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Eureka councilors get state open‑meetings briefing; presenter warns recordings cannot be edited
Summary
Shay Morrison of the R6 regional council gave the annual Open and Public Meetings Act training, telling Eureka officials that meeting recordings must remain unedited, closed sessions require a two‑thirds vote, and texts or group emails that reach a quorum can trigger public‑meeting and GRAMA obligations.
Shay Morrison, a community adviser with the R6 regional council, delivered Eureka’s required Open and Public Meetings Act (OPMA) training during a council work session, emphasizing rules on notice, recording and closed sessions.
Morrison said meeting notices must be posted at least 24 hours before regular meetings and that any item the council intends to act on must appear on the public agenda. “You can’t vote on it” if it isn’t on the agenda, she said, advising that items be placed on the next meeting for formal action when necessary.
Morrison warned that recordings “cannot be edited” and advised they should start at the meeting’s opening and run until adjournment; state code requires recordings be made available to the public, though local practice and legal interpretation determine whether communities post recordings online or provide them on request.
She also explained closed‑session rules for Eureka’s council: to convene a closed meeting the body must take a two‑thirds vote (four votes in Eureka’s current configuration), and courts may review closed sessions. Morrison said certain personnel discussions can be exempted from audio recording but that the mayor must sign an affidavit verifying the exemption when it applies.
Morrison cautioned that electronic communications can create public‑meeting obligations. Texting or emailing among a quorum about city business “could be subject to GRAMA” and may become part of the public record if those messages constitute deliberation. She described the practical approach of posting agendas and minutes for borderline bodies to avoid inadvertent OPMA exposure.
The presentation closed with Morrison offering to share the slides with city staff for wider distribution and to answer follow‑up questions after the meeting.
