OMA section 2.02(c)

Agenda notice for final action appointing commissioner

Rule: An agenda must sufficiently describe the general subject matter of final action; vague references like 'Personnel' and 'Approve Items Discussed in Executive Session' did not provide advance notice of the commissioner appointment.

Violation found Appointment of a park district board commissioner · June 12, 2026

Agenda items 'Resignation(s)' and 'Employment' too vague

Rule: Agenda items for personnel actions must identify the general category of employees and type of action to provide meaningful advance notice.

Violation found Agenda descriptions for personnel action items · December 15, 2025

Agenda notice for censure motions under 2.02(c)

Rule: The Board took final action by voting on censure motions without providing advance notice of the general subject matter in the meeting agenda, violating section 2.02(c).

Violation found A board's vote on undisclosed censure motions · July 16, 2024

Sufficiency of agenda item for censure resolution

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of final action, including at least the category of individuals affected, not just the type of action.

Violation found A city council's agenda description for a censure vote · February 23, 2024

Agenda notice for trustee appointment

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of any final action; an item stating only 'Oath of Office Administered' is too vague to provide advance notice of a trustee appointment.

Violation found A library board's appointment of a trustee not on the agenda · November 8, 2023

Agenda notice of final action on Fire Department ordinance

Rule: An agenda item must set forth the general subject matter of a final action; merely identifying an ordinance by number and a code chapter is insufficient.

Violation found Final action on unlisted fire department ordinance amendments · October 28, 2022

Insufficient agenda notice for three hires at March 8, 2022 meeting

Rule: An agenda item for personnel actions must at least reference the category of employees or job titles to provide adequate advance notice of final action.

Violation found Agenda descriptions for personnel hiring and firing actions · July 21, 2022

Insufficient agenda notice for two firings at March 22, 2022 meeting

Rule: An agenda item for personnel actions must at least reference the category of employees or job titles to provide adequate advance notice of final action.

Violation found Agenda descriptions for personnel hiring and firing actions · July 21, 2022

Agenda notice for final action on trustee code violations

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of any final action, and votes finding trustees violated the Code were final actions not adequately noticed.

Violation found A village board's agenda description of trustee discipline · February 22, 2022

Agenda notice for annexation ordinances

Rule: An agenda must sufficiently identify the general subject matter of ordinances before final action; votes approving annexation ordinances not adequately noticed violated OMA.

Violation found Agenda descriptions for property annexation ordinances · March 4, 2022

Suspension of local rules to avoid OMA notice

Rule: A public body's suspension of its own rules does not relieve it of the obligation to provide advance agenda notice under section 2.02(c).

Violation found Agenda descriptions for property annexation ordinances · March 4, 2022

Agenda notice for interim executive director appointment

Rule: An agenda item referring only to the 'Status of Executive Director' is too vague to provide meaningful notice that the board might appoint a new individual to that position.

Violation found Appointment of an interim executive director off-agenda · January 12, 2021

Agenda notice for final action on police equipment sale

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of any resolution that will be the subject of final action at the meeting.

Violation found A city council's final action on an unagendized item · July 29, 2020

Agenda item on personnel compensation too vague

Rule: An agenda item for personnel actions must reference the category of employees at issue to provide meaningful notice of the general subject matter of final action.

Violation found A school board's agenda descriptions and meeting minutes · May 29, 2020

Agenda item on personnel report too vague

Rule: An agenda item for approval of a personnel report is too vague and imprecise to provide meaningful notice of the type of final action planned.

Violation found A school board's agenda descriptions and meeting minutes · May 29, 2020

Failure to provide advance notice of final action

Rule: A public body must set forth the general subject matter of any final action on the meeting agenda; no emergency exception applies to this requirement.

Violation found A board's failure to include personnel actions on a meeting agenda · January 9, 2020

May 3, 2019 agenda omitted committee creation

Rule: A meeting agenda must set forth the main elements, not specific details, of any item on which the public body intends to take final action.

Violation found Final action on committee formation not on agenda · August 12, 2019

Agenda notice for referendum resolution vote

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of any resolution that will be the subject of final action at the meeting.

Violation found A fire district board's vote on an unagendized referendum · April 5, 2019

Insufficient agenda notice of final action items

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of each resolution or ordinance to be voted on, without requiring reference to other documents.

Violation found A city council's meeting agenda postings · June 13, 2019

Notice of final action at May 17, 2018 meeting

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of final action; 'personnel items' is too imprecise to provide meaningful notice.

Violation found Agenda descriptions for personnel actions · January 3, 2019

April 2, 2018 special meeting agenda posting

Rule: A public body must ensure the meeting agenda is continuously available for public review for the full 48 hours before a special meeting.

Violation found A school council's failure to post a meeting agenda and closed-session discussion of candidate selection · July 6, 2018

Agenda not continuously available 48 hours before meeting

Rule: A public body must make the agenda continuously available for public review during the entire 48-hour period before a meeting.

Violation found Notice and agenda posting for a cemetery board meeting · May 26, 2017

Agenda not continuously available 48 hours before meeting

Rule: A public body must ensure the agenda is continuously available for public review for the entire 48 hours before a meeting, including on its website if maintained by full-time staff.

Violation found A county board's meeting agenda and final action items · October 26, 2017

Two Committee Reports agenda items too vague for final action notice

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of final actions; items that are too vague to inform the public of the main elements violate this requirement.

Violation found A county board's meeting agenda and final action items · October 26, 2017

Agenda lacked general subject matter for eight resolutions

Rule: An agenda must itself set forth the general subject matter of any resolution to be subject to final action, not merely identify it by resolution number.

Violation found Agenda descriptions and public recitals for final actions on resolutions · December 19, 2017

Agenda notice for May 15, 2025 meeting

Rule: Agenda items describing main elements without limiting language do not violate section 2.02(c) when final action is taken.

No violation Meeting agenda descriptions for final action items · June 26, 2025

Agenda notice for June 5, 2025 meeting

Rule: Agenda items describing main elements without limiting language do not violate section 2.02(c) when final action is taken.

No violation Meeting agenda descriptions for final action items · June 26, 2025

Agenda omitted second developer's name

Rule: An agenda need only state the general subject matter of final action, not every specific detail, so omitting one developer's name did not violate OMA.

No violation Agenda descriptions of a development agreement and a remote attendance vote · May 27, 2025

Whether Board violated OMA by taking final action not germane to agenda

Rule: The Board's action to appoint Ms. Lightfoot as special investigator was germane to the agenda items about appointing her as Additional Legislative Counsel because the general subject matter was retaining her as a legal advisor.

No violation Agenda notice for appointing legal counsel and special investigator · June 14, 2024

Agenda notice of resolution versions

Rule: An agenda must set forth the main elements of a resolution subject to final action, but need not include specific details such as the time limit in the version adopted.

No violation Two versions of a resolution on public comment rules · September 23, 2024

Agenda notice of contract action

Rule: An agenda satisfies section 2.02(c) if it identifies the general subject matter of final action, not the specific action to be taken.

No violation An agenda item for a contract approval · April 21, 2023

Agenda notice for appointment vote

Rule: An agenda satisfies section 2.02(c) if it sets forth the general subject matter of the final action, not every specific detail.

No violation Agenda description of an acting highway engineer appointment · November 4, 2022

Sufficiency of meeting agenda under section 2.02(c)

Rule: An agenda satisfies section 2.02(c) if it sets forth the general subject matter, meaning the main elements rather than specific details, of a resolution or ordinance subject to final action.

No violation A city council's public recital before a final vote · May 16, 2022

Agenda notice for final action on closed session minutes

Rule: An agenda satisfies section 2.02(c) if it identifies the general subject matter of final action, not the particular action to be taken.

No violation A park district board's meeting agenda for releasing closed session minutes · March 25, 2022

Agenda notice for executive director removal

Rule: An agenda item stating 'Status of Executive Director' sufficiently identified the general subject matter of the board's final action to remove the executive director.

No violation Appointment of an interim executive director off-agenda · January 12, 2021

Agenda sufficiency for final action on appointments

Rule: A special meeting agenda must set forth the general subject matter of any resolution or ordinance subject to final action, and the agenda item sufficiently described the appointments.

No violation A special city council meeting's agenda and member training · February 21, 2020

Public comment at special meeting

Rule: OMA does not require public bodies to designate a specific period for public comment on the agenda, and no facts showed anyone was denied the opportunity to speak.

No violation A special city council meeting's agenda and member training · February 21, 2020

Final action on unlisted IASB items

Rule: No final action occurred because the Board did not vote and only discussed matters without reaching a binding collective decision.

No violation Discussion of unlisted belief statements and resolutions · June 11, 2019

Failure to post full ordinance text before meeting

Rule: OMA does not require a public body to post the full text of an ordinance or board packet before a meeting; the agenda need only set forth the general subject matter.

No violation Meeting minutes describing an approved ordinance · February 1, 2019

April 10, 2018 meeting vote on adding candidate

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of any final action, but a vote that is only a step toward final action need not be listed.

No violation A school council's failure to post a meeting agenda and closed-session discussion of candidate selection · July 6, 2018

Agenda notice for vote to dissolve police department

Rule: A vote that is a preliminary expression of intent and does not resolve the matter is not final action requiring agenda notice under section 2.02(c).

No violation A tentative vote on dissolving a police department · May 31, 2018

Discussion of matters not on agenda

Rule: OMA's agenda requirement does not prohibit a public body from discussing matters not listed on the agenda, as long as no final action is taken.

No violation Public comment restrictions at a city council meeting · March 1, 2018

Agenda item 'Payment of Bills' adequate notice

Rule: An agenda item satisfies section 2.02(c) if it sets forth the main element, not specific details, of the final action to be taken.

No violation Agenda notice and approval of meeting minutes · April 17, 2018

Approval of closed session minutes without sufficient public recital

Rule: Listing the general subject matter on the agenda and publicly reciting the nature of the matter being considered is sufficient for approving closed session minutes.

No violation Closed-session discussion of potential litigation · February 1, 2018

Four Committee Reports agenda items provided sufficient notice

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of final actions; items identifying the main elements satisfy this requirement even if greater detail would be helpful.

No violation A county board's meeting agenda and final action items · October 26, 2017

Agenda listing of public comment restriction

Rule: An agenda must set forth the general subject matter of any resolution or ordinance; the motion to limit public comment was listed on the agenda.

No violation A board's ad hoc limit on public comment time and questions · December 7, 2017

No further action needed due to subsequent meeting

Rule: No further action is necessary when the public body has already remedied the violation by properly reconsidering the agenda items at a later meeting.

No determination / resolved Notice and agenda posting for a cemetery board meeting · May 26, 2017