After several citizens raised concerns with the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission that the Mill Casino Hotel did not meet the public meeting requirements of ORS 192.630 the venue was changed to the Red Lion Inn. Last year, similar concerns were raised with the Coos County Commission for holding public hearings at the casino which is on sovereign tribal land. Oregon statutes require that public meetings be held within the geographic boundaries over which the governing body, in this case the State of Oregon, maintains jurisdiction. In a phone message left with Phil Thompson, the commission agreed the Coquille Tribal casino was outside of the jurisdiction of the state. Technically, the hearing for placing an ordinance on the ballot held at the casino despite public outcry appears to have been illegal… good thing it lost.
192.630 Meetings of governing body to be open to public; location of meetings; accommodation for person with disability; interpreters…
(4) Meetings of the governing body of a public body shall be held within the geographic boundaries over which the public body has jurisdiction, or at the administrative headquarters of the public body or at the other nearest practical location. Training sessions may be held outside the jurisdiction as long as no deliberations toward a decision are involved. A joint meeting of two or more governing bodies or of one or more governing bodies and the elected officials of one or more federally recognized Oregon Indian tribes shall be held within the geographic boundaries over which one of the participating public bodies or one of the Oregon Indian tribes has jurisdiction or at the nearest practical location. Meetings may be held in locations other than those described in this subsection in the event of an actual emergency necessitating immediate action.
The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its third meeting of the year July 16-17 at the The Red Lion Hotel, 1313 N. Bayshore Drive, Coos Bay, OR 97420. The July 16 session meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. with an executive session to discuss acquisition priorities and legal issues; this session is closed to the public. Workshop sessions will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a tour of the Sunset Bay area at 1 p.m.
On July 17, the Commission will convene its regular business meeting at 8:30 a.m. This portion of the meeting is open to the public and includes time for comment on matters not already on the agenda. During the meeting, the Commission will consider–but not vote on–a proposed land exchange affecting part of the Bandon State Natural Area near the town of Bandon 25 miles south of Coos Bay.
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