10-03 Area Commission Meetings

Policy Description

The Freedom of Information Act 593, as amended 1987, Section 30-4-60, states that all meetings of public bodies will be open to the public. In complying with the Act, the Area Commission for Florence-Darlington Technical College shall give written public notice of its regularly scheduled meetings at the beginning of each calendar year. The notice shall include the dates, times and places of such meetings. Agendas for meetings shall be posted in the building of the meeting place at least twenty-four hours prior to meetings. All notices for any called, special or rescheduled meetings shall also be posted. Such notices shall be posted as early as practical, but not later than twenty-four hours before the meeting. The notice shall include the agenda, date, time and place of the meeting.

Meeting dates, times and places will be made available to local news media as set forth in the College procedures.

Chapter 8, Section 30-4-70, of Act 593 provides that public bodies may hold meetings closed to the public under the following conditions:

1. Discussion of employment, appointment, compensation, promotion, demotion, discipline, or release of an employee, a student, or a person regulated by a public body or the appointment of a person to a public body; however, if an adversary hearing involving the employee or client, is held such employee or client has the right to demand that the hearing be conducted publicly. Nothing contained in this item shall prevent the public body, in its discretion, from deleting the names of the other employees or clients whose records are submitted for use at the hearing.
2. Discussion of negotiations incident to proposed contractual arrangements and proposed sale or purchase of property, the receipt of legal advice, settlement of legal claims, or the position of the public agency in other adversary situations involving the assertion against said agency of a claim.
3. Discussion regarding the development of security personnel or devices.
4. Investigative proceedings regarding allegations of criminal misconduct.
5. Discussion of matters relating to the proposed location, expansion, or the provision of services encouraging location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body.
6. Prior to going into executive session the public agency shall vote in public on the question and when such vote is favorable the presiding officer shall announce the specific purpose of the executive session. No formal action may be taken in executive session. As used in this item 'formal action' means a recorded vote committing the body concerned to a specific course of action. No vote may be taken in executive session.

The minutes of meetings of the Area Commission shall kept in the Office of the President and are considered public record.