Open Meeting Law
Public Meeting Postings
On August 4, 2014, the Hanover Board of Selectmen voted to designate the town’s website, hanover-ma.gov, as an “alternate meeting posting location,” effective January 1, 2015. All meetings of public bodies within the Town of Hanover will be posted on hanover-ma.gov, in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 30A, Section 19(a). Residents or other interested parties who do not have Internet access will be able to use the Internet-accessible computer located at the Town Clerk’s Office. For more information about the policy, please contact the Hanover Select Board.
The Open Meeting Law
The purpose of the Open Meeting Law is to ensure transparency in the deliberations upon which public policy is based. Because the democratic process depends on the public having knowledge about the considerations underlying governmental action, the Open Meeting Law requires, with some exceptions, that meetings of public bodies be open to the public. It also seeks to balance the public's interest in witnessing the deliberations of public officials with the government's need to manage its operations efficiently.
The Town of Hanover passed a bylaw accepted by the Attorney General in 2022 that requires video recording of all public body meetings.
Regulations for Public Bodies
If you are a member of a public body, the Open Meeting Law Regulations require you to certify receipt of the following Open Meeting Law materials within two weeks of assuming office:
- Open Meeting Law Guide and Educational Materials (Open Meeting Law, MGL c 30A §§ 18 through 25 and Attorney General’s regulations, 940 CMR 29.00-29.11), and
- A copy of each Open Meeting Law determination issued within the last five years by the Attorney General to the public body on which you serve in which the Attorney General's Office found a violation of the Open Meeting Law.
Once you have reviewed the materials, sign the certification form on the last page of the guide and return it to the Town Clerk’s Office.
Additionally, please also review the Massachusetts COVID-era guidance under Chapter 22 of the Acts of 2022 that was recently extended until March 31, 2025, and the Town of Hanover by-law amendment that was approved at the May 2, 2022, Annual Town Meeting under Article 20 that mandates video recording of all meetings.