Fact Check: Circumventing state public meeting rules

The Executive Assistant to the Executive Director of the HUD funded Office of Community Development - Disaster Recovery Unit knowingly scheduled meetings with task force members that would in their opinion circumvent public meeting rules.

Louisiana AG Opinion 2019-0128

A walking quorum can also occur via email or other electronic means where there are conversations with a quorum of the public body through multiple smaller conversations of less than a quorum. The AG has stated that such walking quorums are "unlawful because while no conversation occurred with an actual quorum physically present at a single location, a quorum effectively participates in the discussion of the issue" without the public having the benefit of observing the discussion. AG Op. No. 19-0128.

Resource:
AG Op. No. 19-0128

Evidence of unlawful public meeting

On Nov 28, 2016, at 9:58 AM, Lxxx Dxxxxx wrote:

Members of the Restore Louisiana Task Force:

We have set aside time slots on Wednesday, 11/30, and Thursday, 12/1, to host conference calls to discuss/answer questions regarding the upcoming recommendations for Economic Development and Rental Housing at Friday’s task force meeting. I will be providing informative materials for your review by COB tomorrow.

Please respond to this email with your preferred time slot and I will send out calendar invites. Keep in mind that I will need to keep each time slot limited to 10 task force members or less due to the Open Meetings Law.

Wednesday, 11/30 8am-9am 10am-11am
Thursday, 12/1 8am-9am

If none of the proposed time slots will work with your schedule, please let me know and I will work with you individually to get a conference call set up.

Thanks, Lxxx Dxxxxx Executive Assistant to the Executive Director Office of Community Development-Disaster Recovery Unit State of Louisiana 225-342-16xx

Resource: FOIA: 2016.11.28.14.25.16-RE- RLTF - Economic Development - Rental Housing Conference Calls.pdf