Chapel Hill Technology Advisory Committee

[Terri Buckner <tbuckner AT ibiblio.org>]

For some reason, a message from Steve Irving to the list was bounced by 
the server. I'm copying it here and providing the reference he requests.

Terri,

During Tuesday’s meeting I asked a question regarding the number of 
members of a committee or subcommittee required to be present (or 
otherwise participating) to constitute an official meeting. You 
responded quite authoritatively that the threshhold is two members.

I’d like to understand this issue more fully and was wondering if you 
can provide a reference to your source for this information.

Thanks,

Steve

***********************

Steve, Based on further reading since Tuesday's meeting, I was wrong. I 
was confusing the definition of a 'public body' with a 'meeting.' It 
takes only 2 people to constitute a public body. It takes a majority of 
the public body "deliberating" to constitute a meeting. To deliberate 
was explained by the AG's office as:

"to examine, weigh, and reflect upon the reasons for or against a 
possible decision, if a board receives a briefing regarding an item that 
amounts to deliberating as well because it connotes not only a 
collective discussion but also a collective acquiring of information on 
the basis of which it will later act."

He further wrote: "It is ok to use the listserv to send materials. For 
example sharing a news article or materials that will be used during the 
official meeting. If the materials that are being sent are in the form 
of a briefing, that is if it going to be used a part of the 
"deliberative" or "substantive" discussion, then the body should convene 
an official meeting to receive that briefing."

The full transcript of that discussion is posted at:
http://localecology.blogspot.com/2005/07/open-meetings-questions-and-answers.html

Terri