Where an employment contract was approved at a valid meeting, but the agreement to hire was at an invalid meeting, the hiring still stands. The approval of the contract was the controlling date and that meeting was lawfully conducted.

City employee was given notice of a termination hearing for her employment and she attended the hearing. Court found that the notice was still proper, even though the notice was not on any agenda or approved by the town board. The vote to issue notice was not required in this situation.

Meeting notice must state time and place, as well as matters to be discussed at the meeting. It shall "be worded in plain language, directly stating the purpose of the meeting . . . the language used should be simple, direct and comprehensible to a person of ordinary education and intelligence."

A violation of the OMA must be statutorily, strictly construed because a violation carries criminal penalties.

The OMA does not require the content of a specific report and recommendations be published in full prior to presenting the report. If the purpose of a subordinate committee is purely fact-finding or advisory with no decision-making authority, then the committee is not required to hold open meetings.

On appeal, one must seek a stay of the trial court's denial of injunctive relief to preserve the issue. To overcome the mootness doctrine, one must show that a different result would have been obtained or there is a substantial public interest.

A county excise board is an agency of the state and is subject to the OMA.

The OMA does not apply to the Corporate Commission, when it is functioning in an adjudicative capacity, as it is created through constitutional mandate - unlike other statutorily created administrative agencies.

Executive sessions may be held for confidential communications between a public body and its attorney, but only if it concerns a pending action, and disclosure would seriously impair the ability of the public body to process the action or conduct the proceeding in the public interest.

Public policy of the State is to encourage and facilitate an informed citizen's understanding of the governmental process and problems - this is accomplished by having a publicly recorded, open vote.

Agendas are specifically required to be attached as part of the meeting notice. The OMA only requires that a violation be willful - no need to prove criminal intent. To succeed on an OMA claim, injury does not need to be proved. "Agenda" is not a legal word and its meaning is clear.

Meetings held between parties are not subject to the OMA, when the parties do not have the authority to make binding decisions. If the meeting is held between public officials and private citizens, the key consideration is the public nature of the work of the group. NOTE: Refer also to 1978 OK 208.

Covers how the OMA must be liberally construed to favor the public; notice and agenda importance; strict adherence is required; substantial compliance is insufficient; ratifying actions do not cure violations nor breathe life into prior illegal action. NOTE: This is a Swiss Army Knife of the OMA.

Notice of meetings should not be deceptively worded to materially obscure the stated purpose of the meeting, nor should it exceed the scope of the action defined by the notice.

Minutes must be kept and recorded in executive sessions; a majority of a quorum must be present to hold an executive session; any vote or action taken in an executive session must recorded publicly; and informal gatherings among a majority to form a decision is prohibited by the OMA.