(a) Purpose and Applicability. Pursuant to Ohio R.C. 121.22 (F) the following Rules for Notification of the Public and News Media of Public Meetings are hereby adopted by the City for the purpose of:
(1) Establishing a reasonable method for any person to determine the time and place of all regularly scheduled meetings and the time, place and purpose of all special meetings;
(2) Making provisions for giving advance notice of special meetings to the news media that have requested notification; and
(3) Making provisions for persons to request and obtain reasonable advance notification of all meetings at which any specific type of public business is to be discussed.
These rules apply to meetings of Bucyrus City Council and all Committees, Sub Committees or Ad Hoc Committees as provided for herein, and are in addition to any other applicable legal requirements as to notices to members of a Municipal body or to others in connection with specific meetings or specific subject matters.
For all notices of all regular and special meetings to media and for subscribers that pay, we will provide notice by; 1) email, 2) fax, 3) text, 4) phone or, 5) mail, but please be aware, written notice mailed 24 hours prior to the date and time of the meeting may not reach you due to post office delivery times.
(b) Notice of Regular and Organizational Meetings; Adjourned Meetings.
(1) The Council Clerk shall post a statement of the time and place of the regular meetings of each Municipal body for each calendar year, not later than the second day preceding the day of the first regular meeting (other than the organizational meeting) of the calendar year of the Municipal body. The Council Clerk shall check at reasonable intervals to ensure that such statement remains so posted during such calendar year. If, at any time during the calendar year, the time or place of regular meetings or of any regular meeting is changed on a permanent or temporary basis, a statement of the time and place of such changed regular meetings or meeting shall be so posted by the Council Clerk at least twenty-four hours before the time of the first such changed regular meeting.
(2) The Council Clerk shall post a statement of the time and place of any organizational meeting of a Municipal body at least twenty-four hours before the time of such organizational meeting.
Upon adjournment of any regular or special meeting to another day, the Council Clerk shall promptly post notice of the time and place of such adjourned meeting.
(c) Notice of Special Meetings.
(1) Except in the case of an emergency special meeting referred to in subsection (d)(4) hereof, the Council Clerk shall, not later than twenty-four hours before the time of a special meeting of a Municipal body, post a statement of the time, place and purposes of such special meeting.
(2) The statement referred to in subsection (d)(1) hereof and notifications referred to in subsection (e) hereof shall state such specific or general purpose or purposes then known to the Council Clerk to be intended to be considered at such special meeting.
(d) Notice to News Media of Special Meetings.
(1) Any news medium organization that desires to be given advance notification of special meetings of a Municipal body shall file with the Council Clerk a written request therefor. Except in the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action, as referred to in subsection (e)(1) hereof a special meeting shall not be held unless at least twenty-four 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 is accordance with subsection (e)(1) hereof.
(2) News media requests for such advance notification of special meetings shall specify the Municipal body that is the subject of such request, the name of the requesting organization and the name and address of the person to whom notifications to the requesting organization may be made. Any such request shall be effective for twelve months from the date of filing with the Council Clerk or until the Council Clerk receives written notice from such requesting organization canceling or modifying such request, whichever is earlier. Each requesting organization 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 Council Clerk. A request shall not be deemed to be made unless it is complete in all respects, and such request may be conclusively relied upon by the City, the Municipal body that is the subject of such request and the Council Clerk.
(3) The Council Clerk shall give notification as the Council Clerk determines to be necessary, to the news media organizations that have requested advance notification in accordance with subsection (e)(2) hereof, of the time, place and purposes of each special meeting, at least twenty-four hours prior to the time of such special meeting.
(4) In the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action, a special meeting may be held without giving twenty-four hours advance notification thereof to the requesting news media. Any one or more of the persons calling such meeting, or the Council Clerk on their behalf, shall immediately give notification of the time, place and purposes of such special meeting to such news media organizations that have requested such advance notification in accordance with subsection (e)(2) hereof. The minutes or the call, or both, of any such special meeting shall state the general nature of the emergency requiring immediate official action.
(e) Notification of Discussion of Specific Types of Public Business.
(1) Any person, upon written or electronic request and as provided in this section, may obtain reasonable advance notification of all meetings at which any specific type of public business is scheduled to be discussed. Such person may file a request with the Council Clerk specifying: the person's name and address and telephone number and electronic information at or through which such person can be reached during and outside of business hours; the specific type of public business the discussion of which the person is requesting advance notification; the Municipal body that is the subject of such request; and the number of calendar months, not to exceed six months, which the request covers.
Such request may be canceled by request from such person to the Council Clerk.
Each such written request must be accompanied by cash, or a check or money order payable to the Council Clerk in the amount of five dollars ($5.00) for each month covered by the request, which amount has been determined by Council to represent a reasonable fee to cover the costs of providing such advance notification. Such requests may be modified or extended only by filing a complete request with the Council Clerk. A request shall not be deemed to be made unless it is complete in all respects and such request may be conclusively relied upon by the City, the Municipal body that is the subject of the request and the Council Clerk.
(2) The Council Clerk shall give such advance notification requested pursuant to subsection (e)(1) hereof as the Council Clerk deems necessary.
(f) General Notification Regulations.
(1) Any person may visit or telephone or electronically contact the office of the Council Clerk, to determine, based on information available at the office, the time and place of regular meetings; the time, place and purposes of any then known special meetings; and whether the available agenda of any such future meeting states the any specific type of public business, identified by such person, is to be discussed at such meeting.
(2) Any notification required to be given by the Council Clerk under the provisions of this section may be given by any person acting on behalf of or under the authority of the Council Clerk.
(3) A reasonable attempt at notification shall constitute notification in compliance with this section.
(4) The contents of any written notification requested pursuant to subsection (d), (e), or (f) hereof may be satisfied by providing a copy of the meeting agenda.
(Ord. 14-2015. Passed 4-7-15.)