Town attorney trains Fort Myers Beach advisory members on Sunshine Law, public records and voting conflicts

Nancy Stupich, Fort Myers Beach town attorney with the Vos Law Firm, led a training session for the town's advisory boards on the Sunshine Law, public-records requirements and voting-conflict rules, telling attendees that the laws are broadly construed and that transparency is the safest course.

"When in doubt, if you're not sure what to do, go for transparency," Stupich said, outlining obligations for appointed and elected bodies and for subcommittees, ad hoc groups and ex officio members.

Stupich told participants that Florida's open-meetings law (commonly called the Sunshine Law) is found in Chapter 286 of the Florida Statutes and requires public notice and open meetings when "an official act is taken or public business is transacted or discussed." She said the law applies to advisory boards and most subcommittees when those bodies are performing decisionmaking functions or sifting options that may be presented to the town council.

She emphasized practical steps members should follow: route questions and documents through town staff rather than conducting member-to-member discussions about substantive town business; treat individual site visits as factual observations…