2.16.150 Public meetings during a disaster.
Notwithstanding anything in the Fairbanks North Star Borough Code of Ordinances to the contrary, the Presiding Officer or the Mayor, as appropriate, shall have the authority to modify and/or waive code provisions or rules of procedure governing public meetings, including pertaining to scheduling, public participation and teleconferencing, when necessary due to a disaster; provided, that any modification and/or waiver is in compliance with state law.
A. Modifications and waivers to established code and rules of procedure should be done only after first considering if the meeting can be postponed or delayed. Meetings should not be postponed or delayed if matters will be effectively defeated by doing so unless there is no reasonable alternative. A meeting may be held either in full or in part, such as convening to act only on time-sensitive matters.
B. If a meeting must be held and teleconferencing or remote participation is utilized:
1. Rules governing in-person quorum requirements or limitations on participation by teleconference may be suspended.
2. Opportunities to listen and participate by telephonic or written means must be provided to the public if such participation is otherwise allowable at the meeting.
3. Staff reports may be provided by memorandum or videoconferencing; provided, that any written or visual materials are accessible to the public in advance of the meeting.
4. Other procedures furthering the goals of public participation while still allowing essential business to be conducted may be established.
C. Nothing in this section is intended to limit the authority of the Mayor or the Presiding Officer as otherwise provided under law.
D. The Presiding Officer or the Mayor, as applicable, shall notify the Assembly by written communication of modifications or waivers approved pursuant to this section for concurrence at the next scheduled meeting. If a majority of the Assembly does not concur with the enacted modifications or waivers, it may terminate the authority granted under this section for the subject event or it may amend the modifications or waivers. (Ord. 2020-16 § 2, 2020.)