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As used in this chapter the following words shall have the meaning ascribed herein, unless otherwise provided.
(a) "Clerk-Treasurer" means the elected, qualified and acting Clerk-Treasurer of the Municipality.
(b) "Day" means a calendar day.
(c) "Meeting" means any prearranged discussion of the public business of the municipal body by a majority of the members of that municipal body.
(d) "Municipal body" means any of the following:
(1) Council;
(2) Board of Trustees of Public Affairs;
(3) Board of Zoning Appeals;
(4) Planning Commission;
(5) Assessment Equalization Board;
(6) Committees where a majority of the members of the parent group are present and taking part in the determination to be made by the committee;
(7) Committees of the Whole;
(8) Volunteer Firemen's Dependents Fund Board;
(9) Any other committees which may be appointed to make a determination on a public issue or any other board of the Municipality not specifically mentioned herein, provided, that such committees or boards are comprised of a majority of the members of the parent body or are decision-making bodies.
(e) "Oral notification" means notification given by word of mouth either in person or by telephone directly to the person or his authorized agent for whom notification is intended or by leaving an oral message for such person at the address or if by telephone at the telephone number filed with the Clerk-Treasurer.
(f) "Post" means to place for view in an area accessible to the public during business hours at the office of the Clerk-Treasurer and at the following locations:
(1) The U.S. Post Office.
(2) Elyria Savings and Trust National Bank.
(3) LaGrange Municipal Building.
(4) LaGrange True Value Hardware.
(5) LaGrange I.G.A. Foodliner.
(g) "Special meeting" means a meeting which is neither a regular meeting nor an adjourned meeting of a regular or special meeting which is called or held to consider items specifically stated on the original agendum of such regular or adjourned meeting.
(h) "Written notification" means notification in writing mailed, telegraphed or delivered to the address of the person for whom such notification is intended as shown on the records filed with the Clerk-Treasurer, or in any other way delivered to such person. Mailed notices shall be by first class mail deposited in a U.S. postal mailbox not later than the second day preceding the day of the meeting to which such notification refers, provided that, at least one regular mail delivery day falls between the day of mailing and the day of such meeting.
(a) The Clerk-Treasurer shall post a statement of the time and place of regular meetings of each municipal body for the calendar year not later than the second day preceding the date of the first regular meeting of that municipal body. If the time and place of regular meetings is changed during the year, that fact shall be posted in the same manner as was the original posting.
(b) The Clerk-Treasurer shall post a statement of the time and place of any organizational meeting of a municipal body at least twenty-four hours before the time of such meeting. (Ord. 407. Passed 2-19-76.)
(a) Except in the case of a special meeting referred to in Section 107.04(d) the Clerk-Treasurer shall, no later than twenty-four hours before the time of a special meeting of
a municipal body post a statement of the time, place and purposes of such special meeting.
(b) The statement, in addition to stating the general or special purpose of the meeting, may state, as an additional purpose that any other business as may properly come before such municipal body may be considered and acted upon.
(Ord. 407. Passed 2-19-76.)
(a) Any news medium organization that desires to be given advance notification of special meetings of a municipal body shall file with the Clerk-Treasurer a written statement requesting such notice. Except in the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action as referred to in subsection (d) hereof a special meeting shall not be held unless at least twenty-four hours advance notice of the time, plac and purposes of the meeting is given to the news media that have made requests for such advance notification in accordance with this section.
(b) News media requests for such advance notification of special meetings shall specify the municipal body that is the subject of the request, the name of the medium, the name, address and telephone number of the person to whom notice is to be given or to whom notices can be mailed, telegraphed or delivered and in the case where telephone messages may be used, the name of at least two persons, either of whom oral notifications may be given for the medium. Any such request shall be effective for a period of one year from the date of filing with the Clerk-Treasurer or, in case of a shorter period, at the time of notice of discontinuance of notice is delivered to the Clerk-Treasurer, whichever is earlier. A request shall be deemed not properly made unless it is complete in all respects and the information in such requests can be conclusively relied upon by the Municipality, the municipal body to which addressed and the Clerk-Treasurer.
(c) The Clerk-Treasurer shall give either oral or written notification, or both, as the Clerk-Treasurer determines, to the news media making a request for notification in accordance with subsection (b) herein, of the time, place and purposes of the special meeting. Such notice shall be given at least twenty-four hours before the time of the special meeting.
(d) In the event of an emergency situation which requires immediate official action, a special meeting may be called without giving the twenty-four hours notification to the requesting news media, provided however, that either the person responsible for calling the meeting or the Clerk-Treasurer, shall immediately give oral notification to the news media which has on file the request for notification or written notice if the person so elects, of the time, place and subject of the meeting and the nature of the emergency situation which necessitates such meeting and action.
(Ord. 407. Passed 2-19-76.)
Any person, upon written request as provided for herein, may obtain advance notification of all meetings at which a specific type of public business will be considered by the public body. A person desiring such advance notification shall file a written request with the Clerk-Treasurer specifying his address, telephone number and place at which the person may be reached during and outside of business hours, the specific type of business which the person is requesting advance notification of, the municipal body which is the subject of the request, and the number of calendar months, not to exceed six, for which the request is made. Such request may be cancelled at any time by notifying the Clerk-Treasurer of the cancellation in writing. Each such request shall be accompanied by stamped addressed envelopes in the number to cover the regular meetings during the time period covered by the request and an estimated number of special meetings. The Clerk-Treasurer shall enter on a record to be kept by him or her for that purpose the number of envelopes furnished and the number and dates of notifications for which the envelopes were used. A request shall not be deemed to have been made unless it conforms in all respects to the requirements of this chapter. The contents of the notification may be a copy of the agendum of the meeting.
(Ord. 407. Passed 2-19-76.)
(a) Any person may visit or telephone the office of the Clerk-Treasurer during that office's regular office hours to determine, based on information on file at that office at the time, the time and place of regular meetings, special meetings if any have been called, the subject for consideration at the meeting and whether or not any specific type of public business, identified by such person, is to be considered at such meeting.
(b) Any notification or information provided herein to be given by the Clerk- Treasurer may be given by any other person acting in behalf of or under the authority of the Clerk-Treasurer.
(c) A reasonable attempt at notification of the person requesting it shall constitute compliance with this chapter.
(d) In order to insure compliance with this chapter, the Chairman, Secretary or other person calling a meeting of a municipal body shall timely advise the Clerk-Treasurer of all those matters which must be included in the notification.
(Ord. 407. Passed 2-19-76.)