Transportation district, which was also a municipal corporation, brought action for declaratory relief, seeking a declaration that planned, future collective-bargaining sessions between its bargaining team and labor union’s bargaining team were not “meetings” subject to the open-meetings requirements of the Public Meetings Law.
The Circuit Court entered summary judgment in transportation district’s favor. Labor union appealed. The Court of Appeals vacated and remanded. Transportation district appealed.
The Supreme Court of Oregon held that:
- A “quorum of a governing body” could “meet” within the scope of Public Meetings Law, even if the result is not a “meeting” under the law;
- Factual dispute precluded summary judgment that transportation district’s negotiating team would not constitute a quorum meeting in private under the Public Meetings Law; and
- Factual dispute precluded summary judgment that Public Meetings Law’s provision that labor negotiations shall be conducted in open meetings controlled whether the bargaining sessions could be conducted in private.
- Decision of the Court of Appeals affirmed, decision of the Circuit Court reversed, and case remanded.