(A) The Mayor or three or more members of the City Council, may call a public hearing, meeting and/or work session upon at least 24 hours notice. The notice of a public hearing shall specify the subject(s), date, time, and designated location of the public hearing or work session. Public hearings and/or work sessions shall be used for a means of information gathering or the hearing of evidence on a particular subject(s) or action(s) and no conclusions or votes mandating the City Council to act or take action will be taken or recognized by the City Council at such hearings, meetings or sessions. The public is invited to attend work sessions of the City Council, but time for public comment will not be provided. Whenever possible or necessary, an agenda shall be provided for each work session, but no minutes of any work session shall be taken.
(B) The Cave Springs City Council shall hold a regular work session once a month for the purposes of initial review of prior month financials and department reports, discussion of new business, discussion of tabled items from previous meetings, discussion of any city business, and for the content and arrangement of the agenda for the upcoming regular City Council meeting. The regular work session shall be held on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Cave Springs American Legion Building or at such location agreed to by the City Council members. Other than the administrative task of the formulation of the agenda, no conclusions or votes mandating the City Council to act or take action will be taken or recognized by the City Council at the regular work session.
(C) Notice of a public hearing and/or work session called by the Mayor at other than the regular meeting of the City Council shall be accomplished by the Mayor notifying the Clerk-Treasurer in writing or verbally. The Clerk-Treasurer, or designee, shall be responsible for notifying each City Council member individually, in writing or verbally, and give due public notice, containing information specified in § 30.04 herein. In the absence of the Clerk-Treasurer, the Mayor or designee shall prepare written notice, containing information specified in division (A) of this section and the Mayor, or designee, shall be responsible for notifying the Clerk-Treasurer and each City Council member individually, either in writing or verbally, and give due public notice containing the information specified in division (A) of this section.
(D) Notice of a public hearing and/or work session of the City Council called by any two Council members shall be accomplished by one member of the calling group to notify the Mayor in writing or verbally. In addition to the information specified in division (A), the notice shall also include the name of each City Council member making up the called hearing or meeting. The Mayor shall be responsible for notifying the City Clerk-Treasurer and each City Council member not in the calling group of the hearing, meeting or session, in writing or verbally, and giving due public notice as specified in § 30.04 of this subchapter.
(E) lt is intent of this section that notice of a call for a public hearing, city meeting and/or work session shall be given as far in advance as possible consistent with the nature and immediacy of the purpose of the hearing, meeting or session. The minimum of 24 hours notice shall be given only under unusual circumstances.
(F) All public hearings, city meetings and/or work sessions called by the Mayor, City Council or any of its committees shall be in conformance with the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and all other state laws.
(Ord. 2020-09, passed 3-23-2020; Ord. 2022-03, passed 1-24-2022; Ord. 2024-02, passed 2-27-2024)