Chair reviews Open Public Meeting Act: what can and cannot be handled in closed sessions

The Meadow Town Council held its annual training on the Open Public Meeting Act, with the chair outlining when the council may meet in closed session and warning that final decisions must be taken in public.

The chair said closed meetings may be appropriate to discuss security devices or systems, vulnerabilities in water or power infrastructure, or investigative procedures related to alleged criminal misconduct. "If we had weaknesses in our water or power systems and we needed to talk about how we're gonna ramp up the security on that, that could be pieces of that could be a closed meeting," the chair said.

Why it matters: The chair repeatedly emphasized that substantive final actions cannot occur behind closed doors. "We cannot, in a closed meeting, we cannot approve an ordinance, a resolution, a rule, a regulation, a contract, or an appointment," the chair said, adding that such votes must be "open and on the record." The chair warned that a court could void decisions that violate the Open Public Meeting Act, and that affected individuals have a limited window to file complaints.

The training also addressed meeting conduct and enforcement. The chair explained the act allows removal of people who willfully disrupt a meeting to the extent orderly conduct is compromised and noted the sheriff's office could be called to assist. The chair gave a past example of filling a vacant elected position—naming Jim Bextran—as a matter that occurred in an open forum to underscore the public nature of certain personnel decisions.

The council concluded that annual training helps ensure compliance and transparency. The chair encouraged members to ask questions and to contact the town attorney or the attorney general's office if there are concerns about meeting legality.

The council did not take any binding policy votes during the training portion of the meeting.