Open Meeting Policy

RESOLUTION IMPLEMENTING PROVISION OF THE OPEN GOVERNMENTAL PROCEEDINGS ACT

Pursuant to Chapter 6, Article 9A, Section 3 of the West Virginia Code, the members of the Putnam County Planning Commission do hereby
adopt the following rules to make available, in advance, the date, time, place, and agenda of all regularly scheduled meetings of the Planning Commission, and
the date, time, place, and purpose of all special meetings of the Planning Commission to the public and news media except in the case of an emergency
requiring immediate action as follows:

1. Regular Meetings

A notice shall be posted and maintained by the County Clerk at the front door or bulletin board of the Putnam County Courthouse of the date, time, and place fixed and entered of record by the Planning Commission for the holding of regularly scheduled meetings. In addition, a copy of the agenda for each regularly scheduled meeting shall be posted at the same location by the County Clerk not less than seven (7) calendar days before such regular meeting is to be held. If a particular regularly scheduled meeting is canceled or postponed, a notice of such cancellation or postponement shall be posted at the same location as soon as feasible after such cancellation or postponement has been determined.

2. Special Meetings

A notice shall be posted by the County Clerk at the front door or bulletin board of the Putnam County Courthouse not less than 48 hours before a specially scheduled meeting is to be held, stating the date, time, place and purpose for which such special meeting shall be held. If the special meeting is canceled or postponed, a notice of such cancellation or postponement shall be posted at the same location as soon as feasible after such cancellation or postponement has been determined.

3. Public Hearings

Public hearings held by and during Planning Commission Meetings shall be advertised in accordance with WV Code § 8-24. Notices of all public hearings shall be posted by the County Clerk at the front door or bulletin board of the Putnam County Courthouse on the same day as the legal advertisement is published in a local newspaper of general circulation, stating the date, time, place, and purpose of the public hearing. If a public hearing is canceled or postponed, a notice of such cancellation or postponement shall be posted at the same location as soon as feasible after such cancellation or postponement has been determined.

4. Presentations

All persons that desire to address the Planning Commission regarding an agenda item shall register to address the Planning Commission by signing their name and address on the designated sign-in sheet upon entering the meeting room. All persons that desire to address the Planning Commission shall be limited to five (5) minutes and only two (2) persons representing a group may address the Planning Commission during the consideration of each agenda item for which they are registered to address. No person shall address the Planning Commission unless recognized by the President to do so.

5. Attendance

In the event that there is not room enough to conduct a scheduled meeting in the Putnam County Courthouse Courtroom due to the number of members of the public that wish to attend, a scheduled meeting shall be moved to any other facility that will accommodate all those wishing to attend upon proper motion by any member of the Planning Commission. Any scheduled meeting may be adjourned and reconvened at a later date and time in the event that facilities are not readily available to accommodate the members of the public wishing to attend the meeting upon proper motion by any member of the Planning Commission.

6. Conduct

Any member of the public attending a scheduled meeting of the Planning Commission who is disruptive to the extent that orderly conduct of the meeting is compromised shall be removed from the meeting with the assistance of the Sheriff of Putnam County upon approval of proper motion made by any member of the Planning Commission.

7. Minutes

Written minutes of all scheduled meetings of the Planning Commission shall be prepared and maintained and shall be available to all members of the public within ten (10) days after the meeting and shall include, at least, the following information:

1. The date, time, and place of the meeting;
2. The name of each member of the governing body present and absent;
3. All motions, proposals, resolutions, orders, ordinances, and measures proposed, the name of the person proposing the same and their disposition; and (4) The results of all votes and, upon the request of a member, pursuant to the rules, policies or procedures of the Planning Commission for recording roll call votes, the vote of each member, by name.

8. Executive Sessions

The Planning Commission may hold an executive session during any regular, special or emergency meeting. During the open portion of a meeting, prior to convening an executive session, the President shall identify the authorization for conducting an executive session and shall present it to the members of the public present at the meeting. An executive session shall only be held upon a majority affirmative vote of the members of the Planning Commission and no decision shall be made in the executive session.

9. Media Broadcasts

The Planning Commission shall allow the placement and use of equipment necessary for broadcasting, photographing, filming, or recording a scheduled meeting. The equipment shall be placed or used within the meeting room so as to prevent undue interference with the meeting. In the event the Planning Commission determines that the size of the meeting room is not sufficient to accommodate all the members of the public present and the equipment and personnel necessary for broadcasting, photographing, filming, and tape-recording in the meeting room without unduly interfering with the meeting and an adequate alternative meeting room is not readily available, the Planning Commission may require the pooling of the equipment and personnel operating the equipment.

10. Agenda

The Planning Commission shall prepare a written agenda for all scheduled meetings and shall distribute it in accordance with paragraph 1 above. The agenda shall only include those items upon which official action is anticipated and those items to be presented to the Planning Commission for informational purposes. No item shall be added to the agenda within seven (7) calendar days of the meeting.

11. Planning Commission Subcommittees

All subcommittees established by the Putnam County Planning Commission shall be responsible for complying with this policy.

These rules implementing the provisions of the Open Governmental Proceedings Act shall replace any and all previous rules heretofore adopted by the Planning Commission of Putnam County.

Adopted this 21st day of March 2000. Effective May 1, 2000.

Steve Perry, President

ATTEST: Linda Bess, Secretary

The Planning Commission of Putnam County conducts its regularly scheduled meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. prevailing time, in the Courtroom, Room 202, in the Putnam County Courthouse, 3389 Winfield Road, Winfield, West Virginia 25213. If a regularly scheduled meeting falls on a holiday, it is held on the third Tuesday of the month at the same time. A copy of the agenda for each regularly scheduled meeting shall be posted not less than seven (7) calendar days prior to such regularly scheduled meeting.

All meetings of the Planning Commission are open to the public.

Linda Bess, Secretary of the Planning Commission of Putnam County, West Virginia