The fact that the Open Meetings Law does not apply to advisory committees is a continuing problem.
Whenever a public body forms a committee it should be subject to the Open Meetings Law.
An interesting New York City lawsuit is arguing about this very issue.
Three Columbia Waterfront District residents sued over the closed meetings of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal task force. City lawyers now tell the court the task force’s activities “remained advisory in nature” — after officials had said publicly that the task force had final approval over the vision plan. The Committee on Open Government had already found it was a public body.
Read the full story: City lawyers admit BMT Task Force was advisory — Red Hook Star-Revue, March 11, 2026.
When a committee counts as a public body is covered in our Questions and Answers.
