Page 6 - Board Member Toolkit

Meetings do not include:
> Individual Contacts: Individual contacts or conversations between a member of
a legislative body and any other person, so long as a serial meeting does not
take place.

> Public Conferences: Conferences that are open to the public; legislative body
cannot discuss local agency business among themselves other than as part of
the scheduled program.

> Community Meetings / Other Agency Meetings: A public community meeting
or local agency meeting called by other persons or agencies; legislative body
cannot discuss local agency business among themselves other than as part of
the scheduled program.

> Social Gatherings: A purely social or ceremonial occasion where no local
agency business is discussed.

> Standing Committees: Legislative body can attend a standing committee
meeting provided that the members of the legislative body who are not
members of the standing committee attend only as observers and do not
participate.

> Staff Meetings: Meetings among staff members, if a majority of the legislative
body members are not present.

Communication on social media by legislative body members is also allowable to
answer questions from the public, provide information to the public, or solicit
information from the public, as long as the social media platform is not used by a
majority of the legislative body to discuss agency business, and no member of the
legislative body responds directly to another member.

Additionally, agency employees and officials can provide information to and answer
questions of legislative body members, provided that the employee or official does
not communicate the comments or position of any other members of the legislative
body.

Types of Meetings
> A regular meeting is the fixed formal meeting of the legislative body. Agendas
must be posted at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting.

> A special meeting may be called at any time either by the presiding officer or a
majority of the legislative body by delivering a written notice to each member and to
each local newspaper of general circulation and radio or television station requesting

Guide to Effective Governance 3