(a) Notice of Meetings: The Board must give reasonable advance notice of meetings that are subject to the Open Meetings Law pursuant to the provisions of that law. All advance notice must comply with the sign posting and advertising requirements of Article 2B of the Annotated Code of Maryland, Section 10-202.
(b) Public Attendance:
(1) At any open session of the Board of License Commissioners, the general public may attend and observe.
(2) Except when the Board expressly invites public testimony, questions, comments, or other forms of public participation, or when public participation is otherwise authorized by law, no member of the public attending an open session may participate in the session.
(c) Disruptive Conduct:
(1) A person attending an open session of the Board must not engage in any conduct, including visual demonstrations such as the waving of placards, signs, or banners, that disrupts the session or that interferes with the right of members of the public to attend and observe the session.
(2) The presiding officer may order any person who persists in conduct prohibited by subsection (a) or who violates any other regulation concerning the conduct of the open session to be removed from the session, and may request police assistance to restore order. The presiding officer may recess the session until order is restored.
(d) Recording, Photographing, and Broadcasting of Open Sessions.
(1) A member of the public including any representative of the news media, may record discussions of the Board of License Commissioners at an open session by means of a tape recorder or any other recording device if the device does not create an excessive noise which disturbs members of the Board or other persons attending the session.
(2) A member of the public, including any representative of the news media, may photograph or videotape the proceedings of the Board at an open session by means of any type of camera if the camera:
(i) is operated without excessively bright artificial light which disturbs members of the Board or other persons attending the session;
(ii) does not create an excessive noise which disturbs members of the Board or other persons attending the session.
(3) A representative of the news media may broadcast or televise the proceedings of the Board at an open session if the equipment used:
(i) is operated without excessively bright artificial light which disturbs members of the Board or other persons attending the session;
(ii) does not create an excessive noise which disturbs members of the Board or other persons attending the session.
(4) The presiding officer may restrict the movement of a person who is using a recording device, camera, or broadcasting or televising equipment, if that restriction is necessary to maintain the orderly conduct of the session.
(e) Recordings Not Part of Record: A recording of an open session made by a representative of the news media or other member of the public, or any transcript derived from such a recording, must not be deemed a part of the record of any proceeding of the Board.
(f) Closed Meetings:
(1) The Board may hold closed meetings as allowed by the Maryland Annotated Code, State Government Article, Section 10-508(a). The Board must approve the closed meeting by a majority vote. The Board must take the vote before the closed meeting and must make a written statement of the reason for the closed meeting, including a citation of the authority under State law that justifies closing the meeting. If a person objects to the closed meeting, the Board must send a copy of the written statement to the Open Meetings Compliance Board.
(2) Minutes must be taken of the closed meeting that include a list of the topics discussed, the persons present, and each action taken during the closed meeting. The minutes must be carefully worded to avoid disclosing information that would negate the purpose of closing the meeting.