Open Meetings Act Policy
Purpose:
The Gadsden Independent School District (GISD) will conduct meetings open to
the public.
Participants:
The School Board
Process:
WHEREAS, the Gadsden School Board met in
regular session at Gadsden Administration Office on May 13, 2004 at 5:00 p.m. as required
per law;
WHEREAS, Section 10- 15- 1 (B) of the Open
Meetings Act (NMSA 1978, Sections 10- 15-1 to -4) states that, except as may
be otherwise provided in the Constitution or the provisions of the Open
Meetings Act, all meetings of a quorum of members of any board, council,
commission, administrative adjudicatory body or other policymaking body of
any state or local public agency held for the purpose of formulating public
policy, discussing public business or for the purpose of taking any action
within the authority of or the delegated authority of such body, are declared
to be public meetings open to the public at all times; and
WHEREAS, any meetings subject to the Open
Meetings Act at which the discussion or adoption of any proposed resolution,
rule, regulation or formal action occurs will be held only after reasonable
notice to the public; and
WHEREAS, Section 10- 15-1 (D) of the Open
Meetings Act requires the Board to determine annually what constitutes
reasonable notice of its public meetings;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the
Board that:
- All meetings will be held at the location and on the date as
publicized annually or as specified on the agenda at 5:00 p.m. or as indicated in the meeting notice. The
Gadsden School Board will officially transact all business at a legal
meeting of the board. The president will start all meeting promptly at
the appointed hour. Regular meetings will not
exceed three hours except by majority vote of the board. The
board will hold various types of meetings.
- Unless otherwise specified, regular meetings will be held each month
on the second and fourth Thursdays. The agenda will be available at
least twenty-four hours prior to the meeting in the Superintendent's
office, whose office is located on 100 Laura Ct. in Sunland Park, New Mexico. Notice of any other regular meetings will be
given ten (10) days in advance of the meeting date. The notice will
indicate how a copy of the agenda may be obtained.
- Special meetings may be called by the President or a majority of
the members upon three (3) days notice. The notice will include an
agenda for the meeting or information on how members of the public may
obtain a copy of the agenda. The agenda will be available to the public
at least twenty-four hours before any special meeting.
- Emergency meetings will be called only under unforeseen
circumstances, which demand immediate action to protect the health,
safety and property of citizens or to protect the public body from
substantial financial loss. The board will avoid emergency meetings
whenever possible. Emergency meetings may be called by the President or
a majority of the members upon twenty-four (24) hours' notice, unless threat of personal injury of property damage require
less notice. The notice for all emergency meetings will include an
agenda for the meeting or information on how the public may obtain a
copy of the agenda.
- For the purposes of regular
meetings described in paragraph 2 of this resolution, notice
requirements are met if notice of the date, time, place and agenda is
placed in newspapers of general circulation in the state and posted
in the following locations: all Gadsden Schools and in post offices
throughout the district and at the Superintendent's office. The
Superintendent's Administrative
Assistant will
transmit copies of the written notice to those broadcast stations
licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and newspapers of
general circulation that have made a written request for notice of
public meetings. The agenda and Board meeting information are
available through the website www.gisd.k12.nm.us to anyone that wishes to
access it.
- For the purposes of special meetings and emergency meetings
described in paragraph 3 and 4 of this resolution, notice requirements
will be met by posting notice of the date, time, place and agenda in
Central Administration Office. The Superintendent's Administrative Assistant will transmit copies
of the written notice to those broadcast stations licensed by the
Federal Communications Commission and newspapers of general circulation
that have made a written request for notice of public meetings.
- In addition to the information specified
above, all notices will include the following language:
If you are an individual with a
disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language
interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or
participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the Superintendent's Administrative Assistant at 882-6203 at least one
week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents, including
the agenda and minutes can be provided in various accessible formats. Please
contact the Superintendent's Administrative Assistant
at 882-6203 if a summary of other type of accessible format is needed.
- The School Board President may close a meeting
to the public only if the subject matter of such discussion or action is
exempted from the open meeting requirement under Section 10-15-1(H) of
the Open Meetings Act.
- If any meeting is closed during an open meeting,
such closure will be approved by a majority vote of a quorum of the
Board taken during the open meeting. The authority for the closure and
the subjects to be discussed will be stated with reasonable specificity
in the motion for closure and the vote on closure of each individual
member will be recorded in the minutes. Only those subjects specified
in the motion may be discussed in a closed meeting.
- If the decision to hold a closed meeting is
made when the Board is not in an open meeting, the closed meeting will
not be held until public notice, appropriate under the circumstances,
stating the specific provision of law authorizing the closed meeting
and the subjects to be discussed with reasonable specificity is given
to the members and to the general public.
- Following completion of any closed meeting,
the minutes of the open meeting that was closed, or the minutes of the
next open meeting if the closed meeting was separately scheduled, will
state whether the matters discussed in the closed meeting were limited
only to those specified in the motion or notice for closure.
- Except as provided in Section 10-
15-1 (H) of the Open
Meetings Act, any action taken as a result of discussion in a closed
meeting will be made by vote of the Board in an open public meeting.
Timeline:
On going throughout the school year.
- Section 10- 15- 1 (B) of the Open Meetings Act
(NMSA 1978, Sections 10- 15-1 to -4)
Replaces Policy BDDD,
BDDE, BDDH
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