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County attorney leads Davis County Library Board through Open and Public Meetings Act training
Summary
Davis County legal counsel conducted the board’s required Open and Public Meetings Act training using an interactive Kahoot quiz, reviewed key rules about when a meeting is "convened" and how open meetings may transition to closed sessions, and offered a statutory summary sheet for board members.
Neil Geddes, an attorney from the county attorney’s office, led the Davis County Library Board’s annual Open and Public Meetings Act training during the board’s April 9 meeting, using an interactive Kahoot quiz to walk members through key provisions of the statute.
The training, which the presenter said satisfies the board’s annual requirement, cited the law directly: “It’s in Title 52, Chapter 4 of the Utah Code,” the trainer said. He explained that recent clarifications to the statute focus on what it means for a public body to “convene,” noting that a meeting must be started by someone with authority and follow required procedures rather than arising from informal encounters among a quorum of members.
Geddes walked members through the mechanics for moving from an open meeting into a closed session: the board must identify the legal reason for closing, state the location and take a formal vote on the record. He emphasized that in most cases the statute gives discretion to boards to use closed sessions (“it’s a may”), rather than requiring closure in particular circumstances, and advised caution about using closed-session authority.
The trainer used the Kahoot format to prompt discussion, provided a PIN so members could participate interactively (PIN: 2479704), and offered to circulate a one-page summary of the Act and other resources the board can use for future reference. The training lasted approximately 20–25 minutes before the meeting moved to consent and action items.
The session closed with a reminder that the training materials and short summary would be shared with staff for distribution to board members.
