[History: Enacted by Tribal Council motion on September 30, 2015; and amended by Tribal Council motion on May 25, 2016.]
(a) 
This Act is established by the following authority:
(1) 
Article IV, Section 1(c) of the Constitution, granting to the Tribal Council the power to make laws, including codes, ordinances, resolutions and statutes.
(2) 
Article III, Section 5(d)(1) of the Constitution, providing that meetings of the Tribal Council and, by implication, agencies, committees and commissions created under the authority of Article IV, Section 1(c) and (m), "shall be open to tribal members and tribal members shall have a reasonable opportunity to be heard under such rules and regulations as the Council may prescribe" through additional legislation consistent with its authority under Article IV, Section 1, wherein the Executive and Legislative functions are combined in the Tribal Council.
(b) 
The purpose of this Act is to ensure that the Tribe's governmental business is conducted in an open and public manner subject to review by Tribal citizens and designated employees or agents of the Tribe. This Act will ensure that the citizens of the Grand Traverse Band remain informed on the affairs of the Band, their elected government officials and the governmental systems created by the people of the Grand Traverse Band.
(c) 
The Tribal Council finds that public accountability and transparency of all governmental action is of paramount importance to legitimate governments, and that modern technology provides simple and easy solutions to allow the Tribal citizens to maintain fully-informed and democratic participation.
[History: Enacted by Tribal Council motion on September 30, 2015; and amended by Tribal Council motion on May 25, 2016.]
(a) 
"Citizens" means all enrolled members of the Grand Traverse Band wherever located.
(b) 
"Closed Session" means the portion of a Regular, Special or Emergency Meeting that is closed to the public for the discussion of personnel or legal matters, or as may otherwise be permitted by federal or Tribal law.
(c) 
"Meeting" means the official convening of a quorum of members of a Public Tribal Body for the purpose of conducting public tribal business and includes Regular, Special and Emergency Meetings.
(d) 
"Public" means an enrolled member of the Grand Traverse Band and other persons as authorized by the Tribal Council to attend public meetings.
(e) 
"public body" means any official entity of the Tribe at which a quorum is required to conduct public business and which performs a governmental function for the Band. Public Bodies shall include the Legislature, including its committees established and organized pursuant to the Committee Procedures Act, 1 GTBC § 209, and the following defined Public Bodies:
(1) 
The Election Board, established pursuant to Article VII of the Constitution;
(2) 
The Gaming Commission, established pursuant to 18 GTBC § 401 et seq.;
(3) 
The Natural Resource and Environmental Committee, established to administer Article X, Section 2 and Article XI, Section 2 of the Constitution; and
(4) 
Other boards, committees or subordinate organizations as the Tribal Council may from time to time establish and delegate legislative or executive authority.
[History: Enacted by Tribal Council motion on September 30, 2015; and amended by Tribal Council motion on May 25, 2016.]
(a) 
Every meeting of a public body shall be noticed to the public according to the standards found in Article VI, Section 5 of the Constitution.
(b) 
Every meeting of a public body shall be take place in the Tribal Council meeting room in the Administrative Building and shall be preserved on an audio and visual recording, which shall be maintained and made available on the internet for access and review by citizens of Grand Traverse Band by means of an internet secure protocol to be established by the Information Technology Department of the Tribal Government and kept restricted to access by only by Tribal citizens.
(1) 
Closed sessions shall not be subject to audio and visual recordings, but the business to be discussed in closed sessions shall comply with Article IV, Section (d)(1) of the Constitution or be subject to applicable federal privacy laws. The reason for entertaining a matter in closed session shall be clearly stated on a meeting's agenda and on the record in open session (i.e., a legal matter, a personnel matter, or the applicable federal privacy law).