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Reference: (1) "PAC Handbook on Indiana's Public Access Laws" (Rev. April 2008); (2) htto://www.in.nov/oortal/faos.htm - Category/Sub: Legal/Correction - Office of Public Access Counselor (Accessed 05/15/2009) meeting?'What is a www.inxiov/pac� "A meeting is defined as a gathering of a majority of a governing body of a public agency for purposes of taking official action upon public business. Not all meetings held by the government are subject to the Open Door Law. A governing body most often is a board or commission, like the local school board or county commissioners, to name two'examples. Meetings involving staff members of public agencies are not generally required to be open to the public. For more information about what constitutes a governing body, see pages 6-7 of the Handbook on Indiana's Public Access Laws at www.in.cov/oac." -.;➢t... .N... �.,.€.« :::Y iwj;:r;i4•.«f ns �.,iF€�i �: h.'.,y ;v rccTA'i`�er•. :: i':�a_ _ _ v'^�fii:rmi i'€; 1Nha# iS ° :.S rI I,ttllei ting tN u'Haniibotik.ori Infthgs PublicAdes's` iinrs °aev."ARril, bfl8� Page''8 "A serial meeting is a series of small meetings held by a governing body in an attempt to avoid the requirements of the ODL. To address this, the General Assembly amended the ODL in 2007 to prohibit a serial meeting. By definition the serial meeting law can only be violated by governing bodies of six or more individuals. A serial meeting occurs when members of a governing body participate in a series of at least two meetings and all of the following conditions are met: • One gathering is attended by at least three members but less than a quorum; • The other gatherings include at least two members of the governing body; • The sum of different members participating at least equals a quorum; • The gatherings concern the same subject matter and are held within a period of seven days; and • The gatherings are held to take official action on public business. For purposes of the serial meeting section, a member of the governing body attends by being present in person or by telephonic or other electronic means, excluding email." 11,11 ill 111-13 111-0 1 « - r - • 1. «- . «- « - • ••• .. .It depends on how the committee was appointed. If the committee was appointed directly by a governing body or the governing body's presiding officer, or if the committee was created buy ordinance, statute or executive order, the committee must post notice of its meetings and meet in public." •• • --Ti VA iT• r • • -• • • • «• •. "Yes, but only under specific circumstances. A governing body may hold an executive session if the meeting is held for one of the instances specifically listed in I.C.- §5-14-1.5-6.1(b)" "Generally, no. The Open Door Law requires only that notice be posted at the regular business offices of the public agency or at the meeting place. In addition, the public agency is required to send the notice to the media who request it. Other laws may require that for hearings of the governing body, notice be published in the newspaper, but the Open Door Law does not require publication of the notice in the newspaper." "A public agency must post notice stating the date, time and place of the meeting at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting. The 48 hours does not include Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays." Compiled by Timothy S. Klusczinski - President, Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend & St. Joseph County, IN Page 1 of 1 5/18/2009