Introduction
Some organizations are subject to public meeting law requirements. This lesson will outline public meeting law requirements for district coalitions and neighborhood associations.
Public Meetings Law
In 2023, Oregon’s Legislative Assembly passed HB 2805, which gives the Oregon Government Ethics Commission (OGEC) the authority to enforce Oregon’s Public Meetings Law (ORS 192.610 to 192.705)
District Coalitions
- Must follow OR’s Public Meetings Law.
- Functional equivalent of public bodies
- Notice Requirements:
- Publicize meeting dates, times, and locations in advance.
- Ensure notices are accessible to all community members.
- Meeting Accessibility:
- Venues must be accessible to everyone.
- Provide accommodations as needed (e.g., interpreters).
- Open Meetings:
- Keep all sessions open to the public, except legally exempted executive sessions. (ORS 192.610 to 192.690, ONI Standards (administrative rules))
Neighborhood Associations
- NAs are not directly public bodies, but do often perform roles similar to public entities, especially under the Portland’s Office of Community & Civic Life standards. **Update to Administrative Rules**
- ONI Standards:
- Require NAs to adhere to public meeting protocols and to maintain transparency and community trust
- Notice Requirements:
- NAs must provide timely notice of meetings to all members and the public.
- Meeting Accessibility:
- Meetings must be accessible to all community members, including providing accommodations for people with disabilities.
- Open Meetings:
- Meetings should be open to the public except in specific circumstances that warrant executive sessions (e.g., discussing sensitive personal data).