Laserfiche WebLink
<br />OPEN MEETINGS LAW <br /> <br />24-6-401. Declaration of policy. It is declared to be a <br />matter of statewide concern and the policy of this state <br />that the formation of public policy is public business <br />and may not be conducted in secret. <br /> <br />24-6-402. Meetings - open to public. <br />(1) For the purposes of this section: <br />(a) "Local public body" means any board, committee, <br />commission, authority, or other advisory, policy- <br />making, rule-making, or formally constituted body of <br />any political subdivision of the state and any public or <br />private entity to which a political subdivision, or an <br />official thereof, has delegated a governmental decision- <br />making function but does not include persons on the <br />administrative staff of the local public body. <br />(b) "Meeting" means any kind of gathering, convened to <br />discuss public business, in person, by telephone, <br />electronically, or by other means of communication. <br />( c) "Political subdivision of the state" includes, but is <br />not limited to, any county, city, city and county, town, <br />home rule city, home rule county, home rule city and <br />county, school district, special district, local <br />improvement district, special improvement district, or <br />service district. <br />(d) "State public body" means any board, committee, <br />commission, or other advisory, policy-making, rule- <br />making, decision-making, or formally constituted body <br />of any state agency, state authority, governing board of <br />a state institution of higher education including the <br />regents of the university of Colorado, a nonprofit <br />corporation incorporated pursuant to section 23-5-121 <br />(2), C.R.S., or the general assembly, and any public or <br />private entity to which the state, or an official thereof, <br />has delegated a governmental decision-making function <br />but does not include persons on the administrative staff <br />of the state public body. <br />(2) (a) All meetings of two or more members of any <br />state public body at which any public business is <br />discussed or at which any formal action may be taken <br />are declared to be public meetings open to the public at <br />all times. <br />(b) All meetings of a quorum or three or more members <br />of any local public body, whichever is fewer, at which <br />any public business is discussed or at which any formal <br />action may be taken are declared to be public meetings <br />open to the public at all times. <br />(c) Any meetings at which the adoption of any proposed <br />policy, position, resolution, rule, regulation, or formal <br />action occurs or at which a majority or quorum of the <br />body is in attendance, or is expected to be in attendance, <br />shall be held only after full and timely notice to the <br />public. In addition to any other means offull and timely <br />notice, a local public body shall be deemed to have <br />given full and timely notice if the notice of the meeting <br />is posted in a designated public place within the <br />boundaries of the local public body no less than twenty- <br />four hours prior to the holding of the meeting. The <br />public place or places for posting such notice shall be <br /> <br />designated annually at the local public body's first <br />regular meeting of each calendar year. The posting shall <br />include specific agenda information where possible. <br />(d) (1) Minutes of any meeting of a state public body <br />shall be taken and promptly recorded, and such records <br />shall be open to public inspection. The minutes of a <br />meeting during which an executive session authorized <br />under subsection (3) of this section is held shall reflect <br />the topic of the discussion at the executive session. <br />(II) Minutes of any meeting of a local public body at <br />which the adoption of any proposed policy, position, <br />resolution, rule, regulation, or formal action occurs or <br />could occur shall be taken and promptly recorded, and <br />such records shall be open to public inspection. The <br />minutes of a meeting during which an executive session <br />authorized under subsection (4) of this section is held <br />shall reflect the topic of the discussion at the executive <br />seSSIOn. <br />(III) If elected officials use electronic mail to discuss <br />pending legislation or other public business among <br />themselves, the electronic mail shall be subject to the <br />requirements of this section. Electronic mail <br />communication among elected officials that does not <br />relate to pending legislation or other public business <br />shall not be considered a "meeting" within the meaning <br />of this section. <br />(d.S) (1) (A) Discussions that occur in an executive <br />session of a state public body shall be recorded in the <br />same manner and media that the state public body uses <br />to record the minutes of open meetings. If a state public <br />body electronically recorded the minutes of its open <br />meetings on or after August 8,2001, the state public <br />body shall continue to electronically record the minutes <br />of its open meetings that occur on or after August 8, <br />2001; except that electronic recording shall not be <br />required for two successive meetings of the state public <br />body while the regularly used electronic equipment is <br />inoperable. A state public body may satisfy the <br />recording requirements of this sub-subparagraph (A) by <br />making any form of electronic recording of the <br />discussions in an executive session of the state public <br />body. Except as provided in sub-subparagraph (B) of <br />this subparagraph (I), the record of an executive session <br />shall reflect the specific citation to the provision in <br />subsection (3) of this section that authorizes the state <br />public body to meet in an executive session, the actual <br />contents of the discussion during the session, and a <br />signed statement from the chair of the executive session <br />attesting that any written minutes substantially reflect <br />the substance of the discussions during the executive <br />session. For purposes of this sub-subparagraph (A), <br />"actual contents of the discussion" shall not be <br />construed to require the minutes of an executive session <br />to contain a verbatim transcript of the discussion dming <br />said executive session. The provisions of this sub- <br />subparagraph (A) shall not apply to discussions of <br />individual students by a state public body pursuant to <br />paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of this section. <br />(B) If, in the opinion of the attorney who is representing <br />the state public body and is in attendance at the <br /> <br />20 <br />