§ 2.05. City council.

The governing body of said city shall be composed of a mayor and five councilmen, in which is vested all corporate, legislative and other powers of the city, except as otherwise provided in this act. The mayor and council shall hold regular public meetings at a stated time and place as provided by ordinance. The mayor and council shall meet in special session on call of either the mayor, or the mayor pro-tem and two councilmen, and notice of which has been served on the other members personally or left at their residence at least twelve hours in advance of the meeting. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, notice of a special session may be given by telephoning the other members. If this method is used, the first order of business in the special session shall be to enter upon the minutes of the meeting an oath or an affidavit by the mayor, or the mayor pro-tem and two councilmen calling the special session, attested to by the city clerk or by another member of the council, or any person authorized to administer oaths. Said oath or affidavit must contain a statement that each councilman was either notified personally by telephone by the person making the oath or affidavit or was not capable of being so notified by reason of lack of knowledge of his whereabouts, or his absence from the state.

Any person who is found guilty of false swearing, as defined by Code section 26-2402 [O.C.G.A. § 16-10-71], as it now exists or may hereafter be amended, in the above proceeding shall be punished as provided by law. Any action taken in a special session which was called by a person later found guilty of false-swearing regarding the telephone notice of any member shall be void, unless ratified unanimously at a regular council meeting held after said person is found guilty. A ratification of action taken in such a special session by the mayor and council prior to a conviction for false swearing shall not be effective. Any liability to the city arising from action taken by the mayor and council pursuant to a special session in which telephone notice is given, and in which the person calling the meeting is found guilty of false swearing shall result in several liability for the person so convicted. Such notice of a special meeting shall not be required and shall be considered waived if the mayor and all council are present when the special meeting is called or convened. Only the business stated in the written call or stated as being the purpose in the oath or affidavit required in special sessions convened under the telephone notice provision of this charter may be transacted at a special meeting, except by unanimous consent of all members of the council. The mayor and council shall exercise its powers in public meetings. Four members, which may include three councilmen and the mayor or mayor pro tem, shall constitute a quorum. The council may adopt rules and by-laws, by ordinance, to govern the conduct of its business; including procedures and penalties for compelling the attendance of absent members. The mayor and council may provide by ordinance for punishment for contemptuous behavior conducted in their presence.