1400-P – Meeting Conduct, Order of Business, and Quorum Procedures
Participation via Telecommunication
A Board member’s legitimate inability to physically attend a Board meeting will not preclude the member’s participation in regular Board meetings, if it is anticipated such participation would be necessary in order to assure for a quorum of the Board. In these situations, participation via telecommunication devices will be allowed. The chair will assure all participants can hear each other throughout discussion and verify the vote(s) of any Board Member(s) participating via telecommunications.
Open Meetings
The NWESD 189 must advertise all meetings, including study sessions and retreats, as meetings that are open to the public. If the Board wishes to devote all or most of a special meeting to an issue(s) to be discussed in executive session (policy 1410), the special meeting should be called to order and recessed to an executive session. The purpose of the executive session should be announced at the meeting and recorded in the minutes (e.g., real estate matters, litigation).
All regular meetings must be held within the NWESD 189 boundaries. Special meeting may be held outside the NWESD 189 with proper notice of the time and location.
It is unlawful for any member of the public to knowingly carry onto, or to possess on, any area of a facility being used for official NWESD 189 board meetings, a dangerous weapon, including but not limited to a firearm, “nun-chu-ka sticks,” “throwing stars,” air gun or pistol, stun gun, or other dangerous weapon as listed in RCW 9.41.280. The board must ensure that signs providing notice of the restrictions on possession of firearms and other weapons are posted at facilities being used for official meetings of the board.
Meeting Notices
All public notices of Board meetings should inform persons with disabilities and those individuals who may have difficulty physically attending a board meeting that they may contact the Superintendent’s office, so that the NWESD 189 can arrange for them to participate in Board meetings. A regular meeting does not require a public notice if held at the time and place provided by Board policy. If the Board does not meet at its regular location, the meeting should be treated as a special meeting with proper notice to the press stating the time, place, and purpose of the meeting.
For special meetings, the NWESD 189 is required to notify those newspapers and radio and television stations that have filed a request for such notification. The NWESD 189 must also provide written notice and a printed or electronic copy of the agenda to each Board member twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting. Notice to a member is deemed waived if the member files a written notice of waiver with the Superintendent/Board Secretary before or at the time of the commencement of the meeting or by the member’s actual attendance at the meeting.
The NWESD 189 must also post notice of the meeting on the NWESD 189’s website, the door of the Anacortes office, and the door at the location of the meeting, if it is different.
At a special meeting, the Board may discuss items that were not on the original agenda, but the Board cannot take final action on any topics that were not identified on the original agenda. If the Board is to discuss an item in an executive session in accordance with Policy #1410, the item of business must also appear on the agenda if final action is to be taken following the executive session.
No meeting notice is required when the Board is acting as a quasi-judicial body in a matter between named parties (e.g., hearing on discharge, nonrenewal, or discipline of an employee, unless the employee requests a public meeting; hearing regarding suspension or expulsion of a student, or is planning or adopting strategy or positions to be taken in collective bargaining, or participation in grievance or mediation proceedings, or is reviewing such proposals made by a bargaining unit.
Meeting Recess and Continuation
The Board may recess a regular, special, or recessed meeting to a specific future time. The NWESD 189 must post notice of such a recess and continuation at or near the door of the meeting room. Notification to the press is not required.
Presented to Board: 03/28/01
Revised: 05/26/10
Revised: 08/22/12
Revised: 01/23/19
Revised: 08/22/22
Cross Reference:
Policy 1410
Date Revised: 8/22/22