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Council discusses off-site 'caucus' meetings to boost accessibility; attorney warns ordinance and notice requirements
Summary
Council members debated holding off-site outreach or 'caucus' meetings (Farmer's Market, amphitheater) to improve accessibility. The city attorney said a recurring caucus likely requires an ordinance, advertised notices and a public meeting site to comply with open meetings law.
Council members discussed ways to make themselves more available to residents outside City Hall and debated two models: informal appearances by individual members at events, or formalized off-site 'caucus' meetings. A council member (S10) said the idea was to "be more available to the public in, like, a caucus meeting" and suggested trying a couple of sessions at locations such as the Farmers Market pavilion or the amphitheater.
The city attorney (S12) cautioned that if a quorum of council members would discuss city business, that would constitute a special meeting subject to Kentucky's open meetings rules. "It would have to be done by ordinance," S12 said, explaining that a recurring caucus with a regular place and time would require published notice and an agenda. Council members agreed to continue discussing logistics and to revisit a plan at an upcoming meeting rather than immediately adopting a recurring schedule.
