220.02 MEETINGS.
   (a)   Regular Meetings. Meetings shall be held every second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Whenever appropriate, the Mayor may cancel one regular meeting per month.
   (b)   Special Meetings. The Mayor or a majority of the members of Council may call special meetings upon at least twenty-four hours notice, whenever practical, to each member, served personally by mail or left at each member’s usual place of residence.
      (1)   Any member of Council may call the Clerk of Council and advise the Clerk that the Council member desires a special meeting of Council to be called for a purpose or purposes, naming it or them.
      (2)   Immediately upon receiving this information, the Clerk shall call the Mayor. If the Mayor approves, he or she shall forthwith instruct the Clerk to call a special meeting of Council, naming the purpose or purposes thereof which shall include the purpose or purposes named by the first Council member.
      (3)   If the Mayor does not approve, the Clerk shall forthwith call all of the other members of Council. If three of them wish to have a special meeting called, the Clerk shall advise all of the members of Council and the Mayor that a special meeting has been called by four members of Council for the purpose or purposes originally stated and at a time to be set by the Clerk, with advice from the several Council members and Mayor, but as soon as practical and including as many members as practical.
      (4)   Any member of Council may request that the Clerk advise the Mayor and other members of Council that he or she will present a motion for an executive session at the special meeting for the discussion of any subject or subjects, and the Clerk shall comply.
   (c)   Closed Sessions. All meetings where official business is consummated shall be public. However, Council may recess for the purpose of discussing in a closed session, limited to its own membership and such other persons as it may designate, any matter which would tend to defame or prejudice the character or reputation of any person, provided that the general subject matter for consideration is expressed in the motion calling for such session and that final action thereon is not taken by Council except as an agenda item at a public meeting.
   (d)   Executive Sessions. The Mayor or a majority of the members of Council may call an executive session, limited to members of Council and such other persons as it may designate, at a regular or special meeting, provided that the general subject matter for consideration is expressed in the motion calling for such session and that final action thereon is not taken by Council except as an agenda item at a public meeting, for the purpose of a consideration of any of the following matters:
      (1)   The appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion or compensation of a public employee or official, or the investigation of charges or complaints against a public employee, official, licensee or regulated individual, unless the public employee, official, licensee or regulated individual requests a public hearing. Except as otherwise provided by law, no executive session shall be for the discipline of an elected official for conduct related to the performance of his or her official duties or for his or her removal from office.
      (2)   The purchase of property for public purposes, or the sale of property at competitive bidding, if premature disclosure of information would give an unfair competitive or bargaining advantage to a person whose personal and/or private interest is adverse to the general public interest. No member shall use this division as a subterfuge for providing covert information to prospective buyers or sellers. A purchase or sale of public property is void if the seller or buyer of the public property has received covert information from a member that has not been disclosed to the general public in sufficient time for other prospective buyers and sellers to prepare and submit offers.
            If the minutes of Council show that all meetings and deliberations of Council have been conducted in compliance with this section, any instrument executed by the City purporting to convey, lease or otherwise dispose of any right, title or interest in any public property shall be conclusively presumed to have been executed in compliance with this section insofar as title or other interest of any bona fide purchasers, lessees or transferees of the property is concerned.
      (3)   Conferences with an attorney for the City concerning disputes involving the City that are the subject of pending or imminent court action;
      (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 or State statutes; or
      (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.
   (e)   Workshop Sessions. As provided in this section, the Mayor or a majority of the members of Council may call special meetings of Council to be designated “workshop sessions,” which shall be open to the public, upon at least twenty-four hours notice to each member, served personally, for the purpose of receiving and/or discussing information pertinent to pending action.
   (f)   Requests and Notifications.
      (1)   The Clerk of Council shall post the schedule and location of regular meetings of Council in the south foyer of the Englewood Government Center.
      (2)   The Clerk of Council shall post the time, place and purpose of all special meetings and workshops of Council in the south foyer of the Englewood Government Center as soon as practical after the meeting is called.
      (3)   The Clerk of Council shall give notice of special meetings and workshops to the news media which have requested notification at least twenty-four hours before the meeting by mailing a copy of the agenda of the meeting by regular mail to the news media offices, except in the case of emergency meetings requiring immediate Council action, in which case the Clerk shall give immediate oral notification to the news media that have requested notification of the time, place and purpose of the meeting.
      (4)   Any news media organization which desires to be given advance notice of special meetings and workshops shall file with the Clerk of Council a written request therefor on a standard form to be provided by the Clerk. The form shall specify the name of the medium, the name and address of the person to whom written notification at the medium may be mailed, telegraphed or delivered, and the names, addresses and telephone numbers (including addresses and telephone numbers at which notification may be given either during or outside of business hours) of at least two persons to either one of whom oral notifications to the medium may be given, and at least one telephone number which the request identifies as being manned and which can be called at any hour for the purpose of giving oral notification to such medium. 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 medium cancelling or modifying such requests, whichever is earlier. Each requesting news medium shall be informed of such period of effectiveness at the time it files its request. Such requests may be modified or extended only by filing a complete new request with the Clerk. A request shall not be deemed to be made unless it is complete in all respects.
      (5)   Any person may, upon request to the Clerk and advance payment to the City of one dollar ($1.00) for each month such notification is requested, obtain advance notification of Council meetings at which any specific type of public business is to be discussed. Notice shall be made by mailing a copy of the agenda of the meeting by regular mail or by oral notification a reasonable time in advance of the meeting.
      (6)   Persons requesting advance notification of meetings at which any specific type of public business is scheduled to be discussed shall file a written request with the Clerk specifying the person's name, addresses and telephone numbers at or through which the person can be reached during and outside of business hours, the specific type of public business the discussion of which such person is requesting advance notification of, and the number of calendar months which the request covers.
      (7)   Any person may obtain copies of all meeting agendas by providing self-addressed, stamped envelopes to the Clerk. The number of envelopes remaining with the Clerk shall be indicated on the outside of the envelopes mailed.
   (g)   Oral Notification. Oral notification means notification given orally, either in person or by telephone, directly to the person for whom such notification is intended, or by leaving an oral message for such person at the address, or if by telephone, at the telephone number, of such person as shown on the records kept by the Clerk for these purposes. Any notification provided herein to be given by the Clerk may be given by any person acting on behalf of or under the authority of the Clerk. A reasonable attempt at notification shall constitute notification in compliance with this section. A certificate by the Clerk as to compliance with this section shall be conclusive upon the City and Council. The Clerk shall maintain a record of the date and manner, and time, if pertinent, of all actions taken with regard to notices and notifications required herein.
   (h)   Quorum Required; Agendas; Presumptions. No action of Council is valid unless taken in a regular or special meeting at which a quorum is present. At special meetings, subjects for discussion and action may be added to the agenda by the vote of at least two-thirds of the members present. Actions of Council taken in regular or special meetings shall be presumed valid and in compliance with this section.
   (i)   Notice of Special Meetings. The notice of every special meeting shall list the subject or subjects to be discussed thereat. However, the listing of subjects to be discussed may be in general terms.
   (j)   State Law Superseded. Pursuant to Section 1.02 of the City Charter, the provisions of this section shall prevail over any general law of the State in conflict herewith.
   (k)   During any portion of any City Council meeting when public comments are being heard, each person who wishes to speak is entitled to speak for up to five minutes to the City Council upon being recognized by the Mayor. The Mayor may prompt any such speaker to conclude their remarks upon reaching the time limit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Mayor may limit any speaker's time in the interests of order and decorum. No person may donate their speaking time to any other person.
(Ord. 76-06. Passed 3-9-76; Ord. 15-03. Passed 2-24-15; Ord. 22-06. Passed 5-24-22.)