Sunshine Law
The Attorney General’s office has posted this Sunshine Law manual online:
http://myfloridalegal.com/sun.nsf/manual
Here is basic information on the Sunshine Law from the Attorney General’s website:
Q. What is the Sunshine Law?
A. Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine law provides a right of access to most governmental council, committee, board, or commission proceedings at both the state and local levels. It applies to any gathering of two or more members of the same board, council, committee or commission to discuss some matter which will foreseeably come before that body for action. There is also a constitutionally guaranteed right of access. Virtually all state and local public bodies are covered by the open meetings requirements with the exception of the judiciary and the state Legislature which has its own constitutional provision relating to access.
Q. What are the requirements of the Sunshine law?
A. The Sunshine law requires that 1) meetings of boards or commissions must be open to the public; 2) reasonable notice of such meetings must be given, and 3) minutes of the meeting must be taken.
Sunshine Law Applicability to the City of Jacksonville
Q. Can a City Council member privately talk to, or write a letter to, the Mayor asking for action in a matter?
A. Yes, they are not part of the same “public body”.
Q. Can a City Council member write a letter expressing his/her opinion on a local matter and send it to all City Council members?
A. Yes, but the letter must be limited to providing a statement of position and cannot invite a discussion on the matter or ask for responses. The letter must be preserved as a public record.
Q. Can two City Council members meet at a local restaurant and talk about the upcoming football game or a church project they are working on?
A. Yes—as long as they do not talk about any matters “foreseeably coming before them in the Council.”
Q. Can a City Council member meet privately with a JTA board member?
A. Yes, they are not part of the same “public body”.
Q. Can two City Council members meet together privately with a JEA Board member?
A. No, because there are 2 members of the same body present, therefore, they need to notice this meeting and keep minutes.