It is always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to public meetings. If you aren’t sure what qualifies as needing to be a public meeting, either seek legal counsel prior to the meeting or have it be a public meeting. Transparency should be the main objective.
Know the difference between a public hearing and a public meeting. While both will be held in public the noticing changes dramatically on most items when a public hearing is involved.
Know what portions of the meetings should be closed to the public. While there is the occasional need for a closed meeting, if you find that your jurisdiction is holding closed meetings more frequently than open ones, there might be a larger problem.
§52-4-104 of Utah State Code requires the presiding officer of a public body to ensure that members of the public body are provided with annual training on the requirements of OPMA. If your jurisdiction hasn’t had a training session in awhile, contact CiviclinQ today.
