The SC Freedom of Information Act requires public bodies such as city councils to post their meeting agendas at their office or meeting place, provide them to the news media and others who have requested them, and post them on their websites, if they have one. Many municipal governments go beyond those requirements, posting agenda packets — which are separate documents from agendas that contain a variety of supplemental material on each agenda item — onto their website ahead of the meeting. They will sometimes do more than is legally required by livestreaming meetings to make them more accessible.
These efforts can improve transparency and community engagement, but it’s also important to handle them consistently. Here’s some points to consider when posting materials for city or town council meetings online:
Keep the postings consistent.
Posting materials regularly takes staff time. As with other forms of ongoing communication, if a city government begins posting agenda packets, it should continue doing so on an ongoing basis. If posting the packets stops, especially if residents have come to expect their posting, it can create the perception that the municipality is not being transparent.
Does the information need to be available other ways?
The many ordinances and other council meeting materials found in agenda packets tend to be unfamiliar reading materials for residents. Some city governments will dedicate resources to creating an e-newsletter to help better explain the municipality’s operations to residents. Others may break out news articles or other materials on particular aspects of what the council has considered and acted on, such as the annual budget, or planning and zoning documents. Some cities have posted news items or videos recapping what took place at a council meeting.
As with other things that go up on the website, municipalities need to weigh whether they can devote staff time to maintaining these types of consistent communication.
More public meeting outreach resources
Several recent Uptown articles have explored ways that cities keep their residents and stakeholders in the loop on what is happening at council meetings.
- Above and Beyond: Outreach Connects Residents to Council Meetings – Social media, postcards mailed to residents and community meetings are some ways that South Carolina municipalities have shared information on the actions being taken by the city council.
- Online Engagement Brings Local Government to the Residents – Livestreamed meetings, alert system apps and virtual public comment periods during council meetings are some tools that city governments can use to reach their residents more easily.
- As Transparent as Possible: Clerks Discuss Agenda Management – Some city governments are previewing public meetings, including the meeting agendas, on social media ahead of each scheduled date.