New county legal counsel tells Buncombe library advisory board a third recipient turns communication into a meeting

Suzanne Avedt, introduced as the library system’s new legal counsel, told the Buncombe County Library Advisory Board that public‑meeting rules can be triggered by ordinary communications. “When you add the third person of your board to any communication, that becomes a meeting,” Avedt said, stressing caution about emails and copied recipients.

Avedt advised members to send agenda suggestions to staff rather than initiating group emails and recommended that the board review its bylaws, which she said may predate widespread virtual meeting practices used during the COVID‑19 pandemic. “I think at this point, the first step is deciding what type of meetings you would like to have and make sure that your bylaws comply with that,” she said.

Board members raised practical questions about hybrid and split meetings. Avedt said the safest approach is to choose either an all‑in‑person or an all‑virtual meeting format for voting, noting that remote participants can often listen but may face restrictions on voting if a physical quorum is present. She also cautioned that content of communications matters: routine administrative reminders differ from substantive discussions that could convert an exchange into a public meeting.

The board asked Avedt to work with Jason and staff to draft suggested bylaw updates and to prepare brief training materials on public‑meeting boundaries and communication best practices. Avedt said she would coordinate with staff to present options for the board’s next meeting.

The board also approved the previous meeting’s minutes earlier in the session and later moved to adjourn.