(a) Regular Meetings.
(1) Date and Time: Every public body of the City shall set dates and times for their regular meetings unless such body meets only on an "as-needed" basis.
(2) Place: Every public body of the City that holds regular meetings shall set a regular location for such meetings, which location shall be the City Administration Building, unless the City Manager determines that such location is not practicable due to scheduling conflicts or security issues.
(3) Notice: By December 1st of each year, the secretary of each public body that holds regular meetings shall give notice to the City Clerk of the public body's regular meeting schedule for the following year. The City Clerk shall then give notice of the public body's regular meetings by posting the same at the City Administration Building and on the City's website.
(4) Change in Date, Time or Location: If the date, time or location of a regular meeting is changed, the secretary of the public body shall immediately give notice of the same to the City Clerk, and the Clerk shall give notice of the change by notifying the news media and by posting notice of the change at the City Administration Building and on the City's website as far in advance of the meeting as possible, but not less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting.
(5) City Council: Regular meetings of Council and standing committees of the Council shall be called and held in accordance with the City Charter and the Rules of Council.
(b) Special Meetings.
(1) Purpose: Any meeting other than a regularly scheduled meeting is a special meeting. The meetings of public bodies that meet on an "as-needed" basis shall be considered special meetings. No business or action other than that stated as the purpose of such special meeting shall be conducted at such meeting. The stated purpose may be for general purposes.
(2) How Called: Special meetings of any public body of the City may be held at the call of the public body's Chair or upon a majority vote of the public body taken at any regular or special meeting. The call for a special meeting shall specify the date, time, location, and purposes of the meeting. Unless otherwise provided, special meetings will be held at the same location as regular meetings.
(3) Notice:
A. The secretary of the public body shall immediately give notice of the date, time, location, and purpose of the special meeting to the City Clerk. The Clerk, or the Finance Director in the Clerk's absence, incapacity, or refusal to act, shall give notice of the date, time, location, and purposes of a special meeting by posting notice in the same locations as provided for posting notice of regular meetings. Notice shall be posted as far in advance of the meeting as practicable, but not less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting.
B. A public body shall not hold a special meeting unless it gives at least twenty-four (24) hours' advanced notice to the news media that have requested notification.
(4) City Council: Special meetings of Council and standing committees of the Council shall be called and held in accordance with the City Charter and the Rules of Council.
(c) Emergency Meetings.
(1) Purpose: Emergency meetings are special meetings that, due to an emergency requiring immediate official action, must be held without the required twenty-four hours' notice for a special meeting. No business or action other than that stated as the purpose for holding such emergency meeting shall be conducted at such meeting. The stated purpose may not be for general purposes.
(2) How Called: Emergency meetings of a public body may be held at the call of the public body's Chair. The call for an emergency meeting shall specify the date, time, location, and purposes of the meeting. Unless otherwise provided, emergency meetings will be held at the same location as regular meetings.
(3) Notice:
A. The secretary of the public body shall immediately give notice of the date, time, location, and purpose of the special meeting to the City Clerk. The Clerk, or the Finance Director in the Clerk's absence, incapacity, or refusal to act, shall give notice of the date, time, location, and purpose of an emergency meeting by immediately posting notice of the meeting at the City building and on the City's website.
B. The secretary of the public body or the City Clerk immediately shall notify the news media that have requested notification of the time, place, and purpose of the emergency meeting.
C. A public body shall not hold a special meeting unless it gives at least twenty-four (24) hours' advanced notice to the news media that have requested notification.
(4) City Council: Emergency meetings of the City Council and the standing committees of Council shall be called in accordance with the City Charter and the Rules of Council.
(d) Notification to News Media. The news media may, by written notice to the City Clerk, request notification of all special meetings of all or any of the public bodies of the City, including City Council. Such notification may be given by the City Clerk in writing, which includes email, by fax, or by telephone.
(e) Notice of Meetings to Discuss Particular Business.
(1) The City Clerk shall give reasonable advance notice of any regular or special meeting of any public body of the City, including City Council, at which a particular type of public business is to be discussed to any person who has requested such notice. If time permits, such notice shall be by email; otherwise, such notice shall be given by telephone. A request for such advance notice shall be made in writing, and shall state the requestor's name, address, email address, telephone number, and the nature of the public business in which the requestor has a particular interest and desires notice. Any such request shall remain in effect until December 31st of the then current year. There shall be no charge to the requestor for such notice.
(2) Any person who requests advance notice of meetings of a public body at which particular public business will be discussed may also request that the agenda for such meetings be mailed to them. Such request shall be in writing and shall only become effective upon the payment of the fee established for such mailings in the City's Fee Schedule (Section 298.01).
Statutory Reference: ORC 121.22(F)
(f) Notice of Cancelled Meetings. If a meeting is cancelled due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances, or if the meeting of any public body that maintains a regular meeting schedule is cancelled due to a lack of agenda items, the secretary of the public body shall immediately notify the City Clerk, who shall give notice of the cancellation by posting it in the lobby of the City Administration Building, by posting it on the City's website, and by notifying any news media or other person to whom notice of the meeting was already given.
(g) Special Notice Required by Law. When a particular form or method of notice is otherwise required by law for a public hearing or meeting of any public body of the City, notice of the hearing or meeting shall be given in the form and manner prescribed by statute, in addition to the notice otherwise required under this section.
(Ord. 88-82. Adopted 08/11/88; Ord. 2021-23. Adopted 12/29/21)