Village of Venedocia

Venedocia Lions Club December 3, 2007

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Doug Ruen. The following council members were in attendance: Lee Lare, Robert Louth, Charlie Good, Jeff Coil, and Gloria Leiter.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.

To view the November bank reconciliation and funds status, see attachments.

The bills were presented as follows:

Postmaster $10.00 (#4293) OPERS-Good $112.08 (#4304)

Jennifer Pugh $220.85 (#4294) Lee Lare $439.89 (#4305)

Doug Ruen $44.72 (#4295) Gloria Leiter $398.83 (#4306)

AEP $13.26 (#4296) Robert Louth $435.09 (#4307)

V.W. Co. Engineer $151.90 (#4297) Doug Ruen $923.50 (#4308)

E.S. Evans and Co. $5430.00 (#4298) Kimala Coil $229.10 (#4309)

OH Municipal Leag. $225.00 (#4300) Jeffery Coil $403.23 (#4310)

Postmaster $8.20 (#4301) Ace Hardware $72.99 (#4317)

OPERS-Pugh $58.38 (#4302) Chad Pugh $28.00 (#4318)

Charles Good $424.05 (#4303) Charlie Good $96.29 (#4319)

School Tax $15.72 (#4320)

Check Numbers 4299, and 4311-4316 Paul Price $403.23 (#4321)

were voided due to printer problems. Federal Taxes $621.52 (#4322)

State Taxes $33.12 (#4323)

Lee Lare moved to pay all bills. Jeff Coil seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Charlie Good moved to excuse Councilman Price with pay considering his very recent illness. Jeff Coil seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Old Business

Some street repair work has been done, but is not finished. There are two more streets to do and they will be attended to next year when the weather permits.

The fiscal officer shared the final results regarding the renewed fire levy, 36 voting yes and 4 voting no.

Councilman Good summarized what he learned at the Public Records Policy meeting. A policy was drawn up by Good, which closely resembles the State model, to share and discuss. Councilman Good moved to adopt said Public Records Policy. Lee Lare seconded the motion. Motion carried.

On a similar note, Councilman Good read the Retention Record Policy. After discussion, Good moved to adopt this policy. Gloria Leiter seconded the motion. Motion carried. Both policies can be viewed as attachments to these minutes.

Mayor Ruen noted that we are still working on power for the announcement board. It was brought up that an enclosed bulletin board would be very beneficial to post information that is too lengthy to fit on the current announcement board.

Pugh reported that the Village’s audit had been approved by the State, but she has not received paperwork to share with the council yet.

New Business

Councilman Good made a motion to accept a resolution to move the election polling place to the Venedocia Lions Club for York Township village residents. Lee Lare seconded the motion. Motion carried.

A list of those trained to use the AED needs to be assembled, as well as directions for locating the AED in the church, and contacting those persons that have keys to the church.

Jeff Coil moved to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned.

Next meeting will be January 7, 2008.

_____________________ ________________________

Jennifer J. Pugh Mayor

Fiscal Officer

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Village of Venedocia public records policy

adopted December 3, 2007

Introduction:

It is the policy of Venedocia Ohio's village government (its Mayor and Village Council) that openness leads to a better informed citizenry, which leads to better government and better public policy. It is the policy of Venedocia Ohio's government to strictly adhere to the state’s Public Records Act. All exemptions to openness are to be construed in their narrowest sense and any denial of public records in response to a valid request must be accompanied by an explanation, including legal authority, as outlined in the Ohio Revised Code. If the request is in writing, the explanation must also be in writing.

Section 1. Public records

Venedocia Ohio's village government, in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code, defines records as including the following: Any document – paper, electronic (including, but not limited to, e-mail), or other format – that is created or received by, or comes under the jurisdiction of Venedocia's government that documents the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the village government. All records of Venedocia Ohio's village government are public unless they are specifically exempt from disclosure under the Ohio Revised Code.

Section 1.1

It is the policy of Venedocia Ohio's government that, as required by Ohio law, records will be organized and maintained so that they are readily available for inspection and copying (See Section 4 for the e-mail record policy). Record retention schedules are to be updated regularly and posted prominently on the village web site.

Section 2. Record requests

Each request for public records should be evaluated for a response using the following guidelines:

Section 2.1

Although no specific language is required to make a request, the requester must at least identify the records requested with sufficient clarity to allow the village to identify, retrieve, and review the records. If it is not clear what records are being sought, the records custodian must contact the requester for clarification, and should assist the requester in revising the request by informing the requester of the manner in which the office keeps its records.

Section 2.2

The requester does not have to put a records request in writing, and does not have to provide his or her identity or the intended use of the requested public record. It is general policy of Venedocia Ohio's government that this information is not to be requested.

Section 2.3

Venedocia's government has no physical office and no regular office hours. Many of Venedocia Ohio's village government public records, including village ordinances as well as draft and final council minutes, are made promptly available for viewing at the village web site, www.venedocia.org/govern.html. Current public records are to be available for inspection by the public during, as well as shortly before and after, regular council meetings. These meetings are normally held at 6pm the first Monday of each month at the Lion's Club building. Current and older public records are also available for inspection at the village storage building by appointment with the Mayor, or at the home of and by appointment with the village Fiscal Officer . Public records must be made available for inspection promptly. Copies of public records must be made available within a reasonable period of time. “Prompt” and “reasonable” take into account the volume of records requested, the proximity of the location where the records are stored, the availability of the Mayor and Fiscal Officer, and the necessity for any legal review of the records requested

Section 2.3b

As of January 1, 2008 the village Mayor is Larry Eustler (phone 419-667-2222). The village Fiscal Officer is Jenny Pugh (phone 419-667-4485, email jpugh@watchtv.net).

Section 2.4

Each request should be evaluated for an estimated length of time required to gather the records. Routine requests for records should be satisfied immediately if feasible to do so. Routine requests include, but are not limited to, meeting minutes (both in draft and final form), budgets, salary information, forms and applications, personnel rosters, etc. If fewer than 20 pages of copies are requested or if the records are readily available in an electronic format that can be e-mailed or downloaded easily, these should be made as quickly as the equipment allows. All requests for public records must either be satisfied (see Section 2.4) or be acknowledged in writing by the village Mayor or Fiiscal Officer within three business days following the village official's receipt of the request. If a request is deemed significantly beyond “routine,” such as seeking a voluminous number of copies or requiring extensive research, the acknowledgment must include the following:

Section 2.4a – An estimated number of business days it will take to satisfy the request.

Section 2.4b – An estimated cost if copies are requested.

Section 2.4c – Any items within the request that may be exempt from disclosure.

Section 2.5

Any denial of public records requested must include an explanation, including legal authority. If portions of a record are public and portions are exempt, the exempt portions are to be redacted (blacked out) and the rest released. If there are redactions, each redaction must be accompanied by a supporting explanation, including legal authority.

Section 3. Costs for Public Records

Those seeking copies of public records will be charged only the actual cost of making copies. The village reserves the right to collect these costs in advance.

Section 3.1 The estimated charge for paper copies is 10 cents per page.

Section 3.2 The charge for downloaded computer files to a compact disc is $1 per disc.

Section 3.3 There is no charge for documents e-mailed.

Section 3.4 Requesters may ask that documents be mailed to them. They will be charged the actual cost of the postage and mailing supplies.

Section 3.5 There is no charge for just viewing an original public record document.

Section 4. E-mail

Documents in electronic mail format are records as defined by the Ohio Revised Code when their content relates to the business of the office. E-mail is to be treated in the same fashion as records in other formats and should follow the same retention schedules.

Section 4.1 – Records in private e-mail accounts used to conduct public business are subject to disclosure, and all employees or representatives of the Village of Venedocia are instructed to retain their e-mails that relate to Venedocia's public business (see Section 1 Public Records) and to copy them to the village Fiscal Officer.

Section 4.2 – The village Fiscal Officer is to treat the e-mails from private accounts as records of the village, filing them in the appropriate way, retaining them per established schedules and making them available for inspection and copying in accordance with the Public Records Act.

Section 5. Failure to respond to a public records request

Venedocia's village government recognizes the legal and non-legal consequences of failure to properly respond to a public records request. In addition to the distrust in government that failure to comply may cause, the village's failure to comply with a request may result in a court ordering the village to comply with the law and to pay the requester attorney’s fees and damages.

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Venedocia government's Public Record Retention Schedule

Beginning with this schedule's adoption date of December 3, 2007, Venedocia's government will retain public records already in its possession and any future public records that come into its possession according to the following schedule:

A. Retained only until the council approves a final version.
-- Transient documents used in the preparation of council-approved records such as: . a..Preliminary council minutes

b..Proposed meeting agendas

c. Preliminary monthly financial statements, not yet been signed or initialed by council.

B. Retained for 5 years.
-- Routine communications. These include letters and other documents addressed to the Mayor or Council and discussed at public meetings, and communications sent by the Mayor or Council. Included are paper records and computer files in possession of the Mayor and the Fiscal Officer. At the end of the retention period paper will be recycled at the county recycling center..

C. Retained for 10 years.
-- Financial records. These are maintained by the Fiscal Officer and include paper and/or computer records of bills, check stubs, annual budgets, monthly reconciliations, and audit reports. Some of these will be available on the village web site. After retention, paper records will be recycled at the county recycling center.

D. Retained for 20 years.

-- Council minutes: hard copy originals and computer files if available. Hard copies and computer files are retained by the Fiscal Officer or or stored in the village storage building. Minutes since 2002 are on the village web site. If possible, after the retention period ends, minutes will either be given to a state or county historical society or will continue to be stored in the village storage building.

E. Retained indefinitely:
-- Ordinances, as long as the ordinance remains valid.

-- Maps, such as plat and drainage maps, until superseded by more recent revised maps.

Paper copies of ordinances and maps are in the village storage building or in the possession of the

Fiscal Officer. Maps and ordinances are also on the village web site.