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Training clarifies notice, quorum and remote-access rules for local boards
Summary
Presenter instructed boards to post physical notices at least 24 hours before meetings, to post on official websites when available, and warned that electronic exchanges that reach a quorum may constitute a public meeting.
During the mandatory training, the Presenter explained the rules that determine when a gathering becomes an official public meeting. "A public meeting is any official meeting of which a political subdivision, which would be including all of us, intends to conduct business and have which quorum is present," the Presenter said, adding that a quorum enables a body to make decisions.
The Presenter warned that electronic communications matter: group texts, email strings and teleconference calls among enough members to form a quorum can be treated as a public meeting. Remote meetings must provide a way for the public to participate; "if you do that, you have to provide at least 1 way for the public to participate," the Presenter said.
The Presenter recommended posting notices on an official website and physically at a public location at least 24 hours before a meeting and described special-notice requirements for special meetings and newspaper notice. These steps were presented as best practices to reduce the risk of enforcement actions by the open meetings commission.
