Since they are not authorized by statute, the Attorney General believes that fees may not be charged for making minutes and tapes available for inspection. However, if a person wants a copy of the minutes or tapes that are public records, public bodies should consult the open records law or other statutes dealing with fees to determine what, if any, fees may be charged. See NRS Chapter 239. As long as minutes and tapes of closed sessions are not public records under NRS Chapter 239, the Attorney General believes that a fee cannot be charged for making copies of them absent specific statutory authority. Using court reporters.
Some public bodies use court reporters in lieu of audio or visual recordings.
A problem arises in connection with closed sessions. If a public body tape records part of an open session but uses a court reporter in lieu of recording the closed sessions, a violation of the Open Meeting Law may have occurred although it may be only a technical violation considering the reliability of court reporters over tape recorders. Applying a rule of reason, the Attorney General believes that if a copy of the written transcript of the proceedings is made available for inspection upon request and without charge, the statute will have been satisfied.