You asked whether municipal agencies must post minutes of public meetings on their Internet websites to comply with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

No. FOIA does not require agencies of the state's political subdivisions, including municipalities, to post minutes of public meetings on their Internet websites. This requirement applies only to state agencies that maintain websites. However, all agencies, including municipal agencies, must make minutes available for public inspection no later than seven days after a public meeting (CGS § 1-225(a)).

BACKGROUND

Generally, FOIA requires public agencies to keep minutes of their meetings and make the minutes available for public inspection within seven days after the meeting. The minutes must contain the vote of each member of the agency on any issue that came before it. If an agency has an Internet website, it must post the minutes on it by the seven day deadline. The requirement applies only to minutes that must be publicly disclosed (executive sessions are not covered). The law exempts from the requirement agencies of state political subdivisions.

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