| (a) The board shall designate one or more places inside
or outside the district for conducting the meetings of the board.
The meeting place may be a private residence or office, provided that
the board, in its order establishing the meeting place, declares the
same to be a public place and invites the public to attend any meeting
of the board. If the board establishes a meeting place or places outside
the district, it shall give notice of the location or locations by
filing a true copy of the resolution establishing the location or
locations of the meeting place or places and a justification of why
the meeting will not be held in the district or within 10 miles of
the boundary of the district, if applicable, with the commission and
also by publishing notice of the location or locations in a newspaper
of general circulation in the district. If the location of any of
the meeting places outside the district is changed, notice of the
change shall be given in the same manner.
(b) After at least 50 qualified electors are residing
in a district, on written request of at least five of those electors,
the board shall designate a meeting place and hold meetings within
the district. If no suitable meeting place exists inside the district,
the board may designate a meeting place outside the district that
is located not further than 10 miles from the boundary of the district.
(c) On the failure, after a request is made under subsection
(b) of this section, of the board to designate the location of the
meeting place within the district or not further than 10 miles from
the boundary of the district, five electors may petition the commission
to designate a location.
(1) The petition shall include the following items:
the name of the district; reason(s) why the current meeting location
deprives the residents of a reasonable opportunity to attend district
meetings; evidence that the petitioners have requested a change in
the meeting location in accordance with subsection (b) of this section;
certification that there are at least 50 qualified voters residing
in the district; and evidence that the five petitioners are qualified
voters residing in the district.
(2) The petition may include proposed new meeting locations
and addresses.
(d) If the commission determines that the meeting place
used by the district deprives the residents of a reasonable opportunity
to attend district meetings, the commission shall designate a meeting
place inside or outside the district which is reasonably available
to the public and require that the meetings be held at such place.
(e) After holding a meeting at a place designated under
subsection (b) or (c) of this section, the board may hold a hearing
on the designation of a different meeting place, including a meeting
place outside of the district. The board may hold meetings at the
designated meeting place if, at the hearing, the board determines
that the new meeting place is beneficial to the district and will
not deprive the residents of the district of a reasonable opportunity
to attend meetings. The board may not hold meetings at a meeting place
outside the district or further than 10 miles from the boundaries
of the district if the board receives a petition under subsection
(c) of this section.
(f) The commission shall make a determination under
subsection (c) of this section not later than the 60th day after the
date the commission receives a complete petition.
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