Open Meeting Law Changes In Effect

Yesterday, the Attorney General's office took over enforcement of Open Meeting Law, which also has new requirements for town boards and officials.

Town Clerk Kathleen Nagle has sent e-mail notices about the changes out to board members and she's also spent some time explaining the rules in person. On Thursday, Helen Robertson, new chair of the Wellesley Historical Commission, was at town hall to ask questions about how to comply with the revised law.

Among the guidelines Nagle sent to officials are:

1.    Postings are required 48 hours prior to meetings, not including Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.

2.    Content of postings to include a list of topics the chair reasonably expects to discuss.

3.    At beginning of meeting announce if a video or audio recording is being made.

4.    Announce specific reasons for executive session to the extent possible.

5.    Minutes of executive session to include roll call votes.

6.    Minutes for all meetings to include summary of discussion as well as actions taken.

7.    Minutes for all meetings to include a list of documents used at the meeting.

8.    Limitation on use of email- use email only fordistribution of agenda, scheduling information or distribution of other procedural meeting or the distribution of reports or documents that may be discussed at a meeting, provided that no opinion of a member is expressed. There should be no serial communications among members that amount to a "deliberation".

9.    Attorney General's Office may permit remote participation – NO REGULATIONS YET

10.  Public Body – includes subcommittees formed for a public purpose (internal staff committees probably do not qualify).

11.  Complaints – initiated at local level within 30 days of violation.

12.  Questions on implementation of Open Meeting Law -Attorney General's Office of Open Government, openmeeting@state.ma.us

Notice of public meetings also must be posted in a spot accessible to the public at all times, near the Town Clerk's office. To be in complete compliance with the revised law, Nagle said the town has ordered a waist-height bulletin board for the postings, which is due at the end of the month. In the meantime, agendas for town meetings will be posted online at the town's website, where town meetings are already posted.