(a) Unless otherwise provided in the Codified Ordinances, all meetings of Council, the Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Board of Control, Civil Service Commission, the Planning Commission, the Citizens Advisory Committee and other similar public bodies of the City or other citizens’ committees as may be appointed from time to time, shall be open to the public, unless an executive session is expressly authorized under the applicable provisions of State law.
(b) "Open to the public" means accessible by members of the public, in a physical location where the public body convenes in person together, except under the following circumstances where "open to the public" may also mean by teleconference or video conference:
(1) The presiding officer of the public body, or a majority of its members, calls for a meeting to be held by teleconference or video conference due to emergency or special circumstances;
(2) The public body provides the public access to the meeting, commensurate with the method in which the meeting is being conducted, including but not limited to live-streaming or live broadcasting by means of the internet, local radio, television, cable or public access channels, offering call-in information for a teleconference, or granting access by means of any other similar electronic technology; and
(3) The public body ensures that the public can observe and hear the discussions and deliberations of all the members of the public body, whether the member is participating in person or electronically.
(c) A member of the public body need not be present in person and shall be considered present for purposes of voting and determining a quorum where the public meeting is held via teleconference or video conference.
(d) Nothing herein contained shall mandate that any public body permit public participation in such meetings unless specifically required by the provisions of the Charter or the Codified Ordinances.
(Ord. 02-2022. Passed 1-3-22.)
(a) Regular Meetings. The time and place of all regular meetings of public bodies designated in Section 109.01 shall be noted in a calendar of annual meetings. This calendar shall be posted in the office of the Clerk of Council at City Hall and those posting places established in Section 107.01 not later than the second day preceding the day of the first regular meeting of the calendar year of that public body. (Ord. 66-75. Passed 12-1-1975.)
(b) Special Meetings. Notification of any special meeting of the public bodies designated in Section 109.01 shall be given to any news media requesting such notification twenty- four hours prior to the time of such meeting. This notification shall include the time, place and purpose of the special meeting. Such notice shall also be posted in the office of the Clerk of Council at City Hall and those posting places established in Section 107.01 as soon as practicable after the scheduling of such special meeting. (Ord. 67-75. Passed 12-15-1975.)
(c) Emergency Meetings. In the event of an emergency meeting the persons calling such meeting, or any one or more of such persons, or the Clerk or Secretary on their behalf, shall immediately give notice of such emergency meeting to the news media which have requested notification of the time, place and purpose of the emergency meeting.
(d) Cancellation, Postponement or Change of Access. In the event of an emergency leading to the cancellation, postponement or change of public access as set forth in Section 121.03(c) and (d), the persons making the change or the Clerk or Secretary on their behalf shall immediately give notice of the change to news media who have requested notification and shall submit the change for publication on the City's digital communication channels.
(Ord. 66-75. Passed 12-1-1975; Ord. 06-2020. Passed 3-16-2020.)
(a) Any person may, upon written request and as provided herein, obtain reasonable advance notification of all meetings at which any specific type of public business is scheduled to be discussed.
(b) To obtain the notice provided in subsection (a) hereof, such persons are required to file a written request with the Clerk specifying: the person's name, address and telephone number 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 the person is requesting advance notification, the public body that is the subject of such request and the number of calendar months, not to exceed twelve which the request covers. Such request may be cancelled by request from such person to the Clerk.
(c) Each request provided for in subsection (b) hereof must be accompanied by cash, check or money order payable to the City of Lakewood in the amount of one dollar ($1.00) for each month covered by the request.
(Ord. 66-75. Passed 12-1-1975.)
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