From the Sections, 1220 WYBJ, Vol. 43 No. 6. 14

• Position: Vol. 43 6 Pg. 14

From the Sections

No. Vol. 43 No. 6 Pg. 14

Wyoming Bar Journal

December, 2020

Public Meetings in Wyoming

There are only three types of public meetings in Wyoming: a regular meeting, a special meeting, and an emergency meeting¹. A government entity can name a meeting anything it wants to name it—a workshop, a retreat, a charette, a roundtable, or a session—but in the eyes of Wyoming law, all of those names are categorized into a regular meeting, special meeting, or an emergency meeting.

Regular Meeting

A regular meeting is when the governmental body meets on a repeated basis on the same day or pattern. Some governmental bodies accomplish the setting of their regular meetings through their bylaws by stating that the entity meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Other governmental bodies pass a resolution in December of every year stating the dates that the entity will be meeting for the upcoming year. Whatever means is chosen, the point is that the general public can know when a particular governing body meets regularly, either by reviewing the by-laws of that entity or looking at a resolution. Once the regular meeting pattern has been set, there is no requirement for the governmental entity to notice each meeting.²

Special Meeting

A special meeting is any meeting other than a regular meeting or an emergency meeting. This may sound simplistic, but if the governmental body is meeting and it is not an emergency meeting (which is very rare) and it is not a meeting that is part of the regular pattern of meetings that are set by the by-laws or a resolution of the entity, then it is a special meeting. Special meetings have two very specific rules that must always be adhered to by the governmental body. There must always be at least an eight-hour notice of a special meeting and the governmental body can only discuss those agenda items that were noticed for the special meeting. The governmental entity cannot add agenda items or discuss topics that were not noticed for the special meeting.^[3]

Emergency Meeting

Emergency meetings are rare in Wyoming. An emergency meeting maybe held for "matters of serious immediate concern" to take temporary action without notice. The key legal aspect of an emergency meeting is that the governmental entity is meeting without telling the public. The issue is so important and serious that there is not enough time to give the eight-hour notice required...