W. Va. Code R. § 153-41-3

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 36, September 6, 2024

Section 153-41-3 - Procedure for filing an online meeting notice

3.1. Go to the WV Secretary of State's website (sos.wv.gov).

3.2. Under the "Administrative Law" tab, click on "Add Meeting Notice".

3.3. The box indicating an understanding that the meeting information provided will be made public and acknowledgement that acceptance by SOS does not imply compliance with the Open Governmental Proceedings Act must be checked in order to continue. If statements are agreeable, click on the "I Agree and Want to Continue" tab.

3.4. Fill in the fields.

3.4.1. The E-mail provided is the address that all correspondences regarding the meeting notice will be sent.

3.4.2. The "Governing Body" field is for the name of the group having the meeting. This is the primary field for searching and displaying.

3.4.2.a. TNOTGB - The name of the Governing Body should not be listed as an acronym.

3.4.3. The "Agency" field is for the name of the larger, governing agency, if applicable. This is not a required field for the submission of the notice.

3.4.4. The "Division/Committee/Etc." can be used if applicable. This is not a required field for the submission of the notice.

3.4.5. The "Date of Meeting" field is the day the meeting will be held.

3.4.6. The "Time of Meeting" field is the time the meeting will take place.

3.4.7. The "Location" field is where the meeting will take place.

3.4.7.a. The location should include an address.

3.4.7.b. In the event of a teleconference meeting, the location should include the address of the origin of the call.

3.4.8. The "Purpose" field should be a brief overview of the main reasons for having the meeting. It may include action items.

3.4.8.a. Executive branch agencies may list the purpose as "regular meeting" or "special meeting".

3.4.9. The "Emergency Meeting" box is auto set to "No". It should be changed to "Yes" only when applicable.

3.4.9.a. The notice of an emergency meeting should include the facts and circumstances of the emergency.

3.5. Click on the "Submit" tab.

3.5.1. Upon clicking the Submit tab, a message will come up stating "Meeting Notice Saved".

3.5.2. An email will be sent to the address provided indicating the meeting notice was submitted to SOS staff and is being reviewed.

3.6. The meeting information provided will be displayed as submitted. Things to consider include:

3.6.1. Removing "WV", "Department of", "Division of", or "Board of", etc. from the beginning of an agency name when not necessary. The identifying name is sufficient;

3.6.2. The spacing for the location of the meeting. It should be listed as though addressing an envelope; and

3.6.3. Removing extra spaces or lines. Spacing should be concise for easier viewing.

3.7. It is the responsibility of the filer to omit any confidential, inappropriate, or potentially harmful information.

3.8. It is a good practice to consider whether the notice will provide the public with reasonable notice of the name of the group having the meeting as well as the date, time, place and purpose of the meeting.

3.9. Meeting notices should not be filed more than 6 months in advance of the meeting date.

3.10. Meeting notices should not be submitted in all caps or bolded text.

3.11. Upon acceptance of the meeting notice for display on the Secretary of State's website, a notification will be sent to the email address provided indicating the notice has been posted. This does not imply compliance with the Open Governmental Proceedings Act.

3.11.1. The online posting will include the date and time the notice was accepted by SOS staff.

3.11.2. If an email confirmation of the posting of a meeting notice is not received in a reasonable time after submission, check the online database for the meeting notice. If not found, contact the Administrative Law Division.

3.12. For amendments to a notice or cancellation of a meeting, please contact the Administrative Law Division. Do not submit a second notice for this purpose.

W. Va. Code R. § 153-41-3