Board debates public-notice posting as local paper circulation declines

Staff reported the county has created a centralized calendar in Outlook and is using the website calendar for public notices and event postings. Staff said citizens may sign up on the website to receive automated updates when the county posts events. A board member asked whether posting to the website alone qualifies as a public meeting notice; staff said statutes usually require notice in “a paper of general circulation in the county,” and that if there is no local paper the legislature may need to address electronic notice rules. The board discussed that the county’s usual paper may have ceased publication and that there may be limited circulation for nearby papers.