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Facilitator warns board that texts and emails can be public records
Summary
OSBA trainer told Santiam Canyon board members that electronic communications about board business can be subject to public records requests and cautioned against serial communications and unnecessary 'reply all' exchanges.
During the March 19 work session, OSBA facilitator Janet Avila-Medina walked board members through practical communication rules under public meeting obligations. She told the board that "text messages and emails related to board business may be subject to public records requests," and advised limiting reply-all responses to reduce transparency risks.
Board members asked clarifying questions about one-on-one conversations and best practices to avoid inadvertent deliberation. Avila-Medina said that while one-on-one conversations are allowed, "best practice is to discuss board business collectively to ensure transparency," and cautioned that serial communications discussing the same topic with multiple members could violate public meeting law.
