Understanding the Freedom of Access Act Webinar

Sponsored by: Maine Municipal Association
Date: 3/4/2025
Location: Remote Access - Live Webinar via ZOOM
Time: 4:30pm-6:00pm
Presenter(s): Sarah Jancarik & Adelia Weber, Staff Attorneys, Maine Municipal Association
Cost: MMA Member: $40 | Non-Member: $80

Training for: Animal Control, Assessor, Clerk, Code Enforcement, Finance, General Assistance, Human Resources, Librarian, Manager, Parks & Recreation, Planning, Public Safety, Public Works, Tax Collector & Treasurer, Water & Wastewater, MMA

Who Should Attend:
This webinar is aimed at helping elected and appointed municipal officials understand Maine’s Freedom of Access Act (“FOAA”) and fulfill training requirements. It will provide an overview of the FOAA, including public/open meeting requirements, why FOAA requests are filed and how to handle them properly. (Qualifies as Maine-required FOAA Training. This session does not explore laws about criminal investigations and records.)

 

Course Information:
Does our board meeting need to be held in public? When can the board enter executive session? How do we respond to a record request from a citizen? Or a serial requester, or a journalist? Maine law requires that all “public proceedings” occur in public and that FOAA requests be handled properly, fairly and in a timely manner. This webinar is designed to help municipal officials at all levels comply with FOAA and make good decisions about FOAA requests, even if the requests grow in number.

 

Topics Include:
•    Maine’s FOAA Law: An Overview
•    Public/Open Meeting Requirements
•    Executive Sessions
•    Receiving & Fulfilling Public Record Requests 
•    Appointing a Public Access Officer (PAO) 
•    Timing and Deadlines
•    Violations & Penalties 
•    Required FOAA Training

 

 

Certification:

This course applies to the Maine Town, City and County Management Association Certification Program as 1.5 credits in the Elected Relations category.

 

Confirmation and Zoom link:

Registrants will receive their Zoom link and meeting details directly from MMA Zoom no later than 24 hours in advance. An official workshop confirmation from MMA will follow with further instructions and access to meeting materials. 

Please reach out to [email protected] if you have not received your link the day prior to the training.

Cancellations for MMA Webinars: 

Cancellations must be submitted using this Cancellation form to cancel your registration for an event. Cancellations received on/after 2/28/25 will be charged a $15 cancellation fee. Any registrant who does not attend and does not cancel their registration (i.e., no-show) and any cancellation received the day of the event will be charged the full registration fee. Registration substitutions are permitted for registrants within the same municipality/organization and will be assessed a $15 substitution fee. Please email [email protected] to request a registration substitution. Registration transfers to a future training offering are not permitted. 

If you have questions, please contact the Educational Services Office at (800) 452-8786 or (207) 623-8428 or [email protected]. 

 

SHARED EMAIL ADDRESSES - Zoom will NOT accept the same email address to be imported more than once/for multiple users. Please make sure you are NOT using the same email address as another registrant, ie: co-worker, offices using a shared email address, unless you are watching together in a group setting.  

Please email [email protected] to provide us with an alternate email address.  

 

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GROUP VIEWERS: We understand multiple attendees may be planning to attend this webinar together using one screen or login. At the conclusion of the webinar please send one email to [email protected]  within 24 hours to confirm each person in attendance. If you attend via phone or another email address, you must confirm your attendance as well. The email MUST include full names and accurate emails of all participants so that we can send certificates, materials, and track credits in a timely manner. Certificates and credits for all webinars are awarded to registered attendees only. Please do not send your attendance email prior to the webinar.   

 

If you are the only viewer from your email account or Zoom link, there is no need to confirm your attendance. 

 

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