Yes. The quorum of a public body, including the person presiding at the meeting, must be physically present on the premises. The only exception to this general rule is local disability commissions (see below). This advice is consistent with our previous decisions. See OML 2016-167; OML 2011-11. We had pointed out to public bodies on limited occasions that identifying each annual date, licence, or request for consideration at a meeting would result in a communication consisting of many pages that do not fit on a bulletin board, a public body may instead refer to the indication that this additional information in the clerk`s office or to another easily accessible location. However, the Suffolk High Court recently concluded that this approach is arbitrary, as deciding whether it is possible to publish a certain number of pages on a bulletin board is subjective. See City of Swansea v. Maura Healey, Civil Action No. 2017-3269-E (Suffolk Sup.
ct. 29 October 2018). Therefore, the specific information must appear on or accompany the notice itself; It is unacceptable for a meeting announcement to refer members of the public to another location to find the necessary information. We encourage municipalities with limited display space to consider launching a website as a formal method of tendering. What happens if the site hosting the notices of meeting is no longer accessible to the public? No. Starting at 1. As of July 2015, a quorum of the Commission is not required if a local disability commission has decided to participate remotely. However, a local disability commission must always provide a physical meeting place where interested members of the public can attend and follow the panel discussion.
In addition, the Chair of the Commission or the person chairing the meeting in the absence of the Chair must be present at the premises. This means that if the Chair wishes to attend remotely, he or she may do so, but may not chair the meeting. Finally, it should be noted that while the law requires only one member of a local disability commission (the chair) to be physically present on site, a quorum of the commission must attend remotely or in person for a “meeting” to take place. A request for minutes from a public body triggers the requirements of the Open Meeting Act. A request for a notice of violation from another city employee, such as a city clerk or public records officer, may fall under the Public Records Act. No, council is not required to include candidates` names or addresses in notice of committee meetings, and the Department of Local Services of the Ministry of Finance has stated that committees are prohibited by law from doing so. Applications for reduction or exemption are confidential in accordance with G.L. c. 59, § 60. Although certain information relating to the application, such as the name or title under which the fee is assessed, must be published once a reduction or exemption has been granted, the Committee is not required to disclose this information before that date. It is therefore sufficient for the notice of meeting to indicate that the Commission is examining applications for reduction or exemption. Boards may also include the number of applications reviewed in their meeting communications.
This provides the public with additional details on the topic under discussion without compromising the confidentiality of applicants. The State University of New York must comply with the Public Meeting Act (Public Officers Act §§ 100-111). Therefore, meetings of committees and subcommittees of the State University Board of Trustees, the Councils of State-Operated Campuses, the Board of Trustees of the College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry of State University, and the Board of Trustees of Community Colleges must be preceded by appropriate public notice and be open to the public in accordance with legal requirements. An executive sitting or a closed session may be called by a majority of all the members of the public body concerned to conduct business on a limited number of matters listed in section 105 of the Act. The private or executive meetings of each special committee shall be open to the public, unless a majority of the members of that committee decide otherwise.
