Martin County attorneys train oversight panel on Sunshine, ethics and public‑records obligations

Sarah Woods, Martin County attorney, and Sangeeta Maragh, the county records administrator, provided mandatory trainings to the newly formed Environmental Lands Oversight Committee on government‑in‑the‑sunshine requirements, conflicts of interest and public‑records obligations.

Woods opened with the Sunshine Law basics: meetings of public boards and commissions must be held openly in ADA‑accessible public facilities; reasonable notice is required; minutes must be taken and recorded; and deliberations about matters that may foreseeably come before the board cannot occur outside a public meeting. She warned committee members against serial discussions by telephone, email, text or social media and said the prohibition covers communications during a recess or otherwise outside a noticed meeting. Woods advised members to consult the county attorney’s office when in doubt about meeting‑law issues.

Woods also reviewed the Florida code of ethics and the statute governing conflicts of interest. She…