The Attorney General of Texas
JIM MAnOX Dewmber 13, 1984
Attorney Cienerrl
suprem cowl 8ulldlng Mr. Clayton T. Carrinon Opiulon No. .11i-2&8
p. 0.60x 12548 Executive Director
AUSllh T-x. IQll- 2na Rmployece Rttircmewt System Re: Whether members of a public
512147,2501 of Texar body ary meet to receive inform-
trl.1 9lw57l1x7
Tslecopisr 5W475-0255
P. 0. Box 13207 tton end lsk questions vithout
Austin, Texas. 79711 violating the Open Reetlags Act,
lrticlt 6252-17, V.I.C.S.
714 Jackron. Sultr 100
Dslkr. TX. 752Q245w
Dear klr. Garrison:
214l7426944 ,
You have requested our opinion regarding vhether members of a
4824 Albwts An.. Suile 160 governing body msy meet without complying with the Opeu Meetlugs Act
El Paso.lx. 7vw52793 to receive lnforsatlon and to ask question& You indiutt that the
915f%..33yor board of trustees of the Dmployttr Retirement System find6 it
c-1; necessary occ~8ic~nally to meet vltb particular lndividwls to be
LOI Trxrr.Suiie700 informed about spw:lfLc Patters over which the board her jurisdiction.
wous1on.TX. 77002.3111 On these occasiour~, the boerd mtmbtrs usually ask questions of the
7lY2235555 individual provitll.np ioformetlon. Tou ask whether the board asi
conduct such meetings vithout opening them to the general public.
ace 9irordrsy. SUIIS312
LubBcch.lx. 79ull.3479
-nee t ing” Is defined in section l(a) of article 6252-17.
boM47.5235 V.T.C.S.) the Open Meetiligs Act. eo
eny deliberetion between l quorum of member8 of a
43W N. lenlk Sulls 8
YcAnM, lx 75%1.1595
governsental body at which any public buslntsr or
512se2454 public policy over uhfeh the Rovernmentel body his
aupervjsioo or control io discursed or considered.
or at which my formal action is tsken.
200 Main Plaza. Sultc 400
San Anlmlo. TX. 75205.2797
512J2254191
In The Pea Picker, Inc. v. Reagan. 632 S.U.2d 674 (Tu. App. - Tyler
1982. wit rcf’d u.r.e.1. the court considered whether l meeting held
by the Rcnderacn Couury Comolssloncra Court for the purpose of
“hewing reporta from agents end cmployecr” ua6 l “meeting” ulthfn the
tenss of article 6252-17. V.T.C.S. The trial court, la granting the
county’s motfon for nuxuary judgment. found that the meeting in
qucetioa var Ilot . “mce t ing” under the statute because no
“dcliberntion” had occurred. “Deliberation” 18 defined In section
l(b) of the act pi;
p. 1110
l verbal exchengt bttvew t quorum of aambbrs of l
g o ver nmenr ~l body ttrempting fo arrive at t
dtcirioa on my public bwlaets.
The tppellatt court concluded that sumary judgmeaf vex Improper
because l feet Issue existed as (,a~whether dtllber~tion had fo fact
occurred during he ntetlog in queritlw. The appellate court did not,
however. question chr trial court’s conclusion rbac a “mtetlng” for
purpotte of article 6252-17 occurs only vhert there it “dtllberttioo.”
Lt., *a verbal txchaoge betvttn t quorum of umbtr8.”
We tgrto with rhe rdal coum’s coosrructtoa of lrrlcle 6252-17
in Tbe Pu Plcknr, Inc. v. Reagan, w IO our opinloo, l weting
It a “outlog” at dtfloed by ttc:::too l(a) of that statum ooly in
thou luscanctt in vhfch a “verbtl exchange” occurs between or among a
quonm of rabtrt of a govtruneotal body. If the board members merely
Sirceo to lod ask questions of am. individual providing lnfomtloa.
and no dircusalon talcs phct between board msmbern, there it no
“dellbtrrcion” end beoct oo “mtttlng” for purponen of artlclo 62.52-17.
In such fnotaoceo. ehe board may cowtoe without ldr ittlng the general
public. We conclude that members of l governante body mey noC
vlthout coaplylng vlth tbt Open Mcwtlngr Act to receive loformation
and to ask qutsriona. lo long as no dlocussioo of public butloets
takes place betutto umber& Set ACtormy General Opinion g-785
(1976). But cf. art. 6252-17. ee=caoe 3 end 4. We cation, however,
that chelipttvetn “dellbtraticnw and “non-deliberatloQ it very
tltin. Therefore. ln order to avcld violating tht wt. whether by
inadvertence or oLhtzwlst, a govtrnneotel body should err on the side
of uutiot In determining whether to open to the public t convocation
like the OIU described here.
I
S’U M II A R T
---
Tkt here of l govtrwsotal body uy meet to
receive inforastlon god to ttk questions, without
violeriag trtlclt 6252-17, V.T.C.S., M long as no
discussion of gubllc business take. place between
hers during such mttHc.g.
A
.1’
very truly
&I
your
I-- J I I4 MATTOX
Attorney
,
General of Texar
TOI4GREEN
First Aseistsot Attorney General
p. 1111
nt. Clayton T. Cnrrison - Pqc 3 (J?I-248)
DAVIDR. RICHARDS
Exacutivc Amlstmt Attotmy General
RlCK CILPIN
Chairman, Opinion Comlttu
Prepared by Rick Gilpin
hristaat Attorney General.
APPROVED:
OPINIONCO!WlTEE
Rick Gilpin, Chairman
Colin Carl
Suua Carriaon
Tony cu1110ry
JL Moellinger
Jennifer Rig(la
Nancy Sutton
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion