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For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
MEETING. All regular, special, or called meetings, formal or informal, of a public body for the purposes of briefing, discussion of public business, formation of tentative policy, or the taking of any action.
PUBLIC BODY.
(1) (a) The City Council;
(b) All independent boards, commissions, bureaus, committees, councils, subunits, or any other bodies created by the Constitution of Nebraska, statute, ordinance, or otherwise pursuant to law; and
(c) Advisory committees of the bodies listed above.
(2) PUBLIC BODY does not include subcommittees of such bodies unless a quorum of the public body attends a subcommittee meeting or unless the subcommittees are holding hearings, making policy, or taking formal action on behalf of their parent body.
(Neb. RS 84-1409)
(A) The formation of public policy is public business and may not be conducted in secret. Every meeting of a public body shall be open to the public in order that citizens may exercise their democratic privilege of attending and speaking at meetings of public bodies, except as otherwise provided by the Constitution of Nebraska, federal statutes, and the Open Meetings Act.
(Neb. RS 84-1408)
(B) (1) Each public body shall give reasonable advance publicized notice of the time and place of each meeting as provided in division (B)(2) below. The notice shall be transmitted to all members of the public body and to the public.
(2) The notice shall be published by:
(a) Publication in a newspaper of general circulation within the public body’s jurisdiction and, if available, on such newspaper’s web site; or
(b) Posting written notice in three conspicuous public places in the city. The notice shall be posted in the same three places for each meeting.
(3) In addition to a method of notice required by division (B)(2) above, the notice shall also be provided by any other appropriate method designated by the public body.
(4) Each public body shall record the methods and dates of the notice in its minutes.
(5) The notice shall contain an agenda of subjects known at the time of the publicized notice or a statement that the agenda, which shall be kept continually current, is readily available for public inspection at the office of the public body during normal business hours. Agenda items shall be sufficiently descriptive to give the public reasonable notice of the matters to be considered at the meeting. Except for items of an emergency nature, the agenda shall not be altered later than 24 hours before the scheduled commencement of the meeting or 48 hours before the scheduled commencement of a meeting of the City Council scheduled outside the corporate limits of the city. The public body shall have the right to modify the agenda to include items of an emergency nature only at such public meeting.
(Neb. RS 84-1411)
The City Clerk, in the case of the City Council, and the secretary or other designee of each other public body shall maintain a list of the news media requesting notification of meetings and shall make reasonable efforts to provide advance notification to them of the time and place of each meeting and the subjects to be discussed at that meeting.
(Neb. RS 84-1411)
(A) Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held at such times as the City Council may provide by ordinance. A majority of all the members elected to the City Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business, but a fewer number may adjourn from time to time and compel the attendance of absent members. When the City Council consists of four members as established by ordinance or home rule charter, the Mayor shall be deemed a member of the City Council for purposes of establishing a quorum when the Mayor’s presence is necessary to establish the quorum. Unless a greater vote is required by law, an affirmative vote of at least one-half of the elected members shall be required for the transaction of any business.
(Neb. RS 17-105)
(B) (1) The Mayor or any three City Council members shall have power to call special meetings of the City Council, the object of which shall be submitted to the City Council in writing; and the call and object, as well as the disposition thereof, shall be entered upon the journal by the City Clerk.
(Neb. RS 17-106)
(2) On filing the call for a special meeting, the City Clerk shall notify the Mayor and City Council members of the special meeting, stating the time and purpose.
(C) Unless otherwise provided by the City Council, on the request of any two members, whether a quorum is present or not, all absent members shall be sent for and compelled to attend.
(D) At the hour appointed for a meeting, the City Clerk shall proceed to call the roll of members and announce whether a quorum is present. If a quorum is present, the City Council shall be called to order by the Mayor, if present, or if absent, by the President of the City Council.
When it is necessary to hold an emergency meeting without reasonable advance public notice, the nature of the emergency shall be stated in the minutes and any formal action taken in that meeting shall pertain only to the emergency. Such emergency meetings may be held by means of electronic or telecommunication equipment. The provisions of § 33.003 of this subchapter shall be complied with in conducting emergency meetings. Complete minutes of such emergency meetings specifying the nature of the emergency and any formal action taken at the meeting shall be made available to the public by no later than the end of the next regular business day.
(Neb. RS 84-1411)
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