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Council debates committee assignments and warns against repeating past lawsuit
Summary
Council members raised a dispute over who sets committee assignments, noting a previous lawsuit tied to committee meeting practices; the president said he will research ordinance section 121.1 and the committee on committees will report back next week.
Councilors spent a portion of the Nov. 13 meeting discussing committee assignments after the president said he had circulated a proposed assignments list. The president said there is conflicting guidance between council rules (which he had used) and a codified ordinance, section 121.1, which assigns that responsibility to the committee on committees.
Several members urged caution because the village previously lost a lawsuit related to committee meetings and open-meeting (Ohio sunshine law) compliance. Council member Moore and others stressed avoiding informal gatherings or decisions outside properly noticed public meetings. The president said he will review section 121.1, coordinate with the committee on committees (named as Schultmeyer, Culbertson and Morton) and return with findings for a vote at the next meeting. Schultmeyer volunteered to work with the clerk on seating/rules language.
No formal vote was taken on committee assignments during the special meeting; the matter is set for follow-up and possible ordinance action next year if a change to the codified ordinance is needed.
