[Adopted as Ch. I, Arts. 2 and 8]
[Amended 1-13-1986 by Ord. No. 86-51; 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-339; 2-25-2002 by Ord. No. 02-104; 12-8-2003 by Ord. No. 04-20; 1-13-2025 by Ord. No. 25-039]
The regular meetings of the City Council shall be held at 7:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each calendar month in the City Council chambers in City Hall, or at other locations approved by a majority of the Council at the next previous regular meeting. Prior to each such meeting, the City Council may meet in executive or workshop sessions. Notice of such meetings shall be provided in advance in accordance with the provisions of state law.
A. 
Other locations; notice. In the event that the Council votes to hold its regular meeting at a location other than at City Hall, the City Clerk shall post a notice to that effect at least seven days prior to said meeting on the bulletin board at the entrance of City Hall.
B. 
Adjournment to another location. In addition to the above, the City Council, by a majority vote, may adjourn its regular meeting to another location, without prior notice thereof, in the event that the meeting place is of insufficient capacity to provide adequate seating for those wishing to attend said meeting.
C. 
Holidays. If a regular meeting date shall fall on a legal holiday or on the evening preceding a legal holiday, as defined by statute, the regular meeting shall be held on the following Wednesday at the same time and place.
D. 
Absences. In the event that the Council Chair has been notified that three or more Councilors will be unavailable for a regular meeting, the Council Chair may reschedule that meeting to the following Wednesday at the same time and place.
[Amended 10-15-1975; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
All in accordance with the provisions of Article II, Section 5, of the Bangor City Charter, special meetings may be called by the Chair or a majority of the members of the City Council. Notice of such meeting shall be served on each member of the Council in accordance with said Section 6. In addition, notice of such meeting shall be posted in the lobby of City Hall and delivered at least 24 hours in advance to all daily newspapers, radio stations and television stations having their principal place of business within the City.
[Amended 9-27-1976; 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-339; 8-8-2011 by Ord. No. 11-251]
The City Clerk shall cause all proceedings conducted at regular or special meetings of the City Council to be recorded. The City Clerk shall also cause all meetings or hearings conducted by the Planning Board and the Board of Appeals to be recorded. No such recordings shall be erased or destroyed for a period of at least 60 months from the date of such meetings or hearings.
[Amended 12-27-1976]
A. 
Declaration of public policy. The City Council finds and declares that public proceedings exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of the City Council that its actions be taken openly and that the records of its actions be open to public inspection and its deliberations be conducted openly. It is further the intent of the City Council that clandestine meetings, conferences or meetings held on private property without proper notice and ample opportunity for attendance by the public not be used to defeat the purposes of this section. This section shall be liberally construed and applied to promote its underlying purposes and policies as contained in this declaration of the Council's legislative intent.
B. 
Compliance with state law. In furtherance of the legislative intent expressed above, all members of the City Council, Council standing committees and City boards and commissions shall comply with the provisions of 1 M.R.S.A. § 401 et seq.
C. 
Public notice. It shall be the responsibility of the Chair of the City Council, the Chair of each of the various City Council committees and the Chair of each of the other City boards and commissions to assure that proper notice is given for those meetings for which public notice is required by virtue of 1 M.R.S.A. § 406, as amended. The notice requirements herein constitute a minimum standard, and such Chair may provide for additional notice as they deem necessary in order to best serve the purposes expressed in the declaration of policy in this section. The requirements herein shall be in addition to, but not in derogation of, other forms of notice required by law.
(1) 
City Council meetings. Within 30 days prior to the first day of January and July of each year, the City Clerk shall provide notice of the dates, times and places of the regularly scheduled City Council meetings for the next six months by causing such information to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Bangor and by posting such information on a bulletin board designated "Public Notices" in the front entrance to City Hall. Copies of the agendas of the regularly scheduled City Council meetings shall be available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk at least 24 hours before the time of such meeting. Notice of special City Council meetings shall be given pursuant to § 9-20 of this article and by posting notice thereof on said bulletin board at least 24 hours before the time of such meeting.
(2) 
All other meetings. Notice shall be given for all other meetings of any committee of the City Council and meetings of all other City boards and commissions at least 24 hours in advance of such meetings by the posting of notice to such effect on said City Hall bulletin board.
(3) 
Emergency meetings. In the event of an emergency requiring a meeting before the notice requirements of this section can be met, local representatives of the media shall be notified directly of the meeting. Whenever practical, the notification shall include the time and location of the meeting and shall be made by the same or a faster means used to notify members of the agency or body conducting the meeting.
(4) 
Form of notice. All notices required by this section shall include the name of the committee or board, the date, time and the place of said meeting and a statement indicating that the public may attend.
D. 
Violations. All proceedings conducted and all actions taken by any agency or body subject to the requirements of this section shall be presumed to be valid; provided, however, that in the event that three members of the City Council of the City of Bangor believe that any such proceedings or action has been intentionally or unintentionally conducted or taken in violation of the requirements of this section, such Councilors may seek a review within 10 days or at the next regular meeting of the City Council after such proceedings or action, whichever happens later, by written petition addressed to the Chair of the City Council. Said petition shall indicate with specificity the basis upon which the complaint is made. The Chair shall refer the petition to the full Council for review of the proceedings or action in question. After receipt of the petition and pending a decision of the Council on the allegations raised therein, such proceedings or action shall stand suspended. Nothing herein shall be construed as suspending or invalidating any action taken prior to receipt of such petition. Upon completion of such review, any proceedings or action determined by the Council to have been conducted or taken in violation of this section shall become null and void.