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By CNBNews.Net
PHOTO JOHN PAFF Since this is a first time that the public was aware of telephone conference call being used at a City Council meeting CNB asked sunshine activist John Paff if this was allowed under the Open Public Meetings Act. Paff said it was unclear and sent a copy to CNB of a ruling given on a similar question pertaining to telephone conference being used by School Boards in some communities. It reads as follows, OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT AND TECHNOLOGY Over the last few months New Jersey School Boards Association staff have received a number of inquiries regarding the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) and the use of telephone conference calls and e-mail as a means of communication among board members and administration. Attempting to answer those questions has been challenging, primarily because the sunshine law was drafted long before the advent of widespread use of Internet technology. Therefore, it is difficult to provide definitive answers. However, cases from jurisdictions outside New Jersey have begun to provide us some guidance. In addition, the spirit of the sunshine law has aided us in making certain generalizations that we can share with you and your having an understanding of the spirit of the law should assist you in making decisions regarding your own communication with other board members. The Open Public Meetings Act |
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