Frequently Asked Questions

The Open Meeting Law requires 48 hours' notice prior to the meeting, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. For example, a meeting held on a Monday needs to be posted on the Thursday before the meeting.

Each meeting posting must be sent to the Town Clerk's office to be accepted and then posted on the Town's online calendar.

A "quorum" is defined as "a simple majority of the members of the public body, unless otherwise provided in a general or special law, executive order or other authorizing provision."

Thus, when less than a quorum meets (that is not a subcommittee of the public body), it is not considered a "meeting" under the law.

Belmont's boards, committees, and commissions require at least half of the committee members, plus one, to be present to have a quorum. This is based on the number of seats defined in the charge of the public body, regardless of any vacancies.

Local Commissions on Disability may meet without a quorum physically present in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 30A, Section 20(e), where additional members participate remotely in order to reach the quorum.

No. The Open Meeting Law requires that any communication between or among a quorum of a public body on any matter within its jurisdiction must be conducted during a noticed public meeting. This includes any substantive information that the body will later decide on in a public meeting.

See Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 30A, Section 18 and Section 20.

The Attorney General recommends that a public body that does not achieve a quorum for a particular meeting consider postponing the meeting until a quorum is present, rather than proceeding with an informal discussion.

The Open Meeting Law prohibits serial communication between or among members of a public body that reach a quorum of members outside of a noticed meeting. Thus, when a sub-quorum discusses a topic, which is then shared with a quorum outside of a meeting, it may be considered improper deliberation. See District Attorney for the Northern District versus School Committee of Wayland, 451 Massachusetts 561, 570-571 (2009) ("Governmental bodies may not circumvent the requirements of the open meeting law by conducting deliberations via private messages, whether electronically, in person, over the telephone, or in any other form").

A public body may discuss logistics (date, time, location) for meetings. Members can also request items to be added to an agenda, but should refrain from deliberation or discussion.

While the Open Meeting Law is silent with regard to holding public meetings on Sundays, Belmont's standard practice is not to hold public meetings on Sundays or holidays when access to public buildings may be limited and when the public does not normally anticipate the scheduling of a public meeting. It is also not recommended to hold public meetings on election days.