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TRANSCRIPT
Office of Attorney General
Oklahoma Open Meeting Act: The Basics
It’s The Law
“Oklahoma Open Meeting Act” 25 O.S. §§ 301-314
There are consequences for willful violations of the Act:
Civil Implications: • Actions taken in willful violation are invalid. 25 O.S. § 313 • Minutes of an Executive Session will be made public where the
Open Meeting Act is willfully violated. 25 O.S. § 307(F)(2). Criminal Penalty (25 O.S. § 314): • Misdemeanor • Punishable by fine up to $500 and/or up to one (1) year in
county jail.
Willful Violation
RogersvExciseBd.ofGreerCounty,1984OK95,701P.2d754
• “TheActprovidesthatanyacAontakeninwillfulviolaAonshallbeinvalid.Willfulnessdoesnotrequireashowingofbadfaith,malice,orwantonness,butrather,encompassesconscious,purposefulviolaAonsoflaworblatantordeliberatedisregardofthelawbythosewhoknow,orshouldknow...NoAceofmeeAngsofpublicbodieswhicharedecepAvelyvagueorlikelytomisleadconsAtuteawillfulviolaAon.”(Emphasisadded.)
Two critical definitions in the
Act:
Public body &
Meeting
If you don’t have a “public body” AND a “meeting”, the Act does not apply.
“Public Body” Defined
GoverningbodiesofmunicipaliAes
Boardsofcountycommissioners
BoardsofpublicandhighereducaAon
Otherboards,agencies,
commissions...
Supportedinwholeorinpartbypublic
funds
Entrustedwithexpendingpublic
funds
Administerpublicproperty
CommiVees&sub-commiVeesofthose
publicbodies
(25 O.S. § 304(1))
“Public Body” Does Not Include:
• Judiciary • Legislature • Administrative staff of public bodies
(including faculty meetings and athletic staff meetings of institutions of higher ed when not meeting with public body)
• Other specific exceptions, i.e. racing stewards, Council on Judicial Complaints, etc.
“Public Body” Does Not Include:
●Committees that are purely fact finding, informational, recommendatory, or advisory with no decision-making authority. Andrews v. Ind. School District No. 29 of Cleveland Co., 1987 OK 40, 737 P.2d 929.
●Private organizations which contract to provide goods or services to the public on behalf of a governmental agency and receive payment from public funds merely as reimbursement for goods or services provided. 2002 OK AG 37.
“Meeting” Defined
Generally:
• When“conduc+ngbusiness”ofpublicbody• Bymajorityofmembers• Beingpersonallytogether• Orbyteleconference,asauthorizedby§ 307.1
(25 O.S. § 304(2))
“MeeAng”doesnotincludeinformalgatheringsofamajorityofmemberswhennobusinessofthepublicbodyisbeingdiscussed.
Electronic and Telephonic Communications
Prohibitsdecidingortakingac+on(vo+ng)onanymaHerbyphoneore-
Alsoprohibitsdecidingortakingac+ononany
maHeratan“informal”gathering
(25 O.S. § 306)
Four Types of Meetings
RegularlyscheduledmeeAngs§304(3)
SpecialmeeAngs§304(4)
EmergencymeeAngs§304(5)
ConAnuedorReconvenedMeeAngs§304(6)
(25 O.S. § 304)
Notice & Agenda
AnnuallygiveappropriateofficeadvancepublicnoAceofallregularmeeAngsbyDec.15:
24hourspriortomeeAngpostpubliclyinprominentviewNoAceandAgenda:
• Excludes Saturday, Sunday, and Oklahoma State Holidays • Must be visible entire 24 hours in advance of meeting (1997 OK AG 98) • Posted at principal office (if no office exists, posted at meeting location)
(25 O.S. § 311(A))
Regular Meetings
Newbusinessispermissible
• Notice must include date, time, & place of meetings • Date, time, &/or place can be changed with 10 days advance notice given to appropriate office
Any matter not known about or which could not have been reasonably foreseen prior to the time of posting (24 hours prior to meeting). 25 O.S. § 311(A)(9).
Notice & Agenda Continued
48hourspriortomeeAng:
• GivenoAcetoappropriateofficeofdate,Ame,&placeofmeeAng
• MailsaidnoAcetothosewhohavefiledwriVenrequest(maychargeupto$18annually)
24hourspriortomeeAngpostpubliclyinprominentviewNoAceandAgenda
(25 O.S. § 311(A))
Special Meetings
NewbusinessisNOTpermissible
•ExcludesSaturday,Sunday,andOklahomaStateHolidays
•MustbevisibleenAre24hoursinadvanceofmeeAng(1997OKAG98)
•Postedatprincipaloffice(ifnoofficeexists,postedatmeeAnglocaAon)
Notice & Agenda Continued
(25 O.S. §§ 304(6) & 311(A)(10))
Continued or Reconvened Meetings
●Recessoriginalmee+ngandannounce+me,date,andplacewheremee+ngwillbereconvened.●Cannotadditemstoagendaforreconvenedmee+ng.Limitedtooriginalagenda.
Notice & Agenda Continued
25 O.S. §§ 304(5) & 311(A)(12))
Emergency Meetings
● Item to be discussed must involve “injury to persons or injury and damage to public or personal property or immediate financial loss”. ● Waiting to hold a special meeting with 48 hours notice would be impractical and would likely increase injury or damage or immediate financial loss. ● Must give as much advance public notice as is reasonable and possible under the circumstances.
Agendas
MustcontainsufficientinformaAonforthepublictoidenAfytheitemsofbusinessandpurpose
*“Agendasmustbewordedinplainlanguage,[email protected],directandcomprehensibletoapersonofordinaryeduca@onandintelligence.”HaworthBd.OfEd.v.Havens,637P.2d902(Okla.Civ.App.1981)
–
(25 O.S. § 311(B))
HaworthBd.OfEd.v.Havens,637P.2d902(Okla.Civ.App.1981)
AgendasaidpurposeofmeeAngwasto:
1. Appointnewboardmember
2. Interviewanewadministrator
3. Hireprincipals
ThecourtfoundtheagendawasdecepAvelyvagueandawillful
violaAonwheretheschoolboardhiredasuperintendent.
Agenda
Agendas cont...
Agenda Item Best Practices THIS
1.ExecuAveDirector’sReport,withpossiblediscussionand/oracAononthefollowing:
A.StatusofFY2014auditB.NewDeputyExecuAveDirector.C.RemodelofBoardoffices.
2.ReportonandpossiblediscussionofcommiVeeassignmentsmadebyBoardChair.3.ReportandpossiblediscussiononpublicinformaAonalmeeAngsheldonrecentlyenactedpermanentrules.
NOTTHIS1.ExecuAveDirector’sReport2.Miscellaneous3.OldBusiness
Executive Sessions
LimitedPermissiblePurposes:
• PersonnelmaVers–25O.S.§307(B)(1)• Notjobopenings(2006OKAG17)• Nothiringindependentcontractors(2005OKAG29)• MustidenAfyindividualoruniqueposiAon(1997OKAG61)
• Purchaseorappraisalofrealproperty–25O.S.§307(B)(3)• ConfidenAalcommunicaAonsw/aVorneyconcerningpending
invesAgaAon,claimoracAon–25O.S.§307(B)(4)• Otherspecificinstances
(25O.S.§307)
Generalrule:NoexecuAvesessionsunlessspecificallyauthorizedinthissecAon(307)orotherstatute
Executive Sessions
• Strictproceduresforagendas(§§307(E)&311(B)).Statespecificprovisionauthorizing.
• Musttakevote&havemajoritytoconveneexecuAvesession.
• VotescannotbetakeninexecuAvesession• Musttake&keepminutes• BerryvBdofGovofRegisteredDen@sts,1980OK45,611P.2d628.
Miscellaneous:
(25 O.S.§§ 307 & 311)
Executive Session Agenda Item
(Example)
– PossiblediscussionandvotetoenterExecuAveSessionpursuantto25O.S.§307(B)(4)1forconfidenAalcommunicaAonsbetweentheBoardanditsaVorneyconcerningthependingtortclaimfiledbyJohnDoe2againsttheBoardwheretheBoard’saVorneyhasdeterminedthatdisclosurewillseriouslyimpairtheabilityoftheBoardtoprocesstheclaiminthepublicinterest.31Stateapplicable307(B)provision.2IdenAfytheclaim,invesAgaAon,orproceeding.3Board’saVorneymustmakedeterminaAon.
Executive Session Agenda Item (Example)
• PossiblediscussionandvotetoenterExecuAveSessionpursuantto25O.S.§307(B)(1)1todiscussannualreviewofExecuAveDirectorandpossiblemeritraiseincrease2forExecuAveDirector.3
A. VotetoEnterExecuAveSessionB. ExitExecuAveSessionandvotetore-enteropensessionC. VoteonitemsdiscussedinExecuAveSession____________1 CitaAonofspecific307(B)provision2 SalarycanbediscussedinExecuAveSession(1996OKAG40)3 NameoruniqueposiAonidenAfied.
Votes
Vote of each member must be:
(25 O.S. § 305)
Publiclycast• Rollcallvoterecommended
Recorded• FailuretodosoresultsinacAonbeinginvalid.• OldhamvDrummondBdofEd,1975OK147,542P.2d1309
Minutes
RequireswriVenminutesincluding:• Officialsummaryoftheproceeding
• IdenAfiesallmemberspresentandabsent(2012OKAG24)
• IdenAfiesallmaVersconsidered• IdenAfiesallacAonstaken• ReflectsmannerandAmenoAcewasgiven
MinutesofpublicmeeAngareopentothepublic
(25 O.S. § 312)
Minutes Continued
- Muststatenatureofemergency-MustincludereasonsfordeclaringemergencymeeAng
MinutesforEmergencyMeeAngs
- AnypersonmayrecordthemeeAng-ProvideditdoesnotinterferewithmeeAng
RecordingMeeAngs(§312(C))
Miscellaneous
Apublicbodyisnotrequiredtoprovideopportunityforci+zenstospeak(2002OKAG26;1998OKAG45)
Ifpublicbodychoosestoallowpubliccomments,itisadvisabletosetpolicy
Couldlimitcommentstoagendaitemsonly
Ifpubliccommentsarenotlimitedtoagendaitems,membersmustbecarefulnottoengageindiscussion
PublicComments
Teleconference
Permissible,butcertaincondiAonsmustbemet:
• Musthavequorumofpublicbodyatagendasite• NoAce&agendamustlistvideosite(s)• NoAce&agendamustidenAfyeachmemberandsiteeachwillparAcipatefrom• Off-sitelocaAonmustbeindistrict• Publicmusthaveaccesstoallsites• Audioandvisualateachsite• NoexecuAvesessions
(25 O.S. § 307.1) Pending legislation to change: SB1117
Thank you !