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Minutes of the Regular Meeting of Council <br />Monday, March 16, 2020 <br />Page 7 <br />There was none. <br />ROLL CALL: AYES: All <br />NAYS: None <br />Motion Carried <br />Resolution Adopted <br />Motion to amend the agenda to add an emergency ordinance. <br />Mr. Williams, seconded by Mrs. Jurcisek, made a motion to amend the agenda to add an <br />emergency ordinance. <br />ROLL CALL: AYES: All Motion Carried <br />NAYS: None Agenda Amended <br />• First Readine of Ordinance No. 2020-08, entitled, "An emergency ordinance regarding <br />the holding of public meetings and to provide the Mayor with emergency spending <br />authority during the COVID-19 pandemic." Introduced by Mayor Bodnar. <br />(Administration) <br />Mr. Mills, seconded by Mr. Meyers, made a motion to suspend the rules of Council <br />requiring an Ordinance to be read on three separate occasions. <br />Council President Schutt asked, discussion? <br />Mr. Coyne stated, this ordinance is an emergency ordinance. It's suggested in part <br />because of discussions that have been had with Administration even over the weekend <br />and pursuant to the letter that was issued by the Ohio Attorney General. Ohio has open <br />meetings regulations that are pretty strict but there are exceptions to them. Section <br />5502.24(B) of the Ohio Revised Code provides for exceptions in fulfilling the <br />obligation to comply with the Open Meetings Act. In this case, that's one of the <br />specific exceptions if an emergency is declared by the office of the Governor of the <br />State of Ohio. What this will do is accommodate how meetings are conducted. It will <br />allow the Village to conduct meetings potentially with members of Council <br />participating telephonically. We will look at using other forms of technology, but that <br />is something that will accommodate having a quorum available so that business can be <br />conducted in an efficient manner. <br />This ordinance also provides for increasing the Mayor's spending authority for <br />emergencies to $50,000 and will not require typical bidding procedures to be followed. <br />Other communities have also looked at this type of an ordinance. It is prudent under <br />these circumstances. We don't know what's going to happen in the weeks or potentially <br />months ahead. This will give the Administration flexibility for continuing the <br />operations of the Village without necessarily having to go through those other <br />procedures which could take a lot of time and could be inconvenient potentially if <br />there's a health safety issue with any emergency action that would be problematic. <br />