State law does not require that meetings of ‘public bodies’ be conducted under any specific set of rules or procedures. The Open Meeting Law does provide the opportunity to adopt reasonable rules for meetings, and it’s a best practice to adopt rules and conduct meetings in accordance with those procedures. There is no legal obligation for municipal public bodies to adopt Roberts’ Rules of Order for their meetings. In fact, Roberts’ Rules are not well-suited for small boards VLCT has developed Model Rules of Procedure for meetings to help selectboards, committees, commissions and other ‘public bodies.’

While every effort is made to provide members with the most accurate information possible, these documents do not constitute legal advice.

Contact the Municipal Assistance Center at info@vlct.org [1] or 1-800-649-7915 for individual assistance.