(a) Any news medium organization that desires to be given advance notification of special meetings of a Municipal body shall file with the Clerk a written request therefor.
Except in the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action, as referred to in subsection (d) hereof, a special meeting shall not be held unless at least twenty-four hours advance notice of the time, place and purposes of such special meeting is given to the news media that have requested such advance notification in accordance with subsection (b) hereof.
(b) News media requests for such advance notification of special meetings shall specify the Municipal body that is the subject of such request and the name of the news medium organization and contact information at or through which the news medium organization can be reached.
Any such request shall be effective until the Clerk receives written notice from such news medium organization canceling or modifying such request, or the written notification is returned for failure of delivery, whichever shall first occur. A request shall not be deemed to be made unless it is complete in all respects, and such request may be conclusively relied upon by the City, the Municipal body that is the subject of such request and the Clerk.
(c) The Clerk shall given such notification or written notification, or both, as the Clerk determines, to the news media that have requested such advance notification in accordance with subsection (b) hereof, twenty-four hours prior to the time of such special meeting.
(d) In the event of an emergency requiring immediate official action, a special meeting may be held without giving twenty-four hours advance notification thereof to the requesting news media. The persons calling such meeting, or any one or more of such persons or the Clerk on their behalf, shall immediately give oral notification or written notification, or both, as the person or persons giving such notification determine, of the time, place and purposes of such special meeting to such news media that have requested such advance notification in accordance with subsection (b) hereof. The minutes or the call, or both, of any such special meeting shall state the general nature of the emergency requiring immediate official action. (Ord. 2020-073. Passed 5-4-20.)