__Suppose I am unable to attend an open meeting and want to find out what happened. What can I do?

You can obtain a copy of the meeting memoranda. The ODL requires the following memoranda to be kept:

•   date, time, and place of the meeting;
•   the members of the governing body recorded as either present or absent;
•   the general substance of all matters proposed, discussed, or decided; and
•   a  record of  all  votes taken, by  individual members, if there is a roll call.

The memoranda are to be available within a reasonable period of time after the meeting for the purpose of informing the public of the governing body’s proceedings.

Must  a  governing  body  keep  minutes  of  its meetings?

There  is  no  requirement  in  the  ODL  for  a public agency to keep minutes of its meeting. Minutes of a meeting, if any, are to be open for public inspection and copying. A public agency may not deny access to minutes of a meeting simply because they are still in “draft” form or have not yet been approved. Such records are disclosable public records under the APRA.

What if errors occur in the minutes of an open meeting?

The governing body may correct minutes of its meetings  and  make  corrections  to  the  record where  errors  have  occurred  in  properly recording the minutes. Modifications and amendments may be made to entries of minutes.