(a) Open to Public. All meetings of Council and any other board or commission established by Council shall be public meetings open to the public at all times, except those portions allowed for executive sessions in the Ohio Revised Code. No resolution, rule, regulation or formal action of any kind shall be adopted at any executive session of Council. Strict confidentiality shall be maintained by all Council Members, Clerk-Treasurer, Mayor and other present, regarding topics lawfully discussed in executive sessions.
(b) Organization. The organization of Council shall be as follows:
(1) Council Members shall at the first regular Council meeting of each year have an organizational meeting including the election of Council President. The vote for Council President shal1 be by ballot.
(2) The Council President presides in the absence of the Mayor.
(3) The Clerk-Treasurer of the Municipality shall attend all Council meetings, regular and special, record all proceedings in the minutes and have minutes available within forty-eight hours after a meeting. The minutes shall be done on the Village computer and backed up regularly. The Clerk-Treasurer shall prepare an agenda for every Council meeting and attend to all correspondence incidental to the office, including the acknowledgment of donations and perform such other duties as may be lawfully assigned to the Clerk-Treasurer by vote of Council. Such duties, however, may not exceed the range of duties and powers contained in the Ohio Revised Code including, but not limited to, Sections 733.27, 733.28 and 733.29.
(c) Standing Committees.
(1) The standing committees of Council are:
A. Streets and Sidewalks. The purpose of the Streets and Sidewalks Committee is to monitor the issues pertaining to maintaining streets, alleys, and sidewalks within the Village, including but not limited to:
1. Streets, Alleys and Curbs:
a. Maintenance
b. New Construction
c. Curbs and driveway aprons
d. Weight limits
e. Parking
2. Sidewalks:
a. Maintenance
b. New Construction
c. Inspection
B. Utilities. The purpose of the Utilities Committee shall be to monitor all issues pertaining to electric, water, and sanitary/storm sewer matters, including but not limited to:
1. Electric:
a. Fee arrangements
b. Expansion
c. System requirements
d. Contract review
2. Water:
a. Fee arrangements
b. Expansion
c. System Requirements
d. Contract Review
3. Sanitary and Storm Sewers:
a. Fee arrangements
b. Expansion
c. System Requirements
d. Contract Review.
C. Finance/Insurance.
1. Finance. The purpose of the Finance Committee shall be to monitor all issues pertaining to Village finances, including, but not limited to:
a. Appropriations;
b. Review and make recommendations on methods to finance capital improvement projects;
c. Review of financial and budgetary procedures.
2. Insurance. The purpose of the Insurance Committee shall be to monitor all insurance issues in the Village, including but not limited to:
a. Employee health and life insurance policies;
b. Insurance on all Village owned properties;
c. Liability insurance on Village owned properties.
D. Safety. The purpose of the Safety Committee shall be to monitor all issues pertaining to the Police Department and safety in the Village.
(Ord. 17-00. Passed 3-6-00.)
E. Ad-Hoc. The purpose of the Ad-Hoc Committee shall be to monitor all issues presented to it that are not covered under the other Committees, including, but not limited to:
1. Senior Citizens' Building and old hardware;
2. Matters concerning citizens' understanding and involvement in Village issues, the promotion of civic pride and other matters of similar nature to be determined by the Mayor.
(Ord. 35-2020. Passed 12-7-20.)
The chair of Ad-Hoc is the liaison to the Park Advisory Board and is to attend all Park Advisory Board meetings.
F. Economic Development Committee. The purpose of the Economic Development Committee shall be to work with the Village to promote economic development growth, and monitor all issues related to economic development, including, but not limited to:
1. Soliciting businesses to establish themselves in the Village retail, commercial, and industrial.
2. Utilize the Village web site, and other available means to promote the benefits the Village can offer new businesses.
3. Maintain communications with other local agencies, i.e. township, county, CIC, etc. (Ord. 17-00. Passed 3-6-00.)
G. Personnel. Council does hereby establish a Personnel Committee of Village Council, and will consist of three members of Council appointed by the Mayor, and approved by Council. The purpose of the Personnel Committee shall be to work with the Village Administrator to update and amend policies and procedures relevant to the Personnel Policy Manual and ensure that annual employee evaluations are conducted.
(Ord. 10-08. Passed 4-7-08.)
H. Parks and Public Grounds Committee. The purpose of the Parks and Public Grounds Committee is to review issues regarding all parks, recreational issues and management of municipal owned properties. (Ord. 35-2020. Passed 12-7-20.)
(2) Council Board Representatives:
A. Regional Planning Commission;
B. Planning Commission;
C. Income Tax Review Board;
D. Records Commission;
E. Firemen Indemnity/ Fire District Board;
F. Downtown Design Review Board.
(3) Other Representatives appointed by the Mayor and approved by Council:
A. CIC Trustees;
B. Audit Committee.
(4) Prior to the annual organization meeting held by Council, each Council Member shall, in writing, present the name of the committee or committees that he or she desires to be placed upon to the Mayor. After due consideration of all requests, the Mayor shall appoint the members of all committees, with approval by Council. The Mayor shall also name the chairpersons of each committee.
(5) The chairperson shall keep minutes, or shall appoint a person to take the minutes, of each meeting and shall so submit them in writing to Council as a whole. Minutes shall be given to the Clerk-Treasure by noon at least two business days prior to each Council meeting.
(6) Standing committees shall consist of three Council Members unless the amount of work presented to such committee requires that the committee be extended to such number of members as necessary.
(d) Conduct of Meetings.
(1) Agenda. The Clerk-Treasurer shall prepare an agenda to be brought before Council. The agenda shall be given to the Council Members and officers and the Solicitor at least one business day prior to the meeting. Council Members shall inform the Clerk-Treasurer at least four business days prior to the meeting of ordinances or resolutions that require preparation and for items, known to them at the time, to be discussed. Introduction, discussion and action on new ordinances, resolutions or proclamations is not limited to these prepared items.
(2) Call to Order. The Mayor, or in his absence, President of Council, shall take the chair at the hour appointed for the meeting and shall immediately call the Council to order.
(3) Roll Call. The Clerk-Treasurer shall call the roll of the members and the names of those present shall be entered in the minutes.
(4) Minutes. Minutes of the previous meeting shall be sent to all Council Members at least one business day prior to each Council Meeting. Such minutes may be approved without reading by a majority vote of Council.
(5) Quorum and Procedure. Four Council Members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business at any meeting of Council, but a lesser number may adjourn the meeting from time to time and compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as may be prescribed by ordinance or the Revised Code. At any meeting at which a quorum is present, any ordinance or resolution may be passed or adopted and any other action by the affirmative vote of four Council Members, unless a larger number is required by the laws of Ohio.
A. Whenever the term "majority" is used in this chapter, unless otherwise expressly indicated, it shall mean a majority of those members elected or appointed to Council.
(6) Order of Business. All meetings of Council shall be open to the public, except those portions allowed for executive session in the Ohio Revised Code. Promptly at the hour set by law on the day of each regular meeting, the Council Members, Clerk-Treasurer, and Mayor shall take their regular stations in the Council chambers and the business of Council shall be taken up for consideration and disposition in the following order:
A. Call to Order
B. Pledge to the Flag
C. Roll Call
D. Approval of the Minutes
E. Engineer's Report
F. Administrator's Report
G. Clerk-Treasurer's Report - Payment of bills;
H. Recreation Board
I. Zoning Administrator's Report
J. Mayor's Report
K. Committee Reports:
Streets and Sidewalks
Utilities
Finance
Safety
Ad Hoc
Insurance
L. Anyone wishing to address Council
M. Ordinances/Resolutions
N. Adjournment.
(e) Motions. Receiving a motion when a question is before Council: When a question or a proposal is before Council or under debate, or when a motion has been made, no motions shall be received except the following:
(1) To adjourn (not debatable);
(2) To table the motion, lay it aside until later (not debatable);
(3) To request that discussion end, and that any motion being considered be voted on (previous question, as it is usually called), (not debatable);
(4) To postpone any action on a motion until some stated future time;
(5) To refer the proposal to a standing or special committee;
(6) To amend the main motion;
(7) To postpone any action for an indefinite time.
(f) Correspondence. All correspondence requested by the Mayor or Council shall be noted in the minutes and copies provided to all Council Members prior to the next scheduled Council meeting.
(g) Roberts Rules of Order. Except as otherwise provided, Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the deliberations of Council. The Mayor, Clerk-Treasurer, Solicitor and Council Members shall be provided with a copy of the Roberts Rules of Order.
(Ord. 01-2018. Passed 1-2-18.)