A public meeting is the convening of any governing body for which a quorum is required to make or deliberate toward a decision on any matter, or to gather information. Decisions must be made in public, and secret ballots are prohibited. Quorum requirements may vary among governing bodies. A county commission's goal-setting retreat is a public meeting if a quorum is present and they discuss official business. A staff meeting absent a quorum of commissioners, whether called by a single commissioner or a non-elected official, is not a public meeting.
Meetings accomplished by telephone conference calls or other electronic means are public meetings.
The governing body must provide public notice, as well as a location where the public may listen to or observe the meeting. Governing bodies must hold their meetings within the geographic boundaries of their jurisdiction. However, a governing body may meet elsewhere if there is an actual emergency requiring immediate action or to hold a training session, when no deliberation toward a decision is involved. A library board is free to rotate meetings at different libraries in its district, but it may not meet outside its district. Governing bodies must give notice of the time, place and agenda for any regular, special or emergency meeting.