5.4 Open Meeting Law - Laserfiche WebLink

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10 — If the public body decides that discipline of any nature may be warranted regarding the specific charges,further meetings must be open. (Note:There is a special provision dealing with allegations of law enforcement personnel misconduct;see next discussion*.) • Portions of meetings at which any of the following data is discussed: — Data that would identify alleged victims or reporters of criminal sexual conduct,domestic abuse,or maltreatment of minors or vulnerable adults. — *Internal affairs data relating to allegations of law enforcement personnel misconduct or active law enforcement investigative data. — Educational data,health data,medical data,welfare data or mental health data that are not- public data. — An individual's medical records governed by sections§§144..291 to 144.298. Procedure.Before closing the meeting,the council must state on the record the specific grounds for closing the meeting and describe the subject to be discussed.The meeting must be electronically recorded,and the recording must be preserved for at least three years after the meeting. • Notice requirements Public notice must be given of all meetings of a public body.The notice requirements differ depending on the type of meeting. However,if a person receives actual notice of a meeting at least 24 hours before the meeting,all notice requirements under the open meeting law are satisfied,regardless of the method of receipt. It should also be noted that statutory cities have some additional requirements for mailing notice to their councilmembers regarding special meetings.There may also be additional notice requirements for home rule charter cities to consider.These cities should consult their charters for more information. 1. Regular meetings A schedule of the regular meetings must be kept on file in the city office.If the city decides to hold a meeting at a different time or place,it must give the notice required for a special meeting. Cities must keep a schedule of the regular meetings of the council on file at the primary office of the council.This requirement can be complied with by posting the regular meeting schedule in a convenient public location. 2. Special meetings A special meeting is a meeting that is held at a time or location different from that of a regular meeting. A city must post written notice of a special meeting on its principal bulletin board or on the door of its meeting room if it does not have a bulletin board.If notice is posted on a bulletin board,the bulletin board must be located in a place that is reasonably accessible to the public.The notice must give the date,time,place,and purpose of the meeting.It must also be mailed to each individual who has filed a written request for notice of special meetings.As an alternative to posting the notice,the city can publish notice in the official newspaper at least three days before the meeting. A city must post written notice of a special meeting on its principal bulletin board or on the door of its meeting room if it does not have a bulletin board at least three days prior to the meeting.In statutory cities,the clerk must mail notice of special meetings to all councihnembers at least one day before the meeting. In calculating the number of days for providing notice,do not count the first day that the notice is given,but do count the last day.If the last day is a Saturday,Sunday or a legal holiday,that day is omitted from the calculation and the following day is considered the last day(unless,of course,it happens to be a Saturday,Sunday or legal holiday). A Good Start to Good Governance League of Minnesota Cities