Pre-arranged telephone conference call among members of a local school board, during which matters proper for an executive or closed session are discussed which are, is not a meeting under FOIA and does not violate the statutory requirement of prior notice to the public.
Discussion of the hiring, firing, resignation, retention, salary and money paid to the city attorney, elected by the city council, may be held in executive session under the personnel exemption.
Mere presence of three members of a county board of supervisors on a private board of trustees does not convert a the board of trustees into a public body that needs to follow FOIA.
Discussion about filling one deputy superindent's position and eliminating another may be held under the personnel exemption; however, discussion about general office reorganization is not a proper topic for the personnel exemption.
Cocktail parties attended by members of a public body, like other social functions, are not meetings for purposes of FOIA, provided that they are not held with the intention of conducting business and business does not take place.
Discussion about the desirability of creating a deferred payment plan for hooking up to the city sewer line is not proper subject for closed meeting under the legal matters exemption.Reading a prepared statement to close a meeting does not meet the FOIA requirement that a motion to go into a closed meeting must be adopted.
Body may meet in executive session at irregular time and place as long as members of the body waive notice and as long as the pass a motion in open session to go into executive session.
Closed Meetings; 2.1-344(b): When Only Two Items on Agenda are Legal
Matters, Motion to Confer Privately With Counsel is Valid Under Code sec. 2.1-344(a)(6) Although
Whether Both Items or Particular Item Will be Considered is Not Indicated
As long as no more than two members from any one local governing body particpate in a joint conference with other governing bodies to discuss regional issues, the joint meetings need not comply with FOIA.
Legislatively created political subdivision may discuss bond financing and acquisition of property to be developed and sold for the subdivision. The subdivsion cannot, however, meet in executive session to discuss industrial revenue bond financing of privately owned property for private commercial or industrial purposes.
Just because a contract is a legal document, a redevelopment authority cannot use the legal matters exemption to justify closing a meeting to discusses changes to the contract.
Public body may use real estate exemption to discuss relocation of an arts center onto now-privately owned land. Public body cannot meet in closed session to discuss garbage collection, drainage problems, or the use of a private company for city-owned auto repairs. Legal matters exemption applies to discussion of prosecuting owners of adult entertainment establishments.
Public body may not use the real estate exemption to hold an executive meeting to discuss potential health hazards or government asbestos ratings of publicly owned buildings.
Virginia Beach City Council may meet behind closed doors to discuss selection of the city's mayor, but election to a new mayor must wait until an open meeting.
