120.525 Meetings, hearings, and workshops.

435 words·~2 min read·/fl/title-x/chapter-120/120-525

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(1)Except in the case of emergency meetings, each agency shall give notice of public meetings, hearings, and workshops by publication in the Florida Administrative Register and on the agency’s website not less than 7 days before the event. The notice shall include a statement of the general subject matter to be considered.

(2)An agenda shall be prepared by the agency in time to ensure that a copy of the agenda may be received at least 7 days before the event by any person in the state who requests a copy and who pays the reasonable cost of the copy. The agenda, along with any meeting materials available in electronic form excluding confidential and exempt information, shall be published on the agency’s website. The agenda shall contain the items to be considered in order of presentation. After the agenda has been made available, a change shall be made only for good cause, as determined by the person designated to preside, and stated in the record. Notification of such change shall be at the earliest practicable time.

(3)If an agency finds that an immediate danger to the public health, safety, or welfare requires immediate action, the agency may hold an emergency public meeting and give notice of such meeting by any procedure that is fair under the circumstances and necessary to protect the public interest, if:

(a)The procedure provides at least the procedural protection given by other statutes, the State Constitution, or the United States Constitution.

(b)The agency takes only that action necessary to protect the public interest under the emergency procedure.

(c)The agency publishes in writing at the time of, or prior to, its action the specific facts and reasons for finding an immediate danger to the public health, safety, or welfare and its reasons for concluding that the procedure used is fair under the circumstances. The agency findings of immediate danger, necessity, and procedural fairness shall be judicially reviewable.

(4)For purposes of establishing a quorum at meetings of regional planning councils that cover three or more counties, a voting member who appears via telephone, real-time videoconferencing, or similar real-time electronic or video communication that is broadcast publicly at the meeting location may be counted toward the quorum requirement if at least one-third of the voting members of the regional planning council are physically present at the meeting location. A member must provide oral, written, or electronic notice of his or her intent to appear via telephone, real-time videoconferencing, or similar real-time electronic or video communication to the regional planning council at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting.