True or False?
Receiving a copy of the minutes of city or town council meetings
requires a written Freedom of Information Act request.
Answer: False
Municipalities and other political subdivisions of the state are public bodies subject to the SC Freedom of Information Act. Meeting minutes of public bodies are public records, and state law requires that the minutes for the preceding six months must be made available for immediate inspection and copying. Meeting minutes that have not yet been approved by the council must be released, but they should be marked as “draft” minutes.
Any individual may make an in-person request for this material during normal business hours without being required to submit the request in writing. This requirement applies to meeting minutes of a municipal council, commission or board of public works, or any committee, subcommittee or advisory committee of the municipality.
The Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government offers in-person and online courses. The next in-person sessions, “Freedom of Information Act in SC” and “Municipal Governance and Policy,” will take place May 17 at five regional Councils of Governments locations in Columbia, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville and North Charleston.