Council receives Open Public Meetings Act training on notice, executive sessions and electronic communication

Counsel and staff spent a 25‑minute segment on Open Public Meetings Act training presented by attorney David Church, who summarized statutory notice, agenda and quorum requirements and answered council questions about tabling, emergency meetings, executive sessions and electronic communications.

Church emphasized that a public body must post meeting notice and an agenda with sufficient specificity at least 24 hours in advance and that the Open Public Meetings Act’s policy is transparency. He explained quorum examples and that minutes and recordings must be available within statutory timeframes. "Quorum is 3 council members," he said while describing how the law applies to small municipal bodies. He also discussed executive sessions, the limited statutory reasons to close portions of a meeting, and the procedural requirement for a specific motion and a two‑thirds vote to enter a closed session.

On electronic communication, Church cautioned that texts and group emails are not per se violations but warned councils not to deliberate or decide outside public meetings: "You can send a text to everybody and it's not a violation of the act. But if you find yourself bargaining, negotiating, deliberating through text and emails... you are cheating." He also noted potential sanctions: "If you intentionally violate it, there's a possibility of criminal sanctions."

Councilors asked clarifying questions about tabling procedures, public‑hearing notices and whether closed‑session recordings can be discarded under certain affidavit rules; Church explained the statutory exceptions and the attorney‑signed affidavit option for certain closed sessions. The council heard that draft minutes must be available within 30 days and final minutes posted within three days of approval.