(a) All Meetings Open to Public. All meetings of Council and any other board or commission established by Council shall be public meetings open to the public at all times, except those portions allowed for executive sessions in the Ohio Revised Code. No resolution, rule, regulation or formal action of any kind shall be adopted at any executive session of Council or any such board, commission, agency or authority. Strict confidentiality shall be maintained by all Council Members, Clerk of Council, Mayor and others present, regarding topics lawfully discussed in executive sessions.
(b) Organization. The organization of Council shall be as follows:
(1) Council members shall at the first regular Council meeting of each year or special meeting of Council called for this purpose, have an organizational meeting including the election of a Council President.
(2) The Council President presides in the absence of the Mayor.
(3) The Clerk of Council of the Municipality shall attend all meetings regular and special, record all proceedings in the minutes, prepare an agenda for every meeting and attend to all correspondence incidental to the office, and perform such other duties as may be lawfully assigned to the Clerk of Council by vote of Council. Such duties, however, may not exceed the range of duties and powers contained in the Ohio Revised Code, particularly Sections 733.27, 733.28 and 733.29.
(c) Standing Committees.
(1) The standing committees of Council are:
A. Streets
B. Personnel and Human Resources
C. Parks, Recreation and Community Events
D. Budget & Finance
E. Buildings & Lands
F. Safety and Criminal Justice.
(2) A. In organizing itself annually a Council shall first elect a President pro-tem of Council. The voting shall be by a voice vote.
B. Committees shall be formed utilizing a three-step process.
C.
Committee Chairs shall be selected first on a seniority basis beginning with the person who has served on Village Council the longest without a break selecting first, then the second-most senior person, through the newest member of Council. Where two members have the same total seniority on Council, then the person who received the most votes in their election to Council shall be deemed as having seniority of the other member of Council. Each member will select the committee they wish to chair for the calendar year.
D. On the second roll call, each member of Council will select a committee they wish to serve on, this time using a reverse order of selection. The person with the least seniority will pick first and the person with the most seniority will pick last. Each member shall pick one of the six committees to serve on, and no person can select the same committee as someone else, in this round.
E. To select the third and final seat on each committee, the Council will have a roll call to select their choices. This roll call will begin with the senior-most member of Council and end with the least senior member of Council.
F. In lieu of the above procedure, the Council by unanimous vote, may allow the president pro-tem of Council to appoint the chairperson and members of all committees.
(3) The chairperson shall keep minutes of each meeting and shall so submit them in writing to the Clerk of Council within three business days.
(4) Standing committee shall consist of three Council Members unless the amount of work presented to such committee requires that the committee be extended to such number of members as necessary. Village employees may be added as needed to a standing committee.
(5) In the event of a vacancy on Council, the newly appointed member assumes the committee assignments of the person’s seat they were appointed to, for the rest of the calendar year.
(d) Change of Meetings or Special Meetings.
(1) Regular meetings. Regular meetings of Council shall be held in the Council Chambers at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month, except that during the months of July and August, Council may dispense with one of its regular meetings. Council may, by majority vote, change the day and hour of holding any regular meeting. Council meetings may be moved to a larger venue if it is determined that a large attendance is anticipated. All meetings of Council, whether regular or special, shall be open to the public.
(2) Special meetings of Council may be called at any other times by the Mayor or by any three Council Members.
(3) Written notice of a special Council meeting must be served by the Clerk of Council personally, or left at the usual place of residence of each Council Member and the Mayor at least twenty-four hours prior to such meeting. A written notice of a special meeting shall contain a resume of the subject matter to be considered at such meeting and no other subject matter may be considered at the meeting.
(4) At least twenty-four hours prior to a special meeting the notice of such meeting, including a resume of legislation to be considered shall be posted by the Clerk of Council according to Section 113.01 and given to the media who have so requested notification (O.R.C. 121.22).
(e) Conduct of Meetings.
(1) Agenda. The Clerk of Council shall prepare an agenda to be brought before Council. The agenda shall be provided electronically to the Council Members, officers, and Solicitor at least one business day prior to the meeting and a hard copy will be provided at the meeting. Council Members shall inform the Clerk of Council at least four business days prior to the meeting of ordinances or resolutions that require preparation and for items, known to them at the time, to be discussed. Introduction, discussion and action on new ordinances, resolutions or proclamations is not limited to these prepared items.
(2) Call to order. The Mayor, or in his absence, president of Council, shall take the chair at the hour appointed for the meeting and shall immediately call the Council to order.
(3) Roll call. The Clerk of Council shall call the roll of the members and the names of those present shall be entered in the minutes.
(4) Minutes. Minutes of the previous Council Meeting shall be sent to all Council Members at least one business day prior to each Council Meeting. Such minutes may be approved without reading.
(5) Quorum and procedure. Four Council Members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business at any meeting of Council, but a lesser number may adjourn the meeting from time to time and compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as may be prescribed by ordinance. At any time there are five members of Council in the office, three Council members shall constitute a quorum. If only four positions on Council are filled, then three members shall be a quorum. At any meeting at which a quorum is present any ordinance or resolution may be passed or adopted and any other action taken by the affirmative vote of four Council members, unless a larger number is required by the laws of Ohio.
A. Whenever the term “majority” is used in this chapter, unless otherwise expressly indicated, it shall mean a majority of those members elected or appointed and presently in office on Council.
(6) Order of business. All meetings of Council shall be open to the public, except those portions allowed for executive session in the Ohio Revised Code. Promptly at the hour set by law on the day of each regular meeting the Council Members, Clerk of Council, and Mayor shall take their regular stations in the Council chambers and the business of Council shall be taken up for consideration and disposition in the following order:
A. Roll call.
B. Approval of minutes of previous meeting.
C. Audience.
D. Visitors- requested invited speakers.
E. Official reports.
F. Committee Reports.
G. Mayor’s Comments.
H. Other old business.
I. New business/ ordinances.
J. Authorization to pay the bills (if necessary).
K. Adjournment.
(f) Motions.
(1) Receiving motion when question is before Council. When a question or a proposal is before Council or under debate, or when a motion has been made, no motions shall be received except the following:
A. To adjourn (not debatable).
B. To table the motion - lay it aside until later (not debatable).
C. To request that discussion end, and that any motion being considered be voted on (previous question, as it is usually called) (not debatable).
D. To postpone any action on a motion until some stated future time.
E. To refer the proposal to a standing or special committee.
F. To amend the main motion.
G. To postpone any action for an indefinite time.
(g) Suspension of Rules Relating to Reading Resolutions and Ordinances. Resolutions and Ordinances of a permanent or general nature shall be read, title only, on three different days unless the rules are dispensed with pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 731.17 upon vote of three fourths of the full members of Council. The vote on such suspension shall be taken by yeas and nays, separately on each resolution or ordinance, and the Clerk of Council shall enter such vote in the minute book together with the names of members voting yea and nay.
(h) All correspondence requested by the Mayor or Council shall be noted in the minutes and copies provided to all Council Members prior to the next scheduled Council meeting.
(i) Roberts Rules of Order. Except as otherwise provided Roberts Rules of Orders shall govern the deliberations of Council. A copy will be available for the Mayor, Clerk of Council, Solicitor and Council members upon request.
(Ord. 01-18. Passed 1-3-18.)
(Ord. 01-18. Passed 1-3-18.)