A Baker’s Dozen: 13 Issues Regarding the Open Meetings Law 2004

A Baker’s Dozen: 13 Issues Regarding the Open Meetings Law 2004 IARC Staff Retreat May 14, 2004 Ames, IA David Vestal General Counsel owa State Association of Counties [email protected]

1. What Governmental Bodies Are Covered? A governing body of a city or county. A multimember body formally and directly created by a city council or county board of supervisors. Any advisory board, task force or other body expressly created by executive order of a political subdivision (e.g., a city council, school board, or county board of supervisors) to develop and make recommendations on public policy issues.

2. What Is A “Meeting?” Iowa's Open Meetings Law says a governmental body "meets" when there is: any gathering in person or by telephone conference call or other electronic means, whether formally noticed or informally occurring, of a majority of the members, at which there is any deliberation or action upon any matter within the scope of the governmental body's policy-making duties. (Iowa Code section 21.2)

A governmental body "meeting" does not include a purely ministerial or social gathering at which there is no discussion of policy or intent to avoid the Open Meetings Law, even if a quorum is present.

3. Retreats and Work Sessions Public bodies occasionally schedule retreats or "work sessions" separate from regularly-scheduled meetings in order to discuss policy issues or examine new ideas. These events can help a public body to focus its mission. But retreats and work sessions are covered by Iowa's Open Meetings Law and cannot be held in private unless grounds exist to close the session.

But What If We Don’t Vote? Discussions of policy issues -- even when no votes are taken -- are covered by the Open Meetings Law. A key purpose of Iowa's Open Meetings Law is to open the deliberative process to the public as well as votes. A meeting is covered if a quorum of the public body deliberates on matters within the scope of the body's policy-making duties.

4. Electronic Meetings Government bodies may conduct meetings electronically -- by telephone or video-conference, for example – only when an in-person meeting is impossible or impractical. However, using technology to conduct a meeting does not alter the public's basic right of access to observe or listen to a public meeting. The public must have access to all conversations held in open session during the electronic meeting.

5. Agendas Here are some basic principles for tentative agendas for public meetings: Tentative agendas must be posted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, except in case of a bona fide emergency. Tentative agendas must be provided to news media who have filed a request for notice. Agendas must provide notice sufficient to inform the public of the specific actions to be taken and matters to be discussed at the meeting. Posted agendas are “tentative” and can be changed if circumstances require.

6. Voting At Meetings Citizens who attend public meetings need to be able to identify which members voted, and how they voted. Secret ballots are prohibited. The vote of each member must always be cast in public. Roll call votes are required (Iowa Code section 21.5(2)) to go into closed session.

7. Quorum Required Iowa law requires a "quorum" to be present before official action can be taken by a governmental body, such as a board, commission or council. A "quorum" is the number of members entitled to vote who must be present in order for business to be transacted legally. The number is set by law, but different public bodies have different quorum requirements. For boards of supervisors a quorum is a majority of the entire board. (See Iowa Code section 331.302(13)).

8. Closed Sessions Here are basic principles regarding closed sessions: It is not just the board that is allowed to be present. For instance, government bodies may meet privately with legal counsel to discuss litigation that is pending. The public may not be asked to leave an open session. Iowa's Open Meetings Law does not allow public officials to simply ask members of the public to step outside during an open session.

9. Closing A Meeting Here are the steps government bodies must take for a meeting to be closed: Check the statute. Open meetings only can be closed for 11 specific reasons set out in the law, such as discussion of pending litigation or certain personnel issues. If none of the law's reasons apply, the session may not be closed. Announce the reason. The governmental body must publicly announce the reason for closing the meeting and record the reason in the minutes.

9. Closing A Meeting continued Take a vote. Closing requires an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members, or if not all members are present, the affirmative vote of all members present. Here is what that looks like: Total on Board 5 5 5 3 3 Members Present Votes Needed to Close 5 4 3 3 2 4 4 3 2 2

9. Closing A Meeting continued Keep records. The governmental body must keep detailed minutes and must tape-record the closed session. The minutes and tape are sealed and only can be opened under a court order. Stay on topic. A closed session is authorized only to the extent necessary for the reason cited. There must not be discussion of other matters. Return to open session for final action. Final action only can be taken in open session. For any final decision, a motion and vote must be done in open session.

10. Emergency Meetings This basic rule is that 24-hour notice is required. Government bodies must give the time, date, place and tentative agenda of each meeting at least 24 hours in advance. Less notice may be given only if, for good cause, 24-hour notice is “impossible or impractical.” The government body needs to put in the minutes why 24 hour notice was not possible.

11. Minutes Minutes of an open session shall always include: The date, time and place of a meeting, and which members were present. Actions taken - with sufficient information to reflect the members' votes. Nothing in the Open Meetings Law requires publishing minutes of the meeting. Minutes have to be taken, and available to the public, but not published. Another statute may require that they be published, like Iowa Code section 349.16 for boards of supervisor minutes.

12. Citizen Input Under Iowa's Open Meetings Law, citizens have the legal right to attend, observe, listen, use cameras, and use recording devices at open sessions of all meetings conducted by a governmental body. On the other hand, the Open Meetings law does not give citizens a right to speak. Although the Open Meetings Law does not entitle citizens to speak at a meeting, citizens may request the opportunity to address the body at a meeting.

13. Penalties For Violations The penalties for violating the Open Meetings Law include the following: Monetary damages of 100 - 500 assessed against individual board members. Attorney fees and court costs awarded to citizens and paid by individual board members. If an open meetings action is brought within six months, the court can void any action taken at an illegal meeting. Upon a third violation where money damages were assessed in a given term, a member of a governmental body is automatically removed from office.

Defenses to Open Meetings lawsuits include: 1) voting against going into closed session; 2) acting on advice of legal counsel; and 3) acting in good faith and having a good reason to believe that the action taken was legal.

Helpful Resources FOIA Handbook – FOI Council [email protected] “Sunshine Advisories” – AG’s Office www.state.ia.us/government/ag/ State Ombudsman’s Office [email protected]