Good afternoon,
Recently, there was confusion as to whether a Regular Board of Finance Budget Workshop could take place when it was not easily seen on the online Town Calendar. Although the Regular Board of Finance Budget Workshop was a legally called and noticed meeting; as a courtesy to the residents in attendance, the Board of Finance has moved their final action of the Town Budget to Monday, April 30, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in Town Campus Room A.
However, I would like to take this time to review the Freedom of Information Act guidelines as they pertain to the posting of Town meetings on the Town website calendar. I know that the rules under FOIA can sometimes be unclear, but as a courtesy, below are the general guidelines for the posting of Town meetings:
A Regular Meeting must be filed with the Town Clerk at least 30 days in advance of the date and time of the meeting. The agenda for a Regular Meeting must be filed with the Town Clerk at least 24 hours in advance of the date and time of the meeting. A Regular Meeting is not mandated to be posted on the Town website. The Town of Madison makes every effort to post these meeting dates and times as well as the corresponding agenda documents as a courtesy to our residents; however, the posting of said meetings and agendas does not impact the legality of these meetings.
A Special Meeting is any meeting called less than 30 days prior to the date and time of the meeting. The agenda for a Special Meeting must be filed with the Town Clerk at least 24 hours in advance of the date and time of the meeting. A Special Meeting is the only type of meeting which is mandated to be posted on the Town website.
An Emergency Meeting is one which is called less than 24 hours in advance on matters requiring immediate attention. The schedule and agenda for an Emergency Meeting are not required to be filed, however, the vote records and minutes must be filed with the Town Clerk following the meeting.
Hopefully this information helps to clarify any lingering confusion pertaining to the Meetings of all Town agencies.
First Selectman Tom Banisch