{
 "topic": "OMA section 2",
 "statute": "5 ILCS 120/2",
 "family": "Closed meetings and exceptions",
 "page": "https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/oma-2/",
 "note": "Determination letters are non-binding. Verify against the source PDF before citing.",
 "counts": {
  "violation_found": 10,
  "no_violation": 5,
  "no_determination": 1,
  "other": 0
 },
 "challenge_notes": {
  "generated_by": "AI summary of the decisions listed on this page; not legal advice; verify each decision against its PDF",
  "when_a_challenge_is_strong": [
   {
    "text": "A gathering of a majority of a quorum was held to discuss public business without proper posted notice and agenda.",
    "why": "OMA requires that any such gathering be a meeting with posted notice and agenda.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The public body failed to hold a meeting at a specified time and place that was convenient and open to the public.",
    "why": "OMA requires open meetings at convenient times and places.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "No minutes were kept of the meeting.",
    "why": "OMA requires a public body to keep minutes of its meetings.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The public body did not provide any opportunity for public comment.",
    "why": "OMA mandates an opportunity for public comment at meetings.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/#issue-4"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "The public body imposed a one-minute limit on each speaker's public comment.",
    "why": "Such a short limit unreasonably restricts the right to address public officials.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Public comment time limits at a committee meeting",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-55981/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "when_the_body_usually_wins": [
   {
    "text": "Challenge to the timing of approval of meeting minutes after a cancelled meeting.",
    "why": "Cancelled meetings do not trigger the approval deadline; the body has until the later of 30 days or the second subsequent regular meeting.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Approval of meeting minutes by a plan commission",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58250/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Complaint that the body did not provide 10 days' notice before cancelling a single meeting.",
    "why": "OMA's 10-day notice requirement applies only to changing regular meeting dates, not cancellations, and no other procedural requirements exist for cancellations.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Approval of meeting minutes by a plan commission",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58250/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Private one-on-one conversations among members alleged to constitute a meeting.",
    "why": "Only contemporaneous interactive communication of a majority of a quorum qualifies as a meeting; private serial communications do not.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A university board's selection of a president",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54002/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Objection that an agenda item lacked specific details about a resolution.",
    "why": "An agenda satisfies OMA if it sets forth the general subject matter; it need not include particular details.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "An agenda item on a malpractice insurance resolution",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-53636/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "A speaker was interrupted during public comment due to disruptive conduct.",
    "why": "A body may interrupt when conduct, not content, actually disrupts the decorum of the meeting.",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A school board's regulation of public comment",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-46149/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "points_to_put_in_the_letter": [
   {
    "text": "State that a majority of a quorum convened to discuss public business without a posted notice or agenda, as required by OMA.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Explain that the meeting was not open to the public at the time and place specified, violating the requirement for open meetings.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Point out that the public body failed to keep any minutes of the meeting, contrary to OMA.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/#issue-3"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Note that no opportunity for public comment was provided at the meeting, which OMA requires.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/#issue-4"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "If you were limited to one minute of speaking time, argue that such an extreme restriction unreasonably limits your right to address officials.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Public comment time limits at a committee meeting",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-55981/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "facts_to_gather": [
   "The date, time, and location of the gathering or meeting.",
   "The number of members present and whether they constituted a majority of a quorum.",
   "Whether any notice or agenda was posted, and if so, when and where.",
   "Whether the meeting space was accessible to the public and whether any public member was turned away.",
   "What opportunity for public comment, if any, was provided and what rules were announced."
  ],
  "common_mistakes": [
   {
    "text": "Believing that a cancelled meeting accelerates the deadline for approving minutes. Only the second subsequent regular meeting or 30 days, whichever is later, applies.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Approval of meeting minutes by a plan commission",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58250/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Assuming that 10 days' notice is always required before cancelling a meeting. OMA does not require any notice for cancellation.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "Approval of meeting minutes by a plan commission",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58250/#issue-2"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Treating private, non-simultaneous communications as a meeting. A contemporaneous interactive exchange of a majority of a quorum is needed.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A university board's selection of a president",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54002/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Demanding that an agenda list every detail of a resolution. An agenda need only give the general subject matter.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "An agenda item on a malpractice insurance resolution",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-53636/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   },
   {
    "text": "Arguing that any interruption of a speaker violates OMA, even if the speaker’s own disruptive behavior actually disturbed the meeting.",
    "why": "",
    "decisions": [
     {
      "title": "A school board's regulation of public comment",
      "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-46149/#issue-1"
     }
    ]
   }
  ],
  "caution": "These notes are based on non-binding determination letters; the outcome of any challenge depends on the specific facts and you should always review the full PDF of any cited decision."
 },
 "issues": [
  {
   "issue": "Improper posting of notice and agenda",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "A gathering of a majority of a quorum of a public body held to discuss public business is a meeting requiring proper posting of notice and an agenda.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
    "date": "2019-09-05",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to hold meeting at specified time and place open to public",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "A meeting subject to OMA must be held at a specified time and place that is convenient and open to the public.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
    "date": "2019-09-05",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to keep minutes of the meeting",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "A public body must keep minutes of its meetings subject to OMA.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
    "date": "2019-09-05",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to provide opportunity for public comment",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "A public body must provide an opportunity for public comment at meetings subject to OMA.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A city council and water committee gathering during a job candidate's site visit",
    "date": "2019-09-05",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58390/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "Approval of meeting minutes within 30 days or second regular meeting",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "A public body must approve minutes within 30 days or at its second subsequent regular meeting, whichever is later; cancelled meetings do not trigger the deadline.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Approval of meeting minutes by a plan commission",
    "date": "2019-08-06",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58250/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  },
  {
   "issue": "10 days' notice for meeting cancellations",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "The 10-day notice requirement applies to changing regular meeting dates, not to cancelling a single meeting; OMA sets no procedural requirements for cancellations.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Approval of meeting minutes by a plan commission",
    "date": "2019-08-06",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-58250/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "III. Att' y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 37690, issued April 20, 2017",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "One-minute public comment limit violated OMA",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Public comment rules must accommodate rather than unreasonably restrict the right to address public officials; limiting comment to one minute per speaker was unreasonable.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Public comment time limits at a committee meeting",
    "date": "2019-03-26",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-55981/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 14-012",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2014-pac-30194/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 14-009",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2014-pac-29739/"
    },
    {
     "text": "I.A. Rana Enterprises, Inc. v. City of Aurora, 630 F. Supp. 2d 912 (N.D. Ill. 2009)",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Wright v. Anthony, 733 F.2d 575 (8th Cir. 1984)",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Shero v. City of Grove, 510 F.2d 1196 (10th Cir. 2007)",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Whether private communications constituted a meeting",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Private one-on-one communications with the chair were not a contemporaneous interactive communication of a majority of a quorum, so they were not a meeting under OMA.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A university board's selection of a president",
    "date": "2018-10-22",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-54002/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 50318",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Agenda notice for resolution on attorney malpractice insurance",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "An agenda satisfies section 2.02(c) if it sets forth the general subject matter of a resolution, not its specific details or particular action.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "An agenda item on a malpractice insurance resolution",
    "date": "2018-06-28",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-53636/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 45667",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 39177",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Restriction of public comment at Board meeting",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "A public body may interrupt a speaker when the speaker's disruptive conduct, rather than the content of remarks, actually disrupts the decorum of the meeting.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A school board's regulation of public comment",
    "date": "2018-04-10",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-46149/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 14-012",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2014-pac-30194/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 14-009",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2014-pac-29739/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Timmon v. Wood, 633 F. Supp. 2d 453 (W.D. Mich. 2008)",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "I.A. Rana Enterprises, Inc. v. City of Aurora, 630 F. Supp. 2d 912 (N.D. Ill. 2009)",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Acosta, 718 F. 3d at 811",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Timely approval of Committee of the Whole minutes",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "A committee of the whole is not a separate public body from the board, so the board must approve its minutes within 30 days or at the second subsequent regular meeting.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A township board's failure to approve meeting minutes",
    "date": "2017-05-23",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-46954/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Black's Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014), committee, available at Westlaw BLACKS",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "45-day rule limiting public comment",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Rules under section 2.06(g) must reasonably accommodate the speaker's statutory right to address public officials while allowing the body to maintain order and decorum.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A town council's policy limiting public comment frequency",
    "date": "2017-03-16",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-45349/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att' y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. 14- 012",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Jackson v. Board of Election Commissioners, 2012 IL 111928",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "People v. Hunter, 2013 IL 114100",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Sylvester v. Industrial Comm' n, 197 I11. 2d 225",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "People v. Woodward, 175 Ill. 2d 435",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Advance notice or registration to speak",
   "outcome": "no_determination",
   "rule": "The Bureau does not pre-approve public comment rules; any advance sign-up or notification rule remains subject to review if a person is denied the right to speak.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A town council's policy limiting public comment frequency",
    "date": "2017-03-16",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-45349/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "2013 PAC 25965",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Confining public comment to agenda items",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Because a public body may discuss matters not listed on the agenda, a rule prohibiting the public from addressing non-agenda matters impermissibly restricts the right to public comment.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A town council's policy limiting public comment frequency",
    "date": "2017-03-16",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-45349/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "2016 PAC 37631",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "I11. Att' y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 38037",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-38037/"
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Requiring speakers to provide home addresses",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Requiring speakers to state their home addresses prior to addressing public bodies violates section 2.06(g) of OMA.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A town council's policy limiting public comment frequency",
    "date": "2017-03-16",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-45349/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "I11. Att' y Gen. Pub. Acc. Op. No. 14- 009",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/2014-pac-29739/"
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Failure to hold open meeting or properly close under exception",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "All meetings of public bodies shall be open to the public unless excepted and closed in accordance with Section 2a.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "A committee's private discussion of a redistricting map",
    "date": "2011-08-12",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-14722/"
   },
   "authorities": []
  }
 ]
}