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MEETINGS
For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
MEETING. All regular, special or called meetings, formal or informal, of a public body for the purposes of briefing, discussion of public business, formation of tentative policy or the taking of any action.
(Prior Code, § 1-501)
PUBLIC BODY.
(1) (a) The City Council;
(b) All independent boards, commissions, bureaus, committees, councils, subunits or any other bodies created by the Constitution of the state, statute, ordinance or otherwise pursuant to law; and
(c) Advisory committees of the bodies listed above.
(2) PUBLIC BODY does not include subcommittees of such bodies unless a quorum of the public body attends a subcommittee meeting or unless the subcommittees are holding hearings, making policy or taking formal action on behalf of their parent body.
(Neb. RS 84-1409) (Prior Code, § 1-502)
(A) The formation of public policy is public business and may not be conducted in secret. Every meeting of a public body shall be open to the public in order that citizens may exercise their democratic privilege of attending and speaking at meetings of public bodies, except as otherwise provided by the Constitution of the state, federal statutes and the Open Meetings Act.
(Neb. RS 84-1408)
(B) Each public body shall give reasonable advance publicized notice of the time and place of each meeting by a method designated by the public body and recorded in its minutes. The notice shall be transmitted to all members of the public body and to the public. The notice shall contain an agenda of subjects known at the time of the publicized notice or a statement that the agenda, which shall be kept continually current, is readily available for public inspection at the office of the public body during normal business hours. Agenda items shall be sufficiently descriptive to give the public reasonable notice of the matters to be considered at the meeting. Except for items of an emergency nature, the agenda shall not be altered later than 24 hours before the scheduled commencement of the meeting or 48 hours before the scheduled commencement of a meeting of the City Council scheduled outside the corporate limits of the city. The public body shall have the right to modify the agenda to include items of an emergency nature only at such public meeting.
(Neb. RS 84-1411) (Prior Code, § 1-509)
The City Clerk, in the case of the City Council, and the Secretary or other designee of each other public body shall maintain a list of the news media requesting notification of meetings and shall make reasonable efforts to provide advance notification to them of the time and place of each meeting and the subjects to be discussed at that meeting.
(Neb. RS 84-1411) (Prior Code, § 1-508)
(A) (1) The meetings of the City Council shall be held in the meeting place of the municipality. Regular meetings shall be held on the first Monday of each month at the hour of 7:00 p.m.
(2) A majority of all the members elected to the City Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business, but a fewer number may adjourn from time to time and compel the attendance of absent members. Unless a greater vote is required by law, an affirmative vote of at least one-half of the elected members shall be required for the transaction of any business.
(Prior Code, § 1-510)
(B) (1) The Mayor or any three Council members shall have power to call special meetings of the City Council, the object of which shall be submitted to the Council in writing; and the call and object, as well as the disposition thereof, shall be entered upon the journal by the City Clerk.
(Neb. RS 17-106)
(2) On filing the call for a special meeting, the City Clerk shall notify the Mayor and Council members of the special meeting, stating the time and purpose.
(C) Unless otherwise provided by the Council, on the request of any two members, whether a quorum is present or not, all absent members shall be sent for and compelled to attend.
(D) At the hour appointed for a meeting, the City Clerk shall proceed to call the roll of members and announce whether a quorum is present. If a quorum is present, the Council shall be called to order by the Mayor, if present, or, if absent, by the President of the Council.
(Ord. 22-95, passed 12-4-1995)
(A) When it is necessary to hold an emergency meeting without reasonable advance public notice, the nature of the emergency shall be stated in the minutes and any formal action taken in that meeting shall pertain only to the emergency.
(B) Such emergency meetings may be held by means of electronic or telecommunication equipment.
(C) The provisions of § 30.03 of this chapter shall be complied with in conducting emergency meetings.
(D) Complete minutes of such emergency meetings specifying the nature of the emergency and any formal action taken at the meeting shall be made available to the public by no later than the end of the next regular business day.
(Neb. RS 84-1411) (Prior Code, § 1-505)
(A) Videoconferencing, when allowed.
(1) A meeting of an organization created under the Interlocal Cooperation Act, being Neb. RS 13-801 through 13-827, the Joint Public Agency Act, being Neb. RS 13-2501 through 13-2550, or the Municipal Cooperative Financing Act, being Neb. RS 18-2401 through 18-2485, or of the governing body of a risk management pool or its advisory committees organized in accordance with the Intergovernmental Risk Management Act, being Neb. RS 44-4301 through 44-4339, may be held by means of videoconferencing if:
(a) Reasonable advance publicized notice is given;
(b) Reasonable arrangements are made to accommodate the public’s right to attend, hear and speak at the meeting, including seating, recordation by audio or visual recording devices and a reasonable opportunity for input such as public comment or questions to at least the same extent as would be provided if videoconferencing were not used;
(c) At least one copy of all documents being considered is available to the public at each site of the videoconference;
(d) At least one member of the governing body or advisory committee is present at each site of the videoconference; and
(e) No more than one-half of the governing body’s or advisory committee’s meetings in a calendar year are held by videoconference.
(2) Videoconferencing shall not be used to circumvent any of the public government purposes established in Neb. RS 84-1408 to 84-1414.
(3) For the purpose of this section, the following definition shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
VIDEOCONFERENCING. Conducting a meeting involving participants at two or more locations through the use of audio-video equipment which allows participants at each location to hear and see each meeting participant at each other location, including public input. Interaction between meeting participants shall be possible at all meeting locations.
(Prior Code, § 1-514)
(B) Telephone conference calls; when allowed.
(1) A meeting of the governing body of a joint entity formed under the Interlocal Cooperation Act or of the governing body of a risk management pool or its advisory committees organized in accordance with the Intergovernmental Risk Management Act may be held by telephone conference call if:
(a) The territory represented by the member public agencies of the entity or pool covers more than one county;
(b) Reasonable advance publicized notice is given which identifies each telephone conference location at which a member of the entity’s or pool’s governing body will be present;
(c) All telephone conference meeting sites identified in the notice are located within public buildings used by members of the entity or pool or at a place which will accommodate the anticipated audience;
(d) Reasonable arrangements are made to accommodate the public’s right to attend, hear and speak at the meeting, including seating, recordation by audio recording devices and a reasonable opportunity for input such as public comment or questions to at least the same extent as would be provided if a telephone conference call was not used;
(e) At least one copy of all documents being considered is available to the public at each site of the telephone conference call;
(f) At least one member of the governing body of the entity or pool is present at each site of the telephone conference call identified in the public notice;
(g) The telephone conference call lasts no more than one hour; and
(h) No more than one-half of the entity’s or pool’s meetings in a calendar year are held by telephone conference call.
(2) Nothing in this section shall prevent the participation of consultants, members of the press, and other non-members of the governing body at sites not identified in the public notice. Telephone conference calls shall not be used to circumvent any of the public government purposes established in Neb. RS 84-1408 to 84-1414.
(Prior Code, § 1-515) (Ord. 97-4, passed 9-8-1997; Ord. 2000-13, passed 5-1-2000; Ord. 2000-14, passed 5-1-2000)
Statutory reference:
Related provisions, see Neb. RS 84-1409, 84-1411, 84-1411(3)
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