Applicability:
All Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) employees who schedule, facilitate or participate in a public meeting and non-DPSST employees who are appointed or volunteer to participate in any public meeting convened to discuss matters that fall within the statutory authority of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training (Board).
Purpose:
The DPSST, on behalf of the Board, strives to ensure that members of the public and other interested parties are informed of all discussions involving a matter that falls within the statutory authority of the Board. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all DPSST hosted or facilitated meetings deemed to be public meetings under Oregon's Public Meetings Law (OPML) and this policy are facilitated in a manner that complies with the State laws and rules governing public meetings.
Authority:
Director
References:
Oregon Public Meeting Law (ORS 192.610 to ORS 192.990)
Definitions:
Meeting Facilitator: The DPSST employee responsible for facilitating a public meeting and ensuring compliance with OPML and this policy.
Policy Committees: The recommending bodies of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training. The term “Policy Committee" include the Telecommunications, Corrections, Police, Fire and Private Security/Investigator Policy Committees.
Public Meeting: Any meeting consisting of two or more members or participants who are not DPSST staff and who have the authority to make decisions or formulate recommendations directly or indirectly about policies, minimum requirements, standards or rules related to the certification, licensure or training requirements for any of the disciplines that fall within the Board's jurisdiction.
General:
The views expressed by individuals not employed by the DPSST during a public meeting do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the DPSST or its staff.
Each agency Division Director will be responsible for ensuring compliance with Public Meetings Law and this policy for their respective division.
Scheduling:
It is the policy of the DPSST to notice the time, place and topic of discussions for every public meeting at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting, except when exigent circumstances exist. Any notice issued less than 48 hours in advance will contain an explanation of the exigent circumstances.
Meeting facilitators will make every effort to ensure public meetings are held in a space and location conducive to allowing the physical attendance of interested parties. The DPSST reserves the right to establish auxiliary viewing methods or areas to accommodate space or ensure the safety and security of a meeting room.
Requests of accommodations from persons with disabilities or from persons who are deaf or hard of hearing must be made at least 48 hours prior to the start of the meeting.
Recording:
All discussions, deliberations and decisions made during a public meeting will be recorded in accordance with OPML and maintained in accordance with the DPSST Records Retention schedule approved by the Secretary of State.
The written record of all public meetings will be the official record. Written minutes will be made available within a reasonable time and will be provided upon request.
Livestreaming
In an effort to increase transparency and public awareness, meetings of the Board and the Policy Committees will be livestreamed via WebEx to DPSST's Facebook page as technologies allow.
Livestreaming is provided as a courtesy and is not intended to replace the option of physical meeting attendance for the purposes of satisfying OPML. As such, no meeting, discussion or deliberation will be postponed due to an internet outage or other failure resulting in the DPSST's inability to livestream.
The DPSST does not consider comments made via Facebook during or after a livestreamed meeting official public comments. As such, comments will not be monitored or responded to, nor will they become part of the official meeting record.
The livestreaming technology will only be allowed during Board and Policy Committee meetings unless express, explicit exception is made by the Director.
DPSST Staff Roles and Responsibilities:
To ensure compliance with OPML and this policy, staff/positions are assigned the following responsibilities:
The meeting facilitator will be responsible for:
Coordinating and scheduling the meeting date and time.
Creation of the meeting agenda.
The agenda will include the date and time of the meeting, the location of the meeting and teleconference information (if applicable), and all topics and subjects expected to be discussed at the meeting.
Selection and scheduling of the location of the meeting.
The space in which the meeting will be held must consider the probable public attendance and must meet where there is sufficient room for that expected audience.
The location of the meeting must be within the State of Oregon and must be held at a non-discriminatory site accessible by people with disabilities.
When appropriate and available, teleconference will be made available to encourage attendance.
Minutes/Recordkeeping. At a minimum, written minutes must be taken at all public meetings, to include executive sessions. Minutes must include:
Members present;
In meetings requiring official votes or motions, the vote or motion and the results of all votes or motion including how each member voted;
The substance of any discussion on any matter; and
A reference to any document produced for and discussed at the meeting.
The official copy of the meeting minutes will be forwarded to the Director's office within a reasonable time following the conclusion of the meeting.
The Director's Office will be responsible for:
- Issuing notice of the meeting, which will contain the information contained in the agenda created by the meeting facilitator.
- The notice will be sent to the news media via News Flash, as well as all applicable GovDelivery mailing lists and any other individual identified by the meeting facilitator as an interested party.
- Updating the DPSST and Oregon Transparency website as required by 2011 HB 2788.
- Ensuring storage and retention of all public meeting agendas, documents and recordings in accordance with the Secretary of State's Records Retention Schedule.
Meeting Control / Security:
Discussions and deliberations will be conducted by invited meeting participants only. In special circumstances, the chairperson or meeting facilitator may allow non-invited participation, provided individuals adhere to the subject and limit their presentation as requested by the chairperson or meeting facilitator.
Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official meeting business will be asked by the meeting chair or meeting facilitator to stop being disruptive or to leave the meeting.
Individuals who refuse to cease their disruptive behavior or leave the meeting will be trespassed and escorted out of the meeting by a member of the Oregon State Police or the local law enforcement agency for off-site meetings.