(a) Council Meetings. The regular meetings of Council shall be held on the first, second, third and fourth Mondays of each month, except that Council shall not be in session during the month of August. At regular meetings held on the first and third Mondays of each month, the Order of Business for Regular Council Meetings shall be dispensed with when there is Standing Committee business. However, the Mayor, President of Council, or any three (3) members may require that the Order of Business for Regular Council Meetings be observed if any of them provide at least twenty-four (24) hours written notice of a request therefor to each member of Council, served personally or left at their usual place of residence. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any meeting where the Order of Business has been dispensed with, upon a motion duly made and seconded followed by the affirmative vote of a two-thirds majority of all members of Council requesting that the Order of Business be observed, the Presiding Officer shall conduct the meeting in accordance with the Order of Business as provided herein. All meetings of Council shall be held at the place periodically designated as Council Chambers at 6:30 p.m. When the first, second, third, or fourth Monday of any month falls on a day the Municipal offices are closed for a holiday, the regular meeting of Council shall be held on the next day that the Municipal offices are open for regular business. By the vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members, Council may cancel, reschedule, or designate another place and time for the holding of any regular meeting or meetings. Notice to the public of such actions shall be provided pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section. Except as provided in subsection (e) below, all meetings of Council are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times. All resolutions, rules, regulations and/or formal actions shall be considered by Council at meetings open to the public.
(b) Council Committee Meetings. Council Committee Meetings are meetings of City Council wherein the business of the Standing Committees is conducted in the presence of the Council. Standing Committee meetings may be held during any regular Council meetings held on the first and third Mondays of each month, or at other times when notice thereof is announced during a regular or special council meeting, or provided pursuant to subsections (d), (f), (g) and (h) of this Section.
(c) Special Council Meetings. The Mayor, President of Council, or any three (3) members may call a special meeting of Council with at least twenty-four (24) hours written notice to each member of Council, served personally or left at their usual place of residence and at least twenty-four (24) hours written notice to the news media that have requested notice, except in the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action, in which case the individual(s) calling the meeting shall orally notify each member and the news media requesting notice immediately of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting. The notice of the special meeting required herein shall contain a statement of the business for the transaction of which such special meeting may be called. No business shall be transacted at any special meeting of Council except the particular business for which said meeting was called.
(d) Special Committee Meetings. The Chairman or any two (2) members may call a special meeting of a Committee with at least twenty-four (24) hours written notice to each member, served personally or left at their usual place of residence and at least twenty-four (24) hours written notice to the news media that have requested notice, except in the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action, in which case the individual(s) calling the meeting shall orally notify each member and the news media requesting notice immediately of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting. The notice of the special meeting required herein shall contain a statement of the business for the transaction of which such special meeting may be called. No business shall be transacted at any special meeting of a Committee except the particular business for which said meeting was called.
(e) Executive Sessions. The Council may hold an Executive Session, from which the public is excluded, for any of the following purposes:
(1) Personnel matters, including the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion or compensation of one or more public employees or officials;
(2) Purchase, sale, or the development of real property where premature disclosure of information would give an unfair competitive or bargaining advantage to a person, or otherwise adversely affect the general public interest;
(3) Imminent or pending litigation;
(4) Preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions with public employees concerning their compensation or other terms and conditions of their employment;
(5) Matters required to be kept confidential by Federal law or rules of State statutes;
(6) 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 the law;
(7) The employment of, or discussions with, legal counsel or concerning confidential reports or proposals submitted by such counsel.
An Executive Session may be held upon the determination by a majority of a quorum of the Council, by a roll call vote, to hold such a session, setting forth the general purpose or purposes for which such session will be held. All formal action of Council, such as the enactment of legislation or the adoption of rules or recommendations, shall be taken in an open meeting. All Executive sessions, and the reasons therefore, shall be noticed in the minutes of Council.
(f) Notice of Meetings. The Clerk shall post a copy of Section 111.03 and shall check periodically to ensure the Rule remains posted. The Clerk shall promptly post a statement of the time and place of any organizational meeting, special meeting, regular meeting scheduled at a time or place other than as provided herein, or any adjournment or recess of a regular or special meeting to another day. Notices of all meetings shall be posted on the City's website, as well as at City Hall and at the Natatorium Health & Wellness Center.
(g) Requested Advance Notice of Meetings by the Public. The Clerk shall provide to any person, upon written request, reasonable advance notice, as provided in section 107.05 of the Codified Ordinances, of all meetings at which any specific type of public business is to be discussed. Requests for such advance notification of meetings shall specify: 1) the name, address and phone number of the person making the request; and 2) the method in which notices can be delivered, whether via email, mail or fax. Any such requests shall be effective for one year from the date of filing with the Clerk or until the Clerk receives written notice from such person canceling or modifying such request, whichever is earlier.
(h) Meeting Information Made Available. Any person may visit or telephone the Law Department (330-971-8190) during the office's regular business hours to determine, based on information then available at that office: the time and place of regular meetings; the time, place and purposes of any then known special meetings; and whether the agenda of such future meeting(s) states that any specific type of public business, identified by such person, is to be discussed at such meeting.
(i) Order of Business for Regular Council Meetings. At all regular meetings the business of Council shall be transacted in the following order and, except as provided in subsection (a) hereof, no deviation shall be made without the approval of a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of Council.
(1) Roll Call.
(2) Invocation.
(3) Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
(4) Additions, Corrections or Deletions in Council Minutes of the Previous Meeting.
(5) Reading of Petitions, Claims, Communications and Reports of City Officials, As Presented.
(6) Introduction of New Ordinances and Resolutions.
(7) Public Hearings, As Scheduled.
(8) Reports of Special Council Committees, As Scheduled.
(9) Reports of Council's Standing Committees.
(10) Announce Schedule of Council Committee Meetings.
(11) Miscellaneous Business.
(12) Adjournment. (Ord. 74-2012. Passed 7-30-12.)