Ask Joe Eisner: See Joe’s Answers to Four Common Questions
Q: To discuss a personnel matter a library board held a properly convened executive session which two board members were unable to attend. Is it appropriate to disclose to them what was discussed in executive session?
A: Yes. To maintain good relationships as well as to keep the entire Board informed regarding business at hand, unless there is some sort of schism on the Board, it would be good practice to let the two members who were not in attendance know what the gist of the discussion was at the executive session they missed. This would be particularly important if no formal vote was taken in executive session and thus no written record was required. In accordance with the provisions of the Open Meetings Law, the minutes of an executive session need only be recorded if a formal vote took place. Otherwise, minutes of such a session need only indicate the time and date of the session, the statement “No formal action was taken”, and the time of adjournment.
