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SECTION 1. POWER, ELECTION AND TERM OF OFFICE.
   Except as reserved to the people by this Charter, the legislative power of the City shall be vested in a Council of nine members, eight members of whom shall be elected by separate, head-to-head elections in wards and shall be designated as Council Ward Members 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Council Ward Members 1, 3, 5, and 7 shall be elected to four year terms commencing December 1, 2011, and thereafter. Council Ward Members 2, 4, 6, and 8 shall be elected to two year terms commencing December 1, 2011, and a four year term thereafter. Commencing December 1 following the first regular Council election after passage of this amendment, no person may serve more than three full consecutive terms. Any person serving as a member of Council, pursuant to the provisions of Article II, Section 7, shall not have such service be considered a full term. The Council term commencing on December 1, 2011, and all council terms thereafter, will expire on December 31 at midnight. Thereafter all Council terms will being on January 1.
   One member shall be elected city-wide as President of Council. The Council President shall be elected to a two year term commencing December 1, 2011, and shall be elected to a four year term thereafter. The term for the President of Council commencing on December 1, 2011, and all terms of the President of Council commencing thereafter, will expire on December 31 at midnight. Thereafter all terms for the President of Council will begin on January 1. The position of Council President shall be a separate and distinct term from the other eight council positions. An individual elected to the position of Council President may serve not more than three full consecutive terms as Council President, above and beyond, and irrespective of any previous continuous service as a council person. Any person serving as Council President, pursuant to the provisions of Article II, Section 7, shall not have such service be considered a full term.
   Term limitations as contained in this Section, shall commence with the service of the four year terms of office without regard to any period of prior service as a Member of Council.
   Any Member of Council elected or appointed to office under the provisions contained in Article II, Section 7, and such period being more than 27 months until the conclusion of the term, said Member of Council shall stand for election at the next municipal election to remain in that position for the balance of the term.
   Members of the Council shall be electors of the City, shall have resided in the City, and Ward Councilmen shall have resided in their respective wards for at least one year immediately preceding their election, and shall hold no public office incompatible with that of Councilman. Council shall be the judge of the election and qualifications of its own members.
   Within sixty days after the proclamation of the Secretary of State announcing the population of cities of Ohio, as determined by the Federal census decennially taken, the Council shall re-divide the City into eight wards which shall be as nearly equal in population as is possible, each composed of contiguous and compact territory bounded by natural boundaries or street lines. Upon failure of the Council to redivide the City within the period provided, the Director of Law shall redivide it as herein provided and he shall file such plan with the Clerk of Council. This plan shall thereupon become the new division by ward of the City.
(Amended November 2, 1976; May 5, 1992; November 2, 1992; March 7, 2000; November 6, 2007; November 3, 2009; May 4, 2010.)
SECTION 2. ORGANIZATION OF COUNCIL.
   Within five days after the commencement of their term, at the call of the Mayor, members of the Council shall meet in the Council Chamber and organize. The President of Council, in addition to his obligations, rights, and duties as a Councilman elected at large, shall preside at all of its meetings and shall perform such other duties as may be imposed upon him by the Council. In the absence of the President, the Council shall elect a President pro tem. The Council shall also elect a Clerk and such other officers and employees of Council as it may deem necessary, to serve at the pleasure of the Council. The Clerk shall keep the records of the Council and perform such other duties as may be required by this Charter or the Council.
SECTION 3. COUNCIL MEETINGS.
   In each calendar month, except July and August, the Council shall hold at least two regular meetings, the time and place of which shall be prescribed by ordinance. During each of the months of July and August, the Council shall hold at least one regular meeting, the time and place of which shall be prescribed by ordinance. A majority of all the members elected shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a lesser number may adjourn from day to day and compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as are prescribed by ordinance. The mayor or any three members of Council may call special meetings upon at least twelve hours' written notice to each member, served personally or left at his usual place of residence. Such notice shall state the subject or subjects to be considered at the meeting and no other subject shall be there considered. Council meetings shall be open to the public at all times and no ordinance, resolution or other business shall be transacted by Council except at a public meeting. Provided further, however, that Council may meet in executive sessions, closed to the public, to review and consider personnel matters, collective bargaining issues, sale or purchase of real estate, pending or imminent litigation or Court actions, and such other matters required or permitted to be kept confidential by Federal or State law, which executive sessions shall be held only pursuant to regulations adopted by ordinance.
(Amended November 8, 1988; March 15, 2016.)
SECTION 4. RULES AND JOURNAL OF COUNCIL.
   The Council shall determine its own rules and keep a journal of its proceedings. This journal shall at all reasonable times be open to public inspection. The action of the Council shall be by ordinance or resolution, introduced in written or printed form. On the passage of each ordinance or resolution, for which the affirmative vote of a majority of the total members of the Council shall be necessary, the voting shall be taken by "yeas" and "nays" and entered in the journal.
SECTION 5. GENERAL ORDINANCES.
   The Council shall make provision by ordinance for: (a) the form and method of enactment of its ordinances and the adoption of its resolutions; (b) the method of giving public notice of the enactment of its ordinances and the adoption of its resolutions, and of any other of its acts or proceedings which it deems proper to publish; (c) the procedure for making public improvements and levying assessments, including the procedure for combining two or more public improvements, and the levying of assessments therefor, in one proceeding, if the Council finds that it will be economical and practical to undertake such improvements jointly; (d) the advertising of contracts and proposed purchases, and of alterations or modifications of contracts; (e) the sale or disposal of Municipal property; (f) such other general regulations as the Council may deem necessary, including the use of an official seal. All legislation shall contain gender neutral language.
   Ordinances may be revised, codified, rearranged, and published in book form under appropriate titles, chapters, and sections, and such revisions and codification may be made in one ordinance comprising one or more subjects. The publication of such revision and codification in book form as aforesaid shall be held sufficient publication of the ordinance or ordinances contained in such revision and codification. Any such publication of a revision or codification of ordinances in book form shall contain a certification by the President of Council and the Clerk of the correctness of such revision, codification, and publication, and the book so published shall be received in evidence in any court for the purpose of proving the ordinance or ordinances therein contained, in the same manner and for the same purpose as the original book, ordinances, minutes, or journals would be received.
(Amended November 2, 1993)
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