Or. Admin. Code § 199-050-0050

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 11, November 1, 2024

Section 199-050-0050 - Public Attendance; Meeting Locations

(1) All meetings of a governing body, other than executive sessions, shall be open to the public.

(a) Meetings may be held at locations as specified in ORS 192.630(4);

(b) Meeting locations shall be accessible to persons with disabilities as specified in ORS 192.630(5); and

(c) Meetings may not be held at discriminatory locations as provided in ORS 192.630(3).

(2) For meetings held by telephone or other electronic means of communication, the governing body shall make available a place or an electronic means by which the public can listen to or view the meetings in real time. The place provided may be a place where no member of the governing body of the public body is present.

(3) The governing body shall, to the extent reasonably possible, provide members of the general public an opportunity to access and attend meetings, excluding executive sessions, by telephone, video or other electronic or virtual means.

(4) For executive sessions where the media are statutorily authorized to be present, if any person, including any member of the governing body, is attending the executive session by telephone, video, or other electronic means, the governing body shall provide members of the media the same attendance option. Nothing in this subsection prevents the governing body from establishing reasonable security measures to ensure the media's attendance by telephone, video, or other electronic means is conducted through a secure connection or method.

(5) When public testimony is permitted, the governing body shall:

(a) Allow oral testimony by telephone, video, or other electronic or virtual means if in-person oral testimony is allowed; and

(b) Allow written testimony, including that submitted by electronic mail or other electronic means, if in-person written testimony is permitted. The governing body may require the written testimony be submitted sufficiently in advance of the meeting so that the governing body is able to consider the submitted testimony in a timely manner.

(6) The Public Meetings Law does not provide the public the right to participate or to provide public testimony or public comment. In the absence of a statutory or other legal requirement to hear public testimony or comment on certain matters, a governing body may conduct a meeting without any public participation.

(7) Unless otherwise provided by statute, charter, or other organic law of the governing body or public body, the presiding officer has inherent authority to keep order and to impose any reasonable restrictions necessary for the efficient and orderly conduct of a meeting. If public participation is to be a part of the meeting, the presiding officer may regulate the order and length of appearances and limit appearances to presentations of relevant points.

Or. Admin. Code § 199-050-0050

GEC 1-2024, adopt filed 09/24/2024, effective 10/1/2024

Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 244.290

Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 192.620, ORS 192.660, ORS 192.630, ORS 192.670, ORS 192.672 & ORS 192.685