OAR 350-011-0003: Meetings of Commission to Be Open to Public; Location of Meetings

(1) All meetings of the commission shall be open to the public and all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting except as otherwise provided by 350-011-0001 to 350-011-0010. A member of the public shall not be required, as a condition of attending a meeting, to give his or her name, other information, complete a questionnaire or fulfill any other condition precedent. (2) No quorum of the commission shall meet in private for the purpose of deciding on or deliberating toward a decision on any matter except as otherwise provided by 350-011-0001 to 350-011-0010. (3) The commission shall not hold a meeting at any place where discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, sexual orientation or national origin is practiced. However, the fact that organizations with restricted membership hold meetings at the place shall not restrict its use by the commission if use of a place by a restricted membership organization is not the primary purpose of the place or its predominate use. (4) Meetings of the commission shall be held within the geographic boundaries over which the commission has jurisdiction, or at the administrative headquarters of the commission or at the other nearest practical location. Training sessions may be held outside the jurisdiction so long as no deliberations toward a decision are involved. A joint meeting of two or more governing bodies shall be held within the geographical boundaries over which one of the participating public bodies has jurisdiction or at the nearest practical location. Meetings may be held in locations other than those described in this subsection in the event of an actual emergency necessitating immediate action. (5) Notwithstanding the requirements of section (4) above, committee meetings may be held in any location where the committee deems it useful. (6) Meetings of the commission shall be held in locations that are accessible to the disabled. (7) Upon request of a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, the commission shall make a good faith effort to have an interpreter for persons who are deaf or heard of hearing provided at a regularly scheduled meeting. The person requesting the interpreter shall provide the commission at least 48 hours' notice of the request, shall provide the name of the requester, sign language preference and any other relevant information the commission may require. As used in this subsection, “good faith effort” includes, but is not limited to, contacting the Oregon Disabilities Commission, the Washington Aging and Adult Services Administration, or other state or local government or community service agency that maintains a list of qualified interpreters and arranging for the referral of one or more qualified interpreters to provide interpreter services. (8) It shall be considered discrimination on the basis of disability for commission to meet in a place inaccessible to persons with disabilities, or upon request of a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, to fail to make a good faith effort to have an interpreter for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing provided at a regularly scheduled meeting. The sole remedy for discrimination on the basis of disability shall be as provided in Commission Rule 350-011-0008. (9) Voting by the commission shall take place in public and each member's vote shall be recorded as it is cast. Any vote taken in violation of this subsection shall be null and void, and shall be considered an "action" under this chapter.