At the beginning of each year, public bodies must provide written notice of their regularly scheduled meetings in order to comply with the SC Freedom of Information Act.
This annual notice needs to provide a date, time and location for each of a city’s regular meetings. It should include the regular monthly meeting required in SC Code Section 5-7-250(a), but it can include other meetings like work sessions as well. While public bodies should aim to adhere to their annual notice schedules, the law does not prevent rescheduling of meetings, or prevent special-called or emergency meetings.
The annual meeting notice must appear on a bulletin board in a publicly accessible place at the public body’s office or meeting space. Public bodies that maintain a website must place the annual notice there as well.
The FOIA posting requirements for the annual notice are similar to the FOIA requirements for posting individual meeting agendas. Those agendas also need to be placed on a publicly accessible bulletin board at the meeting place, and on websites when available. Public bodies also need to provide these agendas to all those individuals, news outlets and organizations who request that the body send agendas to them. The body needs to publicize the agenda in this way at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
Annual notices and meeting agenda requirements apply to all public bodies, including these:
- City and town councils
- Public utility boards
- Planning commissions
- Boards of zoning appeals
- Architectural review boards
- All other boards, commissions and committees appointed by a city or town council
Find more information in the Public Officials Guide to Compliance with the S.C. Freedom of Information Act.