E. TYPES OF MEETINGS AND
NOTICE
Three different types of meetings exist and the notice requirements
differ for each type.
1. Regular MeetingsA regular
meeting is a meeting that is held at prescheduled intervals, such as,
“every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in town hall.” The notice requirement for a
regular meeting is that public bodies must establish by rule a
reasonable method that allows the public to determine the time and place
of regular meetings.
2. Special Meetings
Any meeting other than a regular meeting
is a special meeting. The notice requirement for a special meeting is
that public bodies must establish by rule a reasonable method that
allows the public to determine the time, place and purpose of a special
meeting. The rule must require at least 24 hours advance notification to
all media outlets that have requested such notification.
Although the notice for a special meeting must state the purpose for the
meeting, it may be for “general purposes.” If a public body wants to
adjourn into executive session during a special meeting, the topic of
the executive session should directly relate to some matter expressly
included in the notice.
3. Emergency Meetings
An emergency meeting is a special meeting
that is convened because a situation requires immediate official action.
The emergency cannot be the result of the public body ’s own failure to
meet earlier. For this type of meeting, the notice requirement is
immediate. The members of the public body must immediately notify
all news media outlets that have requested such notice. |