Times Leader Staff Writer
ST. CLAIRSVILLE St. Clairsville City Council members took no action Monday to correct a vote cast by email that appeared to violate the Ohio Open Meetings Act, but the emails were read aloud and each member verbally confirmed their vote was recorded correctly.
The vote by email occurred April 5 to fill two seats on the recreation board. Council chose not to rescind the vote and said plans are in the works to revive in-person meetings, which would hopefully prevent such incidents in the future.
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.”
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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.
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Times Leader Staff Writer
ST. CLAIRSVILLE Questions and confusion about the latest nominations to fill two expiring terms on the city recreation board for the J.B. Martin Recreation Center dominated the Monday teleconference meeting of St. Clairsville City Council.
After more than a half-hour of debate, council voted in favor of current board members Diane Schubert and Alicia Freeman, daughter of Councilwoman Linda Jordan. Their terms had been set to expire April 17. Each will serve another five-year term.
Councilman Perry Basile had nominated Lisa Amos.
Council members were unsure if one or both terms were set to expire this month, and some members suggested putting off the vote until a later meeting until this could be determined. When Jordan did not withdraw her nomination of Freeman, Law Director Elizabeth Glick consulted prior council minutes and found Schubert had filled an ongoing term rather than a complete one, and so both of the council’s nominations were open.