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County attorney delivers FOIA, public-records and Conflict of Interest Act refresher to supervisors
Summary
Franklin County's county attorney reviewed Virginia's Freedom of Information Act requirements, public-records obligations and the Conflict of Interest Act during the Jan. 2 organizational meeting, advising supervisors on remote participation, closed-meeting exemptions and records retention.
Jim Gwynn, Franklin County's county attorney and parliamentarian, gave a session on the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), public-records obligations and the Conflict of Interest Act (COIA) during the board's Jan. 2 organizational meeting.
Gwynn told supervisors that FOIA is interpreted broadly by the courts and warned that gatherings of more than two members where public business is discussed can constitute a meeting under FOIA even if the members say they are only listening. "For purposes of this definition of meeting only, the term public business means any activity a public body has undertaken or proposes to undertake on behalf of the people it represents," Gwynn said while describing statutory changes that followed a…
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