Sunshine Advisories: Open Meetings Index

Advisory Bodies and Committees

• When Can Committees Gather in Private? Decision-Making Authority is a Key!

  If the Open Meetings Law applies, committees cannot gather to deliberate or act in private, unless there are grounds to close a session.

• Are Advisory Bodies Subject to Iowa's Open Meetings Law?

  Government officials and members of the public alike often wonder: Is an advisory body subject to Iowa's Open Meetings Law if it has no decision-making authority?

Agendas and Advance Notice

• Advance Agendas for Public Meetings

  Basic principles for advance agendas for public meetings.

• Notice for Meetings of Governmental Bodies: What if more than one law requires notice?

  A basic tenet of Iowa’s Open Meetings Law is that a governmental body must provide advance notice of the time, date and place of each meeting, plus a tentative agenda.

• Handling New Ideas at Public Meetings

  What if a new idea comes up in the course of discussion while the meeting is underway? How much room does the law allow for expanded discussion when a tentative agenda has been issued?

• Agendas for Meetings -- Stamp it, Mail it!

  Are public officials required to mail agendas in advance of meetings? Who pays for copies and postage?

Closed Sessions

• Closed Sessions for Governmental Bodies

  Iowa's Open Meetings Law allows governmental bodies to hold discussions in closed session, but only for purposes narrowly defined by the law.

• Are Closed Sessions Confidential?

  Iowa's Open Meetings Law defines limited grounds for government bodies to hold closed sessions of government meetings.

• Closed-Session Agendas: Is an agenda required for a closed session?

  Iowa law does not exempt a governmental body from agenda requirements for closed sessions.

• Closed Sessions: Who's Left Inside When the Doors Close?

  Government bodies often conduct open meetings that include a closed session. Closed sessions are lawful, but just who is allowed to remain when the doors close?

• Recording What Goes on Behind Closed Doors

  It is very serious business when a governmental body goes into closed session and asks the public to leave. The body must vote to close the meeting and only can do so for certain reasons.

• Closed Governmental Meetings: Know the Nuts and Bolts for Closed Sessions

  Here are steps government bodies must take for a meeting to be closed.

Education on Sunshine Laws

• Open Meetings? Public Records?

  People who are appointed or elected to public office assume a big responsibility to act in accordance with Iowa laws governing open meetings and public records.

Electronic Meetings

• Can One Member of a Governmental Body Participate in a Meeting Electronically?

  Iowa's Open Meetings Law allows for individual electronic participation.

• Public Access to Electronic Meetings

  Iowa law requires access to meetings by telephone or fiber optics.

Emergency Meetings

• Emergency Meetings: Can Good Cause Justify Less Notice?

  What if a government body has to conduct an emergency meeting and doesn't have time for the normal 24-hour advance public notice?

Hearings

• Can governmental bodies hold hearings in closed session?

  Yes, sometimes - - but only if expressly authorized by statute.

Meeting after the Meeting

• Is There a Meeting After the Meeting?

  Are there notice requirements for subcommittees of public bodies?

Minutes

• Minutes of Public Meetings

  Accurate minutes of public meetings are a key tool for conducting the public's business in an open and accountable fashion.

Non-Profit Gaming

• The Open Meetings Law Applies to Nonprofits Licensed to Conduct Pari-Mutuel Wagering or Gambling

  The Open Meetings Law applies to "governmental" bodies as defined by statute.

Personnel Matters

• Handling Government Personnel Matters

  Can governmental bodies close a session to discuss hiring, performance evaluations, or discipline?

Public Access to Open Meetings

• Lights! Camera! Action!

  Did you know that any member of the public has the right to take photographs or make tape recordings at any open session of a governmental meeting?

Quorum and Voting

• "All in Favor, Say Aye..."

  When governmental bodies meet, final action on any issue always must be taken in open session.

• Counting Heads at a Public Meeting: How Many Officials are Needed for a Quorum?

  A "quorum" is the number of members entitled to vote who must be present in order for business to be transacted legally.

Real Estate Negotiations

• Can Public Bodies Negotiate in Private for the Purchase of Real Estate?

  Public bodies subject to Iowa's Open Meetings law must fully disclose to the public how they spend public funds to purchase real estate, but, for a brief period of time, they may keep some negotiations private -- under very limited circumstances.

Remedies and Enforcement

• Can Members of the Public Sue to Enforce Iowa's Sunshine Laws?

  Yes -- the law arms the public with remedies.

• Two Strikes and You're Out!

  Courts can remove public officials from office on the second violation of sunshine laws.

• "But My Lawyer Said This Was Legal!"

  Can legal advice shield sunshine violators?

• What is the Cost for Noncompliance?

  Monetary costs for violating Iowa's sunshine laws can be imposed on individual officials or can drain the budget of a governmental body.

Retreats and Working Sessions

• Retreats and "Working Sessions" are Open Meetings

  Public bodies occasionally schedule retreats or "working sessions" separate from regularly-scheduled meetings in order to discuss policy issues or examine new ideas.

Rules of Conduct

• Rules of Conduct for Open Meetings: Tips to Strengthen Citizen Participation

  Here are some tips on how citizens and public bodies can work together to keep citizens informed about government business, and help them communicate effectively with public officials.

What is an Open Meeting?

• When is a Gathering an Open Meeting?

  How does Iowa law define an "open meeting?"