(a) At Council Meetings.
(1) Members should maintain a sense of decorum and courtesy in discussions between Council members and in exchanges with the attending public.
(2) If a member has received a complaint or otherwise become aware of a problem involving Village employees or the Village, it is appropriate for that Council member to first raise the matter with the Village Administrator prior to the meeting in order that the matter might be resolved without the necessity of it coming before Council, or that at least the Village Administrator will have had an opportunity to inquire into the matter and be better able to respond to relevant questions concerning the matter.
(3) Executive sessions are requested when the subject matter under discussion is not appropriate for public discussions. Examples of such matters are discussions of litigation, the purchase of real estate, the appointment, promotion or demotion of personnel, and employee negotiations. Executive sessions are not public. However, Council may invite whomever they choose to attend the executive session. All formal action must, however, be in open session. Minutes are not kept at executive sessions. The content of executive sessions are confidential and should not be discussed outside of executive session.
(4) If a Council member desires to go into executive session, he should notify the Village Administrator in advance if possible. It is appropriate to state a general reason for the executive session when the motion is made.
(b) Outside of Council Meetings.
(1) The Village furnishes seven (7) services to Village residents through its seven (7) departments and twenty-one (21) employees. Good management requires that there be an established chain of command and that the chain of command be followed. Council members should respect that chain of command.
(2) By state law of the Ohio Revised Code, an individual member, acting alone, has no more authority over Village employees than any other citizen. The Village Council, acting together, has all of the authority. If an individual member wishes to spend time with a Village work crew or attend any meeting of employees and supervisors, prior arrangements should be made through the Village Administrator. It should be noted that on such occasion, the Council member is present as an observer and not a participant.
(3) All issues or topics of executive session or committee meetings will not be discussed outside of sessions. This is in violation of Ohio R.C. 4.06 and would be grounds for removal.
(Ord. 795. Passed 10-18-04.)