Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council (MSILC)

November 13, 12:00pm-2:30pm

WTC – Room T130

2301 Argonne Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218

MEETING MINUTES

Attendance:

MSILC Members: David Sharp-Chair, Richard Moore-Treasurer, Denise Thomas-MSILC ED, , Jim Andrews , Laurie Elinoff, Katie Collins-Ihrke, , Jennifer Eastman, Emma Byrnes(phone), Elizabeth Mitchell (phone), Tony Lawson (phone),Ray Smith, Martin Barrett(phone), Katja Fort-Rhoden

Guests: Sarah Sorenson, Jamey George, Sandra Dent (phone)

Absent: Emily Ferren-Secretary (phone), Tracia Priceand Tom Laverty

Meeting began at Noon

Chair David Sharp led the welcome and introductions. He asked members to identify themselves when speaking, as this was a full Council meeting with some members participating by teleconference. Executive Committee

Full Council Minutes & Attendance Log, MSILC Chair, David Sharp

  • Attendance Log; please check your attendance on the document that was sent out with the agenda---for corrections, send to .

A roll call was taken for attendance. The Secretary is the point of contact for attendance. If you are unable to make a meeting, it is your responsibility to inform the Secretary, either by email or phone.

  • Review/Approval of 08/27/15meeting minutes (ACTION ITEM)

Minutes were briefly reviewed, but not approved.

Chair Report-MSILC Chair, David Sharp

Chairman, Sharp started his report by reviewing the Ground Rules created for members and guest to follow when participating in full Council meeting discussion. Next he elaborated on his expectations of members when communicating among each other or to others in the community. All Council communication should be done in a respectful and curtidious manner.

PRESENTERS

The presentation provided at this meeting focused on the Open Meeting Act, and was given by Assistant Attorney General, Elliott Schoen. Topics covered within this training were providing proper and advance meeting notice, arrange for minutes to be taken, grounds for closing a meeting, and recording votes. The Open Meetings Act is a Maryland statute. It states the goal that “public business be conducted openly and publicly” and sets as the policy of the State that, except in certain “special and appropriate circumstances,” the public “be provided with adequate notice of the time and location of meetings of public bodies, which shall be held in places reasonably accessible to individuals who would like to attend these meetings.”

The Act does not set the rules for when public bodies must meet – it just carries out the policy that when public bodies do meet, they must do so openly unless the discussion falls within one of the “special and appropriate circumstances” listed in the Act.

According to the Act, a “meeting” occurs whenever a public body’s quorum convenes to discuss public business. An occasion that starts out as a purely social event is a “meeting” only if a quorum uses it to discuss the public body’s business. A gathering at which a quorum discusses public business is a “meeting” no matter where it occurs and no matter whether the quorum takes an action. As for the timing of the notice of a meeting, a public body that has scheduled a meeting should not delay posting notice, unless the meeting was scheduled so far in advance that it would be more effective to post notice closer to the meeting date. The Act does not set a numeric deadline for posting notice and thus does not prevent public bodies from meeting on short notice in emergencies. In those events, though, the public body must provide the best notice feasible under the circumstances.

The Act lists 14 topics that a public body may choose to discuss behind closed doors after the public body has met specific conditions. The topics, referred to as “exceptions,” include such subjects as personnel discussions about particular individuals, the receipt of legal advice from the public body’s attorney, and subjects that must be kept confidential under other laws. The conditions are that the presiding officer prepare a written statement, or “closing statement,” that cites the part of the Act that contains the applicable exception, lists the topics that will be discussed in the closed session, and gives the public body’s reason for excluding the public. The presiding officer must also conduct a recorded vote, in the open session, on a motion to close the session. Several exceptions to site as grounds to close a meeting are: a specific personnel matter; protection of personal privacy on a matter unrelated to public business; acquisition of real property; a proposed business relocation or expansion; etc.

Vice Chair and Secretary Elections - MSILC Committee Chair, Martin Barrett

  • Due to concerns raised based on the election held in September, the Coucil had voted to hold another election for the position of Vice-Chair and Secretary.

Motion made by David, second by Jim, motion carried

  • The Council had decided to open up nominations for both positions in office; to give new members of the Council an opportunity to run for candidacy.

Motion made by Katie Collins-Ihrke; second by Katja Fort-Rhoden, motion carried.

All later agenda items/ conversations were tabled.

Meeting was adjourned by Council Chair at 2:30pm.

Minutes completed by Denise R. Thomas, MSILC Executive Director