At the organizational meeting required by Article III, Section 2 of the Charter, the Council shall pass an ordinance establishing the regular meeting schedule of the Council. All meetings of the Council shall be open to the public except for the purposes and as permitted by the law of Ohio. The Journal of its proceedings shall be available for public inspection at all reasonable times. A majority of the members of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Council, but a lesser number may adjourn the meeting from time to time and compel the attendance of absent members. At any time at which a quorum is present, any ordinance or resolution may be passed or adopted, or any other action taken, by the affirmative vote of a majority of any quorum present of the Council, unless a larger number is required by the provisions of this Charter or by the laws of Ohio. Any member of the Council present and not voting shall be deemed to have voted with the majority and that member’s vote shall be so recorded, except in the case of a tie vote when the vote of any Councilmember present and not voting shall be counted as a negative vote.
All action of the Council shall be taken by a “yes” or “no” vote of each Councilmember, and the Clerk shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Council in a Journal, in which the vote of each Councilmember shall be recorded.
Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, any meeting of the Council or public hearing of Council may be held in-person or by means of teleconference, video conference or other similar electronic communications technology, or any combination of in-person attendance and attendance by use of such electronic technology. A Council member attending such a meeting by use of electronic communications technology as described herein may vote, participate, deliberate and take other official action in such meeting, and shall be counted as present including for purposes of establishing quorum, the same as if the member were physically present, provided that all applicable notice and procedural requirements are met and the public is able to hear and observe the discussions and deliberations of all of the members present including those participating by use of electronic communications technology. In the event that a member attending any meeting or hearing by use of electronic technology is disconnected and such disconnection results in less than a quorum being present at the meeting or hearing, then all discussions and deliberations shall be discontinued until that member is reconnected or appears in person.
(Amended 11-4-08; 11-8-22)