Running effective meetings

A presentation by the UW-Extension Lakes Program provides a helpful outline for conducting meetings efficiently, fairly, and legally.

Lake districts are special purpose units of government, and as such must comply with Wisconsin’s open meetings and open records laws.

Download presentation: Meetings – tips for conducting them effectively & open meetings law
(PDF 3.62 MB)

Wisconsin’s Open Meetings and Open Records Laws

Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law promotes openness in government and provides Wisconsin citizens with an opportunity to observe and educate themselves about their government’s operations. The Attorney General’s Office has developed a document that explains Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law and discusses significant cases that have an impact on the law’s implementation. The Compliance Guide includes appendices that list the authorities and correspondence cited in the text, reproduce the open meetings law sections of the statutes, and provide a complaint form.

The state’s Public Records Law is in place to provide the public with reasonable access to public records at reasonable costs. Portions of the law were substantially revised in 2003 as a legislative response to several court decisions interpreting the law. The Department of Justice has developed a document that explains Wisconsin’s Public Records Law and discusses significant cases that have an impact on the law’s implementation.

Download Open Meetings Law Compliance Guide and the 2005 Wisconsin Public Records Law
(Exits site)

Roberts Rules of Order

Roberts Rules of Order, or parliamentary procedure, is a set of rules for conduct at meetings that allows everyone to be heard and to make decisions without confusion. Roberts Rules of Order are a time tested method of conducting business at meetings and public gatherings and are the basic mode of operation for most clubs, organizations and other groups. It can be adapted to fit the needs of any organization.

Summary of Roberts Rules of Order
(PDF 17 KB)

Learn how to use Roberts Rules of Order
(Exits site)