S.L. 1979-679

1979 SESSION

CHAPTER 679

HOUSE BILL 352

AN ACT AMENDING THE BURLINGTON CITY CHARTER CONCERNING NOTICE OF REGULAR AND SPECIAL MEETINGS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1. Section 3.22 of the Burlington City Charter, as it is found in Chapter 119, Session Laws of 1961 is amended to read:

"Sec. 3.22. Regular and Special Meetings. The Council shall fix suitable times for its regular meetings. The Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, or any two (2) members of the Council may at any time call a special meeting by causing a written notice stating the time of holding such meeting and signed by a person calling the same, to be delivered in hand to each member or left at his usual dwelling place at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time of such meeting. Furthermore, at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time of such meeting, this written notice shall be posted on the door of the usual meeting room and mailed or delivered to each newspaper, wire service, radio station and television station which has filed a written request for notice of special meetings with the Clerk. All such notices of said special meetings shall state therein the purpose for which such meeting was called, and, except as otherwise provided by law, any business may be transacted at a special meeting that might be transacted at a regular meeting.

(b) The Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem of the City Council, or any two (2) members thereof may at any time call an emergency meeting of the City Council by causing a written notice stating the time and purpose of holding such meeting and signed by a person calling the same, to be delivered in hand to each member or left at his usual dwelling place at least six (6) hours before the meeting. Furthermore, said notice of such emergency meeting shall be given by telephone to each local newspaper, wire service, radio station and television station which has filed with the City Clerk a written request to be notified of emergency meetings. (If there is any cost involved in providing emergency notices to said media, the cost shall be charged to the media so notified.) Only business connected with the emergency may be considered at such an emergency meeting. ('Emergency meeting' as used in this section shall be defined as a meeting called due to generally unexpected circumstances that require immediate consideration or attention by the City Council.)

(c) Except where otherwise specifically provided by this charter, the City Council shall have authority to determine the time and place of Council meetings, to make such provisions as it may deem wise relative to regular, special, emergency, adjourned and continued meetings, to adopt rules of procedure, and generally to regulate the time, place, manner and method of the exercise of its powers. No ordinance, resolution, rule or directive may be adopted, amended or repealed, however, except in a public meeting. All meetings shall be held within Alamance County except in the case of an emergency. In the event the Council is authorized or required by law to hold a joint meeting with the governing body of another municipality or political subdivision of the State of North Carolina, it may at its election meet with the other governing body at a designated place within the area, subject to the jurisdiction of the other governing body."

Sec. 2. This act is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 29th day of May, 1979.