(A) A majority of the Town Council constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.
(B) Except as otherwise provided by statute, the Council shall meet in regular session at 6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the Town Hall in the town and at other times and places as the Council may from time to time determine by motion or upon special call by the Council President, as hereinafter provided.
(C) The annual meeting for adoption of the annual budget and tax rates shall be held at either a special or regular meeting as may be convenient, in August or September as required by law.
(D) The President, on his or her own initiative, may at any time call a special meeting of the Council upon the following terms and conditions:
(1) If, in the judgment of the President, the purpose of the meeting is to meet an immediate emergency of the town, the meeting may be called by verbal contact with the other members of the Council and the Clerk-Treasurer, with further verbal notice to the news media as required by the Indiana Open Door Law.
(2) If the purpose of the meeting is not an immediate emergency, the meeting may be called by giving the other members of the Council, the Clerk-Treasurer and the news media 48-hours’ verbal or written notice prior to the convening of the meeting.
(E) All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Indiana Open Door Law as follows:
(1) Notices as required by the Open Door Law shall be given to the Crawfordsville Journal Review, and the papers of general circulation in the town, together with radio station WCVL, all at Crawfordsville, Indiana;
(2) With the adoption of this code, the foregoing news media shall be notified of the regular sessions of the Council and shall thereafter be notified annually of the regular sessions, not later than January 15. In the event of special meetings of the Council, the same notice shall be given to the news media as shall be applicable to the notice given members of the Council; and
(3) Normally, the meetings of the Council will not be the subject of a written agenda but will be governed by the general order of business as hereinafter set out; however, in the event any particular meeting shall be convened or held upon the basis of a written agenda, a copy thereof shall be furnished the news media in accordance with the Indiana Open Door Law.
(F) (1) If a meeting of the Council is necessary to conduct essential business of the Council during the public health emergency:
(a) Such a meeting may take place if a number of other Council members participate electronically, by telephone, website, or otherwise, in a number sufficient to constitute a quorum; and
(b) That the members participating electronically have an unlimited right to participate and vote on all matters, including but not limited to final action, which come before the Council.
(2) If a meeting of the Town Council is conducted during the public health emergency:
(a) The public, up to a certain number, will be allowed to participate electronically;
(b) Non-essential employees will be encouraged to refrain from attending;
(c) Appropriate social distancing measures will be taken, including but not limited to providing sufficient distance between the Council members and members of the public and encouraging members of the public to observe proper distance from one another;
(d) The Council will reduce the length of meetings and number of items on the agenda;
(e) Public comment will be allowed by remote access; and
(f) The Council will, when appropriate, delegate authority to the presiding officer for operational, administrative and other matters.
(1982 Code, § 3-1) (Am. Res. 2020-3, passed 4-6-2020)