What are the requirements for filing and posting meeting notices for local public bodies?

For local public bodies, meeting notices must be filed with the municipal clerk sufficiently in advance of a public meeting to permit posting of the notice at least 48 hours in advance of the public meeting.  Notices may be posted on a bulletin board, in a loose-leaf binder or on an electronic display (e.g. television, computer monitor, or an electronic bulletin board), provided that the notice is conspicuously visible to the public at all hours in or on the municipal building in which the clerk’s office is located.  In the event that the meeting notices posted in the municipal building are not visible to the public at all hours, then the municipality must either post notices on the outside of the building or follow one of the alternative posting methods approved by the Attorney General in 940 CMR 29.03(2)(b):

• Public bodies may post notice of meetings on the municipal website;
• Public bodies may post notice of meetings on cable television, AND , post notice or provide cable television access in an alternate municipal building (e.g., police or fire station) where the notice is accessible at all hours;
• Public bodies may post notice of meetings in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality, AND , post notice or a copy of the newspaper containing the meeting notice at an alternate municipal building (e.g., police or fire station) where the notice is accessible at all hours;
• Public bodies may place a computer monitor or electronic or physical bulletin board displaying meeting notices on or in a door, window, or near the entrance of the municipal building in which the clerk's office is located in such a manner as to be visible to the public from outside the building, or;
• Public bodies may provide an audio recording of meeting notices, available to the public by telephone at all hours.

Note that even if an alternative posting method has been adopted, meeting notices must still be available in or around the clerk's office so that members of the public may view the notices during normal business hours. Prior to adopting an alternative posting method, the clerk of the municipality must inform the Division of Open Government of its notice posting method, and update the Division of any future change.  All public bodies shall consistently use the most current notice posting method on file with the Division. A description of the alternative posting method must also be posted on or adjacent to the main and handicapped accessible entrances to the building where the clerk's office is located.
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What are the requirements for posting meeting notices for regional district, county, and state public bodies?

• For regional or district public bodies and regional school districts, meeting notices must be filed and posted in the same manner required of local public bodies, in each of the communities within the region or district. As an alternative method of notice, a regional or district public body may post a meeting notice on the regional or district public body's website. A copy of the notice shall be filed and kept by the chair of the public body or the chair's designee.