STAR BOARD OMA Advisory Opinion

On February 9, 2023, the Office of Open Government (“OOG”) received an Open Meetings Act (“OMA”)  complaint, #OOG-2023-0012-M (“Complaint”), that alleged the Stabilization & Reform Board of Commissioners’ (“STAR Board”) upcoming public body meeting, scheduled for February 13, 2023, violated the OMA. The Director of Open Government issued an Advisory Opinion on March 21, 2023, resolving the Complaint, which alleged the STAR Board’s justification for entering a closed meeting was improper based on the agenda. The Complaint alleged the scheduled closed meeting was not to train and develop public body members and staff, but was a policy briefing and discussion.  After OOG concluded an investigation, the Director found that the STAR Board cited the proper justification for entering a closed session of a meeting to train and develop public body members and staff on its February 13, 2023, agenda -  the use of the OMA citation to enter a closed session of a meeting to train and develop public body members and staff was the correct citation to justify entering the closed session.  The Director also found that the STAR Board violated the "Notice of Meetings" provision of the OMA by depriving the public of meaningful notice when it delayed the start of the meeting for approximately an hour awaiting a quorum to transact official business.