Wyoming Open Meetings

Last week I stopped in to the town hall to say hi to Carol Reed. She had been sick a while and I wanted to see how she was doing. When I entered the building, there was Carol walking down the hall. I walked up to her and we started visiting. Then, out into the hall came various people. I didn't pay much attention but Wayne Harmon walked by me and I saw Mayor Stan Thompson and Doug Prows. All three of them are on council and three makes a quorum. There were others exiting a room and it appeared a work meeting was ending but Carol and I were headed downstairs and I didn't ask.

When I left the building, I checked the doors to see if I had missed some notice of a meeting when I walked into the town hall. Nope

I typed "Wyoming Open Meetings" in a search engine on the internet, and I am providing an easy link here to the Wyoming State Statute that require notice of all meetings with a quorum present. Here is a brief passage: "Meeting" means an assembly of at least a quorum of the governing body of an agency which has been called by proper authority of the agency for the purpose of discussion, deliberation, presentation of information or taking action regarding public business;

How can a meeting be open when there is no notice given to the public? Notice is required by state statute...I'm not a lawyer so I'm not offering any interpretation here...

16-4-404. Types of meetings; notice; recess.

(a) In the absence of a statutory requirement, the governing body of an agency shall provide by ordinance, resolution, bylaws or rule for holding regular meetings unless the agency's normal business does not require regular meetings in which case the agency shall provide notice of its next meeting to any person who requests notice. A request for notice may be made for all future meetings...




Elected officials might not want to have the public at their retreats and work meetings but the public has the right to know and listen if they choose. Public sometimes aren't allowed to comment at a work meeting and that's ok. It is, after all, a work meeting. No decisions will be made. However all members of the public are still allowed to know about and sit in on most meetings. The only exceptions are clearly outlined in the state statutes. (No, I didn't copy and paste exceptions, you need to find them yourself)