Recent News

May 4, 2006

What is an open meeting?

Do you have the responsibility of serving on a school board or other board? Do you serve on city council, a board of trustees, or as a county commissioner? If the answer is yes, you need to be aware of the Public Records Act and the Open Meetings Act which greatly impact policies of such boards and entities.

Lisa Wu Fate of Auditor of State Betty Montgomery’s Open Government Unit and John C. Greiner of Graydon Head & Ritchey will be on hand May 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. to provide an overview of the laws, a discussion of the highlights of recent decisions and a preview to pending legislation on Public Records Act and Open Meetings Act.

Government and media attorneys; municipal counsel such as city solicitors and law directors; and attorneys who deal with the media in their field of practice will find the information presented crucial. What is public domain? What is not?

Fate will discuss the basic responsibilities of a public office and exemptions to disclosure under the Public Records Act in addition to providing the definition to what constitutes an open meeting, notice requirements and permissible reasons for a public body to adjourn into executive session with no repercussions.

Greiner will provide a broad overview of the law for both acts, emphasizing particularly hot topics such as resumes, home addresses and photos of police officers. He will also answer the questions such as: Can public bodies convene e-mail meetings? What is the consequence of non-compliance with the Public Records Act or Open Meetings Act? What is happening in the Ohio legislature regarding these laws?

Register online at www.cbalaw.org or phone 614/221.4112. The cost is $85 prepaid/$95 day of for members, $115 prepaid/$125 day of for non-members and $55 prepaid/$65 day of for paralegals.