Attorney General's Opinion 1968-69 #261
VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT - Notice of Meeting Required - Publication in newspaper within terms of statute sufficient.
VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT - Notice to Individuals of Meetings - Required to be sent separately upon request of individual concerning a specific meeting.
April 15, 1969
HONORABLE JAMES E. BAYLOR
Secretary, Electoral Board, City of Norfolk
68-69 261
I am in receipt of your letter of April 8, 1969, in which you ask two questions concerning "The Virginia Freedom of Information Act" which is found in Chapter 21, Title 2.1, §§ 2.1-340 through 2.1-346 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended. I will answer each question separately.
(1) "What kind of notice of time and place of meeting is required of a board?"
Answer: "[N]otice of every . . . public hearing shall be published generally in the community not less than ten days prior to such public hearing." Section 2.1-344(a)(7). Publication in a newspaper within the terms of the statute would be satisfactory notice.
(2) "When a citizen requests to be notified of board meetings, is it the obligation of the board to separately notify him indefinitely?"
Answer: No. Under the provisions of § 2.1-343, a citizen who requests information as to time and place of a specific meeting must be sent such information, but there is no obligation for a board to establish a mailing list for every public meeting it holds.