(A) Verbatim recording.
(1) A verbatim record of all closed meetings of the City of Oak Forest shall be kept in the form of an audio recording.
(2) The City of Oak Forest shall provide the recording device and only one recording device will be allowed.
(3) Individuals shall not be allowed to bring their own recording device to closed meetings.
(B) Operator of recording device.
(1) The City Clerk, or his or her designee if he or she is unavailable, will be responsible for operating the recording device for all closed meetings of the City of Oak Forest.
(2) Each committee of the City of Oak Forest shall designate in writing the individual responsible for recording closed meetings and submit the designation to the Clerk of the City of Oak Forest.
(C) Maintenance of tapes.
(1) The City Clerk shall maintain the audio tapes in a safe and secure location under lock and key.
(2) Access to nonreleased tapes shall be limited to the City Clerk, or his or her designee, unless otherwise directed in writing by the Oak Forest City Council.
(3) Individuals allowed access shall sign a log indicating the date and time they listened to a particular tape.
(4) Individuals allowed access shall listen to a tape only under supervision.
(5) No copies of any non-released tape shall be made.
(D) Destruction of tapes. The verbatim record of a closed meeting may be destroyed 18 months after the completion of the meeting if the Oak Forest City Council approves the destruction of the particular recording and it approves written minutes for the particular closed meeting that contain the following, as required by § 2.06 of the Open Meetings Act:
(1) The date, time and place of the meeting;
(2) The members of the public body recorded as either present or absent; and
(3) A summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated or decided, and a record of any votes taken.
(E) Review of tapes. The City Clerk shall, on a periodic basis, but not less frequently than quarterly, inspect the recordings to check their quality and completeness and report on any problems, in writing, to the Oak Forest City Council.
(F) Confidentiality of recordings. Unless the Oak Forest City Council has determined that a recording no longer requires confidential treatment, or otherwise consents to disclosure, the verbatim recording of closed meetings made pursuant to division (A) above shall not be either open for public inspection or subject to discovery in any administrative proceeding other than one brought to enforce the provisions of the Open Meetings Act. In a civil action brought to enforce the provisions of the Open Meetings Act, a recording will be made available to the court or in camera examination for the purpose of determining whether a violation of the Open Meetings Act exists. In the case of a criminal proceeding, a recording will be made available to the court for in camera examination for the purpose of determining what provisions, if any, must be made available to the parties for use as evidence in the prosecution.
(2000 Code, § 2.02.070) (Ord. 2819, § 1, passed - -2004)