Times Leader Staff Writer
ST. CLAIRSVILLE — St. Clairsville City Council appears to have violated the Ohio Open Meetings Act on Monday, when members cast votes on board appointments via email.
According to the “2021 Ohio Sunshine Laws Manual” published by Attorney General Dave Yosts’s office: “A public body must make all of its meetings open to the public at all times. Secret ballots, whispering of public business, and ’round-robin’ discussions are all prohibited under the openness requirement.”
Members of the public who listened to the council meeting that was conducted via teleconference heard no information about which council members voted for which nominees — incumbent recreation board members Alicia Freeman and Diane Schubert and the newly nominated Lisa Amos — but heard the results of the vote.