(A) In the event of an actual or threatened disaster emergency affecting the county, if feasible, the principal executive officer of the county shall seek the advice and input of the Director as to the advisability of declaring a local disaster emergency.
(B) If the County Board of Commissioners, acting as the principal executive officer of the county, is the entity declaring the local disaster emergency, then the statutory requirements contained in I.C. 36-2-2-8 and I.C. 5-14-1.5-5(d) regarding special and emergency meetings of the County Board of Commissioners must be met.
(C) In the event of an actual or threatened disaster emergency affecting the county, the principal executive officer of the county may declare a local disaster emergency, pursuant to I.C. 10-14-3-29(a). This declaration shall:
(1) Be in writing.
(2) State the nature of the disaster.
(3) State the conditions that have brought about the disaster.
(4) State the area or areas threatened.
(5) State the area or areas to which the local disaster emergency declaration applies (this may include the entire county or only designated parts thereof).
(6) State the effective period of the local disaster emergency declaration. The disaster declaration shall not be continued or renewed for a period in excess of seven days, except by or with the consent of the County Board of Commissioners.
(D) The declaration of a local disaster emergency, as well as any continuation or termination of such declaration, shall meet the following requirements.
(1) The declaration shall be announced or disseminated to the general public by the best means.
(2) News media that have requested notice of meetings must be given the same notice that is given to the members of the County Board of Commissioners.
(3) The public must be notified of this meeting by posting a copy of the notice at the principal office of the County Board of Commissioners, or if no such office exists, at the building where the meeting is to be held.
(4) The County Board of Commissioners may not conduct any business at this meeting that is unrelated to the disaster emergency declaration.
(5) All other such requirements that are applicable to a meeting that is called to deal with an emergency.
(E) In addition, such a meeting may:
(1) Be held in any convenient and available space.
(2) Continue without adjournment for the duration of the disaster emergency.
(3) Be recessed for reasonable periods of time as necessary and permitted by the circumstances.
(BC Ord. 1995-6, passed 2-22-95; Am. BC Ord. 2007-06, passed 6-20-07)