting Minutes of its body, its Committees and those of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall consist of the video recording of the meetings.  A written synopsis which details the general discussion on each agenda item, as well as the votes on all ordinances, resolutions and motions shall also be promptly prepared and kept.  In the event that the video system is not functioning during any meeting, the Clerk of Council or Secretary of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall prepare detailed written minutes of the meeting and any future meetings until the video is restored.

(Ord.  2020-78.  Passed 6-1-20.)

105.02 COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS; SCHEDULING AND POSTING.

   The following rule is established to inform the public of the time and place of all regularly scheduled meetings and the time, place and purpose of all special meetings. Council shall meet regularly on the first and third Mondays of each month at 7:00 p.m., unless changed pursuant to Section 121.01.  Council committee meetings shall be scheduled and posted on the City Calendar Board at least three days prior to the meeting.
(Ord.  1999-159.  Passed 11-1-99.)

105.03 EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.

   The members of the public bodies referred to in Section 105.01 are authorized to conduct executive sessions at regular or special meetings to consider the following matters without an open meeting:

   (a)   Unless the public employee, official or licensee or a student in a public educational institution otherwise requests, a public hearing to consider the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion or compensation of a public employee or official, or the investigation of charges or complaints against a public employee, official, licensee or public school student, shall be a closed meeting. Except as otherwise provided by law, no public body shall hold an executive session for the discipline of an elected official for his conduct related to the performance of his official duties or for his removal from office.

   (b)    The purchase of property for public purposes, or the sale of property at competitive bidding, if the premature disclosure of information would give an unfair competitive or bargaining advantage to a person whose personal, private interest is adverse to the general public interest, shall be considered in a closed meeting. No member shall use this section as a subterfuge for providing covert information to prospective buyers or sellers. A purchase or sale of public property is void if the seller or buyer of the public property has received covert information from a member that has not been disclosed to the general public in sufficient time for other prospective buyers and sellers to prepare and submit offers.

   (c)    Conferences with the Law Director of the City or other attorney for the public body concerning disputes that are the subject of pending or imminent court action shall be closed.

   (d)    Preparing for, conducting or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions with public employees concerning their compensation or other terms and conditions of their employment shall be in closed meetings.

   (e)    Other matters required to be kept confidential by Federal law, rules or State statutes, and other matters ruled to be confidential for special circumstances determined by any of the public bodies, shall be discussed in closed meetings. Specialized details of security arrangements, where disclosure of the matters discussed might reveal information that could be used for the purpose of committing or avoiding prosecution for a violation of law, shall be discussed in closed meetings. (Ord. 1975-138. Passed 12-15-75. )

105.04 NOTATION OF COMPLIANCE ON MINUTES.

   The minutes of each public body shall state thereon whether the meeting and deliberations have been conducted in compliance with law.

(Ord. 1975-138. Passed 12-15-75.)

105.05 OPEN MEETINGS; ROLL CALL AND RECORD.

   All formal action by each of the public bodies of the City shall be taken at an open meeting of the public body, except as is otherwise set forth in this chapter, and a roll call shall be taken and a record kept. (Ord. 1975-138. Passed 12-15-75.)

105.06 PUBLICATION OF TIME, DATE AND PLACE OF MEETINGS; NOTICE TO MEDIA OF SPECIAL MEETINGS.

   Each public body shall establish by its own rule a time, date and place for its meetings. Such rule, after adoption, may be changed from time to time but shall be kept by the clerk of such public body and be published on a calendar at the City Hall to be displayed in a prominent location. Each public body shall establish by its own rule a reasonable method whereby any person may determine the time and place of all regularly scheduled meetings and the time, place and purpose of all special meetings. Public bodies shall not hold special meetings unless they give at least twenty-four hours advance notice to any of the news media that have requested notification, except in the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action. In the event of an emergency meeting, reasonable notice shall be given immediately thereafter to the news media that have requested prior notification of the meeting. Advance notice and mail notice need not be given if the fees set forth in Section 105.07 have not been paid.

(Ord. 1975-138. Passed 12-15-75.)

105.07 ADVANCE NOTIFICATION FEES.

   Effective January 1, 2001, the following payment schedule is hereby established for any person to obtain reasonable advance notification of all or some meetings at which any specific type of public business is to be discussed, including mailing the agenda of meetings to subscribers on a mailing list and fees for telephone notification of emergency meetings:

    (a)    Annual Fee for Council, Boards and Commissions.

 

(1)	Council	$25.00
(2)	Planning and Zoning Commission	25.00
(3)	Recreation Board	6.00
(4)	Architectural Board of Review	20.00
(5)	Civil Service Commission	6.00
(6)	Other	6.00

   (b)   Provision of Internet Access for Reasonable Advance Notification.

Agendas and minutes of the aforementioned City Council

      and Boards and Commissions meetings are also available,

      free of charge, via the Internet at www.Beachwoodohio.com.

 

(c)    Annual Fee for Telephone Notice of Emergency  Meetings (News Media).	1.00 per call
Advance deposit required	10.00
(d)    Notice of Specific Business Before any Public Body (Each Mailing)	1.00
Advance deposit required	10.00

      (Ord. 2001-14. Passed 1-2-01. )

105.08 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE.

   Any person who has a grievance regarding the applicability or enforcement of this chapter, or the requirements of any applicable State law, shall first present his grievance to the public body involved immediately upon determining that a grievance exists. Such notice shall be in writing and delivered to the clerk of the public body at the office of the clerk at the Beachwood City Hall. Unless the President of Council, if the body involved is Council, or the Chairman of the board or commission, if a board or commission is involved, determines to call an emergency meeting to review the grievance, it shall appear on the next regular agenda at the next public meeting where official action is taken. The person making the grievance shall appear and present the grievance to the public body which shall answer the grievance upon the minutes.  If the public body agrees that the grievance is valid, the public body, by a majority vote, shall take such action as may be required to remedy the grievance. If the public body, by a majority vote, determines that the grievance is not valid, then such fact shall be recorded in the minutes and the person making the grievance shall be notified of the reasons therefor. If the public body is other than Council, the person making the grievance who is dissatisfied with the decision of the public body on the grievance may appeal such decision to Council, in writing, within ten days of such decision. Thereafter, Council shall review the appeal at its next regular meeting and render a decision approving, modifying or reversing the order being appealed by a majority vote of its members after giving the person making the appeal an opportunity to be heard.

(Ord. 1975-138. Passed 12-15-75.)