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Board attorney outlines recent changes to Utah open‑meetings rules and definitions
Summary
At a Jan. 28 study session, board attorney Paul Van Komen reviewed this year’s revisions to Utah open‑and‑public‑meetings guidance, focusing on a broadened definition of “meeting,” new limits on predetermining action and tweaks to electronic‑meeting rules.
Paul Van Komen, the Jordan School District board attorney, reviewed updates to Utah’s open‑and‑public‑meetings guidance during the Board of Education study session on Jan. 28.
Van Komen told the full board the most notable change widens what counts as a “meeting.” Under the revised guidance a meeting is now defined as “a gathering of a public body with a quorum present … for the express purpose of acting as a public body … to receive public comment about a relevant matter, deliberate about a relevant matter, or take action upon a relevant matter.” He warned that receiving public comment is now explicitly listed as a potential trigger for open‑meeting requirements.
The change matters because it expands the…
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