(a) Municipal Bodies may hold meetings at the Orange Village Hall, the Orange Village Building Department or any other convenient and appropriate location as determined in the sole discretion of the chair of the Municipal Body.
(b) Notwithstanding the location of regular meetings posted pursuant to Section 105.02 of the Codified Ordinances, and subject to Chapter 105, Open Meetings, the chair of a Municipal Body may call, and members of a Municipal Body may hold and attend, regular or special meetings, and the Municipal Body may conduct and attend hearings, by means of Electronic Technology. The decision to hold a meeting of a Municipal Body via electronic means shall be vested in the sole discretion ofthe chair of the Municipal Body. If a Municipal Body is meeting in person, members of the Municipal Body may attend, participate, and vote via Electronic Technology at the discretion of the Committee Chair.
(c) If any at any meeting of a Municipal Body is being held via Electronic Technology, or if one or more members of the Municipal Body are attending via Electronic Technology, as provided in Section 105.09(b) of the Codified Ordinances, the following rules shall apply:
(1) Any resolution, rule, or formal action of any kind shall have the same effect as if it had occurred during an open meeting or hearing of the public body.
(2) Notwithstanding division (C) of section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code, members of a Municipal Body who attend meetings or hearings by means of Electronic Technology shall be considered present as that member were physically present the meeting or hearing, shall be permitted to vote, and shall be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the meeting or hearing.
(3) Municipal Bodies shall provide notification ofmeetings and hearings held under this section to the public, to the media that have requested notification of a meeting, and to the parties required to be notified of a hearing, at least twenty-four hours in advance of the meeting or hearing by reasonable methods by which any person may determine the time, location, and the manner by which the meeting or hearing will be conducted, except in the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action. In the event of an emergency, the Municipal Body shall immediately notify the news media that have requested notification, or the parties required to be notified of a hearing of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting or hearing.
(4) The Municipal Body shall provide the public access to a meeting held under this section, and to any hearing held under this section that the public would otherwise be entitled to attend, commensurate with the method in which the meeting or hearing is being conducted, including, but not limited to, examples such as live streaming by means of the internet, local radio, television, cable, or public access channels, call in information for a teleconference, or by means of any other similar Electronic Technology. The Municipal Body shall ensure that the public can observe and hear the discussions and deliberations of all the members of the Municipal Body, whether the member is participating in person or via Electronic Technology.
(5) When members of a Municipal Body conduct a hearing by means of Electronic Technology, the public body must establish a means, through the use of electronic equipment that is widely available to the general public, to converse with witnesses, and to receive documentary testimony and physical evidence.
(6) The authority granted in this section applies notwithstanding to any conflicting provision of the Ohio Revised Code.
(Ord. 2022-1. Passed 2-9-22.)