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(A) Any person may visit or telephone the office of the Clerk or Manager during that office's regular office hours to determine, based on information 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 available agenda of any such future meeting states that any specific type of public business, identified by such person, is to be discussed at such meeting.
(B) Any notification provided herein to be given by the Clerk or Manager may be given by any person acting in behalf of or under the authority of the Clerk or Manager.
(C) A reasonable attempt at notification shall constitute notification in compliance with this chapter.
(D) At the commencement of each meeting, the Clerk, the Manager, or a member of the municipal body shall submit a certificate of the Clerk or the Manager as to compliance with this chapter as to notice and notification. Such a certificate shall be conclusive evidence as to the facts set forth therein upon which all persons can rely that this chapter has been compiled with.
(E) The Clerk shall maintain a record of the date and manner, and time if pertinent under this chapter, of all actions taken with regard to notices and notifications under §§ 34.04, 34.05 and 34.06 of this chapter, and shall retain copies of proofs of publication of any notifications or notices published thereunder.
(F) To better insure compliance with these rules as to notice and notification, it shall be the responsibility of the chairman or secretary of a municipal body other than Council, or the person or persons calling the meetings, to timely advise the Clerk of future meetings, and the subject matters to be discussed thereat, including an agenda of such meeting, of such municipal body.
(Ord. 10-76, passed 1-19-76)
(G) To provide the widest possible dissemination of agendas, the chairman, secretary or person calling the meetings shall be instructed to establish rules regarding requirements for submitting matters for discussion to the various bodies at a sufficient time preceding each meeting to permit preparation of an agenda and submission of the agenda to the Clerk or Manager at a time that they require to enable at least one local newspaper of general circulation to publish the agenda at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting, if the newspaper is willing to do so as a public service, at no cost to the municipality. Council hereby authorizes the Manager to make, and change, if required in the future, rules regarding submission to Council that will meet with these objectives. Emergency measures are exempt.
(Ord. 14-76, passed 3-1-76)
('80 Code, § 105.07)
Members of municipal public bodies may hold, attend, permit public participation and conduct meetings and hearings virtually, in-person or a combination of the two and all of the following apply:
(A) Any ordinance, resolution, motion, rule, decision, or other formal action passed or taken while members attend virtually shall have the same effect as if it had occurred during an open meeting or hearing in which all members of the municipal body attended in person.
(B) Municipal body members who attend a meeting or hearing by virtual means shall be considered present, as if the member attended the meeting or hearing in person, shall be permitted to vote, and shall be counted for determining whether a quorum is present at the meeting or hearing.
(C) Municipal bodies shall provide notification of meetings and hearings held under this section to the public, to the media that have requested notification of a meeting, and to the parties required to be notified of a hearing, at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting or hearing by reasonable methods by which any person may determine the time, location, and the manner by which the meeting or hearing will be conducted, except in the event of an emergency hearing requiring immediate official action. In the event of an emergency, the municipal body shall immediately notify the news media that have requested notification, or the parties required to be notified of a hearing of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting or hearing.
(D) The municipal body shall provide the public access to a public meeting under this section, and to any hearing held under this section that the public would otherwise be entitled to attend, commensurate with the method in which the meeting or hearing is being conducted, including, but not limited to, examples such as live-streaming by means of the internet or by means of any other similar electronic technology. The municipal body shall ensure that the public can observe and hear the discussions and deliberations of all the members of the municipal body, whether the member is participating by virtual means or in person.
(E) When members of a municipal body decide to conduct a hearing by virtual means the municipal body must establish a means, using electronic equipment that is widely available to the general public, to converse with witnesses and to receive documentary testimony and physical evidence.
(Ord. 72-21, passed 11-8-21)