(A) Special meetings.
(1) The Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tempore, or any two members of the Council may at any time call a special Council meeting by signing a written notice stating the time and place of the meeting and the subjects to be considered. At least 48 hours before a special meeting called in this manner, written notice of the meeting stating its time and place and the subjects to be considered shall be:
(a) Delivered to the Mayor and each Council member or left at his or her usual dwelling place;
(b) Posted on the Council’s principal bulletin board, or if none, at the door of the Council’s usual meeting room; and
(c) Mailed or delivered to each newspaper, wire service, radio station, television station, and person who has filed a written request for notice with the City Clerk. Only those items of business specified in the notice may be transacted at a special meeting called in this manner, unless all members are present or have signed a written waiver of notice. Even in such a case, the Council shall only discuss or transact items of business not specified in the notice if it determines in good faith at the meeting that it is essential to discuss or act on the item immediately.
(2) A special meeting may also be called or scheduled by vote of the Council in open session during another duly called meeting. The motion or resolution calling or scheduling the special meeting shall specify its time, place, and purpose. At least 48 hours before a special meeting called in this manner, notice of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting shall be:
(a) Posted on the Council’s principal bulletin board, or if none, at the door of the Council’s usual meeting room; and
(b) Mailed or delivered to each newspaper, wire service, radio station, television station, and person who has filed a written request for notice with the City Clerk. Such notice shall also be mailed or delivered at least 48 hours before the meeting to each Council member not present at the meeting at which the special meeting was called or scheduled, and to the Mayor if he or she was not present at that meeting. Only those items of business specified in the notice may be discussed or transacted at a special meeting called in this manner, unless all members are present or those not present have signed a written waiver of notice, and the Council determines in good faith at the meeting that it is essential to discuss or act on the item immediately.
(B) Emergency meetings.
(1) Emergency meetings of the City Council may be called only because of generally unexpected circumstances that require immediate consideration by the Council. Only business connected with the emergency may be considered at an emergency meeting. One of the following two procedures must be followed to call an emergency meeting of the Council:
(a) The Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tempore, or any two members of the Council may at any time call an emergency council meeting by signing a written notice stating the time and place of the meeting and the subjects to be considered. The notice shall be delivered to the mayor and each council member or left at his or her usual dwelling place at least six hours before the meeting.
(b) An emergency meeting may be held at any time when the Mayor and all members of the Council are present and consent thereto, or when those not presenl have signed a written waiver of notice, but only in either case if the Council complies with the notice provisions of division (B)(2) of this section.
(2) Notice of an emergency meeting divisions (B)(1)(a) and (b) of this section shall be given to each local newspaper, local wire service, local radio station, and local television station that has filed a written emergency meeting notice request, which includes the newspaper’s, wire service’s, or station’s telephone number, with the City Clerk. This notice shall be given either by telephone or by the same method used to notify the Mayor and the Council members and shall be given at the expense of the party notified.
(C) Recessed meetings. A properly called regular, special, or emergency meeting may be recessed to a time and place certain by a procedural motion made and adopted as provided in Rule 18, Motion 2, in open session during the regular, special, or emergency meeting. The motion shall state the time and place when the meeting will reconvene. No further notice need be given of a recessed session of a properly called regular, special, or emergency meeting.
(Ord. passed 6-8-10)