OFFICIAL OPINION NO. 89-08, Open Meeting Law
Except as otherwise provided by law, the official meetings of the state and the political subdivisions thereof, including all related boards, commissions and other agencies, and the official meetings of boards, commissions and agencies created by statute or which are nontaxpaying and derive a source of revenue directly from public funds, shall be open to the public, except as provided in this chapter. Meetings, including executive or closed meetings may be conducted by telephone conference call. Members shall be deemed present if they answer present to the roll call taken over the phone. Except for executive or closed meetings in which a conference call is held, there shall be provided a place at which the public may listen to and participate in the proceeding. Except as provided in title 15, no telephone conference call may be used in conducting hearings pursuant to 1-26-4 or hearings subject to 1-26-18. Telephone conference call meetings are subject to the notice provisions of chapter 1-25.
There’s a great deal of reference material provided in this opinion. All trustees and Directors etc, and even district members, would gain a great deal by familiarizing themselves with the Open Meeting Laws and the decisions made by the commission, as well as any official opinions. Many of the legal issues in which districts find themselves are due to ignorance of these laws.