R380-42-3. Designation of Electronic Meetings

(1) The presiding officer may schedule any meeting as an electronic meeting upon the presiding officer's discretion or upon request of any member of the public body.

(a) A member of the public body may request that the member's participation in the meeting be allowed electronically up to 48 hours, but no less than two business days, prior to the commencement of the meeting. The presiding officer may refuse a member's request to hold a meeting electronically.

(b) If the Department cannot technically arrange for the meeting to be held electronically, the presiding officer's decision to allow electronic participation the Department may deny the request.

(c) The presiding officer or the Department may restrict the number of connections for members to participate in the meeting based on available equipment capability.

(d) If budget constraints do not allow the Department to provide an electronic connection at no charge to the member, the member who chooses to participate electronically may be required to do so at his or her own cost.

(2) No vote of the public body is necessary to include other members of the public body to join the meeting through an electronic connection.