Meeting Procedures

City Appointed Boards, Commissions, Committees, Subcommittees & Task Forces

All items that are listed have been taken from the Missouri Sunshine Law (PDF), the ethics handbook, or Robert's Rules of Order, based on the City of Springfield policies.

  • All meetings of the committee or subcommittee are public meetings and must be conducted in accordance with the Sunshine Law.
  • All committee and subcommittee meeting agendas must be posted not less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting.
  • A meeting agenda showing the name of the board, commission, committee, subcommittee or task force, the time, date, location of the meeting, ADA compliance statement (* see example below), the proposed topics of discussion should be sent to the City Clerk's Office by 12 p.m. on the Friday of the week preceding the meeting. This allows the City Clerk's Office to post the meeting and reflect it on the city's calendar of weekly events. Remember, weekends and holidays do not count in the 24-hour posting requirement.
  • Agendas must be followed and minutes must be taken.
    • The chair(s) are responsible for creating an agenda, ensuring that minutes are taken at all meetings, and that those minutes are reviewed and approved by the committee members during a subsequent meeting and forwarded to the City Clerk's Office.
    • Minutes must be maintained for all meetings and subcommittee meetings of the body.
    • These minutes should contain a record of the attendance of the committee members, a concise summary of the discussion, and a record of all actions taken by the committee.
    • The minutes should be brought back to the next committee meeting for approval by the applicable committee or subcommittee.
    • After approval has been given, the approved minutes should be sent to the City Clerk's Office, either electronically or by hard copy, to be maintained as a public record.
    • The chair(s) also are responsible for maintaining decorum during the meetings and ensuring that the agenda items are addressed.
    • When introducing new items, please keep in mind that agenda items must be posted 24 hours before the meeting.
  • A quorum of the committee or subcommittee must be in attendance.
    • A quorum of the committee or subcommittee must be in attendance for the committee to have a meeting.
    • A quorum is defined as a majority of the entire membership.
  • Correspondence must be maintained for the body.
    • Any correspondence by any means, (e.g., letters, emails, etc.,) that goes to a quorum of the committee or subcommittee must be maintained as a public record and should be filed with the City Clerk's Office either electronically or by hard copy.
  • Any city board, commission, committee, or task force desiring to make a purchase or establish a contract using public funds must comply with the City of Springfield Purchasing Office's guidelines. These entities are to contact the city's Purchasing Office at 417-864-1637 to determine the proper purchasing / contracting procedure before initiating the process. For general consideration, users of public funds for capital projects must comply with the following requirements:
    • Contracts for the purchase of goods or services exceeding $20,000 require formal advertising.
    • Informal or formal bids exceeding $5,000 may be made utilizing either an Invitation to Bid or a Request for Proposal (RFP).
    • Whenever possible or practical, the City of Springfield agrees to use small or disadvantaged businesses and to use potential vendors from within the greater Springfield metropolitan area.
    • Specific guidelines are included in the City of Springfield Purchasing Office Guidelines to address the contracting for services by architects, engineers and surveyors.
    • A bid bond is required for all competitive, sealed bidding for bonds or construction contracts.
    • Except for minor repairs, construction contracts funded with public dollars generally, typically and most of the time are required to pay prevailing wages.
    • When a construction contract is awarded for an amount exceeding $25,000, contract performance and payment bonds are required.
    • All contracts, as well as any amendment, addendum or change order which increases the amount of the contract, shall include certification by the city's Director of Finance that funds are available to execute the contract.