Open Meeting Law Presentation

City of Chandler — Regular Meeting (2022-09-13)

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f ® CHANDLER
MS arizona

Community of Innovation

Mayor's Youth
Advisory
Commission
Member Training

Presented By:
Kelly Schwab,
City Attorney

Victoria Roedig,
City Records Management Coordinator

What do we have to do to have
a legal meeting?

Open Meeting Law

A.R.S. 38-431 et. seq.

* Arizona is the sunshine state which
means the public's business must be
done in public

* Quorum must be present for a meeting ! © isonet oe

¢ 24 hours notice except for an actual
emergency

Whatisa
Meeting?

A meeting occurs ANY TIME a
quorum of the public body
discusses, proposes, or takes
legal action.

Can be a in-person meeting or
an electronic meeting.

How Do We Have a Legal Meeting?

Post an agenda in the official posting places and website at least 24
hours in advance.

Agenda MUST include:
- Date, time and place
- Description of matters to be
discussed or decided (or where
an agenda can be obtained)

Agenda MAY include:
* Unscheduled public
appearances
* Report on current events from
chair members and staff person
in charge

Unscheduled Public Appearances

* Citizens may only address the public body on issues in its jurisdiction

* No discussion

* Members of the public body may respond to criticism, ask staff to
review a matter, or request a future agenda item

When Can a Public Body Meet in Private?

Executive Sessions - A.R.S. 38-431.03

rn We

Employment, discipline Obtain legal advice Contract Discussion
or resignation of public negotiations or regarding security
officer, appointee or litigation and critical
employee infrastructure
Gn TI
Negotiations for Discuss records Employee
purchase, sale or exempt by law from organization

lease of real property public inspection negotiations

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eeting epi tfalls”

: Z 2 a 245 rae eS >
Serial meeting—a series of i Gal ape

eae Gh a Attending other meetings

gatherings of less than a quorum ;
: we » Ta, * “En y, “ow

Not providing sufficient detail
on an agenda

Discuss and/or take action on
items not ted on agenda

-
«

Careful use of emails.

DO NOT:

* Send an e-mail to a quorum of the public
body proposing legal action

» Engage in an e-mail exchange of facts
and/or opinions if it is foreseeable that the
topic may come before the Commission for
action

* Forward or respond to e-mails involving a
majority of the Commission — be careful of
chain e-mails

* REMEMBER DO NOT REPLY ALL!

- ¢€

Social Media and Social Events

Members of public bodies should not post or comment on each other's website or
municipal websites where those comments could be interpreted as proposing legal action
or discussion or deliberation/decisions on City issues. These types of postings would
violate the Open Meeting Law because they would be “meetings”.

It is NOT a violation of the Open Meeting Law when there is a gathering of a quorum of the
public body, i.e., a wedding, but DO NOT talk about City business.

Conflict of

Interest

How Do You Know if You Have a
Conflict of Interest?

Pecuniary Interest—will you
gain or lose something of
value from your decision?

If so, is your pecuniary
interest remote or
substantial?

If it is substantial, then you
have a conflict!

How Do You Know if You Have a
Conflict of Interest?

Common Remote Interests A.R.S. 38-502(10)

¢ The interest of a non-salaried officer of a non-profit corporation

¢ The interest of an attorney of a contracting party

¢ The ownership of less than three percent of the shares of a corporation for
profit

- The interest of a public officer or employee in being reimbursed for his actual
and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duty

¢ The interest of a recipient of public services generally provided by the City

* The interest of a member of a trade, business, occupation, profession or class
of persons consisting of at least ten members which is no greater than the
interest of the other members of the trade, business, occupation or
profession or class of persons

What To Do if You Have a
Conflict of Interest?

(Ze 2

_ Fillouta No discussion or Make conflict Avoid any
disclosure form action known appearance of
influence

Public Records

Whatisa
Record?

* Evidence of the organization and all
of its decisions, procedures,
functions, and operations

* Made or received by any
governmental agency

* Informational or historical data

¢ Any medium or format

What is nota
Record?

¢ Library or museum material solely
for reference or exhibition

¢ Extra copies for convenience or
reference

« Stocks of publications for sale or
distribution

Who Has to Comply with Public
Records Laws?

Boards and Commissions, Employees of Public
including Subcommittees Officers and Public Bodies

City Council

Boards and Commissions Records

Member Records
* Applications to Serve
* Oaths of Office
* Policy Acknowledgements

Meeting Records
- Agendas
* Supporting Documentation for
Items
¢ Minutes
- Meeting Audio/Video Recordings
* Speaker and Comment Cards

Email is a Public Record

It is important to understand that
electronic communications are public
record and may be provided in
response to a public records request
or a subpoena.

Records are categorized by their
content and not the format or medium
in which they are created.

Questions?