Posting Notices for Public Meetings and Hearings | Boston.gov
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This document outlines Boston's procedures for posting public meeting notices in compliance with Massachusetts' Open Meeting Law. Public bodies must provide notice within 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) before meetings, and notices must include the date, time, place, and expected agenda items. Notices should be submitted to publicnotice@boston.gov at least 48 hours in advance, and the city provides accommodations for people with disabilities upon request to the Disabilities Commission.
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POSTING NOTICES FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS AND HEARINGS The Open Meeting Law requires that meetings of public bodies are open to the public, with some exceptions. PAGE SECTIONS INFORMATION ON A PUBLIC NOTICEHOW TO SUBMIT A NOTICEFOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES By keeping meetings open, the Open Meeting Law creates more transparency in policy debates by public bodies. Public bodies include all public boards, commissions, committees, and subcommittees that have multiple members. Unless there is an emergency, a public body must give the public notice within 48 hours of a meeting. This does not include weekends and holidays. Still have questions? Contact: CITY CLERK 617-635-4601 SEND AN EMAIL 1 CITY HALL SQUARE ROOM 601 BOSTON, MA 02201-2014 OPEN MEETING LAW You can read the complete version of the state's Open Meeting Law online. MASS. OPEN MEETING LAW INFORMATION ON A PUBLIC NOTICE A public notice needs to be legible and easily understood. A notice must contain the date, time, and place of the meeting. The agenda that is expected to be discussed needs to be listed. If the agenda items change, the public body should update the notice to let the public know, but there isn’t a legal requirement. You can view upcoming meetings on our public notices page. Meetings posted by the City Clerk's Office are also available on the first floor of Boston City Hall, at the Congress Street entrance. HOW TO SUBMIT A PUBLIC NOTICE To submit a notice to be published on Boston.gov, email your request to publicnotice@boston.gov. Your email must include both a PDF and Word or Google Doc version of your agenda. PLEASE NOTE: The City Clerk's staff processes public notices Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Putting a notice together on the website takes time. Please don't wait until the last possible minute to submit notices. We will not post your notice if you do not send it at least 48 hours before your hearing or meeting. Remember, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays do not count as part of the 48-hour notice. ARE YOU A CITY OF BOSTON EMPLOYEE? We can grant you access to create your own notices in Boston.gov. Contact digital@boston.gov for more information. FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES By law, all meetings held by the City must be accessible to people with disabilities. If you need documents formatted a certain way to understand them, or if you need a special device to attend a meeting, we can accommodate you. Please contact the Disabilities Commission at least 10 days before the meeting with your request: 1 City Hall Square, Room 967 Boston, MA 02201-2041 Phone: 617-635-3682
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