02-2022 - Amend 109.01 Open Meetings

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is hereby repealed. Section 2. That new Section 109.01 Open Meetings, of the Lakewood Codified Ordinances is hereby enacted to read as follows: 109.01 Open Meetings (a) Unless otherwise provided in the Codified Ordinances, all meetings of Council, the Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Board of Control, Civil Service Commission, the Planning Commission, the Citizens Advisory Committee and other similar public bodies of the City or other citizens' committees as may be appointed from time to time, shall be open to the public, unless an executive session is expressly authorized under the applicable provisions of State law. (b) "Open to the public" means accessible by members of the public, in a physical location where the public body convenes in person together, except under the following circumstances where "open to the public" may also mean by teleconference or video conference: (1) the presiding officer of the public body, or a majority of its members, calls for a meeting to be held by teleconference or video conference due to emergency or special circumstances; (2) the public body provides the public access to the meeting, commensurate with the method in which the meeting is being conducted, including but not limited to live - streaming or live broadcasting by means of the internet, local radio, television, cable or public access channels, offering call -in information for a teleconference, or granting access by means of any other similar electronic technology; and (3) the public body ensures that the public can observe and hear the discussions and deliberations of all the members of the public body, whether the member is partici ap tine in person or electronically. (c) A member of the public body need not be present in person and shall be considered present for Pores of voting and determining a quorum where the public meeting is held via teleconference or video conference. (d) Nothing herein contained shall mandate that any public body permit public participation in such meetings unless specifically required by the provisions of the Charter or the Codified Ordinances. Section 3. It is found and determined that all formal actions of this Council concerning and relating to the passage of this ordinance were adopted in an open meeting of this Council, and that all such deliberations of this Council and of any of its committees that resulted in such formal action were in meetings open to the public in compliance with all legal requirements. Section 4. This ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, property, health, safety and welfare in the City and for the usual daily operation of the City for the reasons set forth and defined in the preamble to this resolution, and provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, this ordinance shall take effect and be in force immediately upon adoption by the Council and approval by the Mayor, or otherwise it shall take effect and be in force after the earliest period allowed by law.