NOVEMBER 2023

Data Practices Office Annual Report is Online

The Data Practices Office's Annual Report is now available on our website. This report provides a look at our office's work during the 2023 fiscal year. The report includes an overview of the different types of questions we received from our partners in the public and government entities, an overview of advisory opinion requests our office received, and a summary of responses to the trainings we conducted. We hope you find the report informative. As always, we welcome feedback on our work and how we can better support you. Feel free to email us at info.dpo@state.mn.us.

Upcoming Data Practices Trainings

Government Personnel Data Remote Workshop

The Data Practices Office will be hosting a Dos and Don'ts of Government Personnel Data remote workshop on Thursday, November 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. that provides an overview of the Data Practices Acts requirements related to personnel data under section 13.43. The workshop includes:

• Background information on classifications of data about government employees
• Requirements for data related to employee investigations and discipline
• An opportunity to apply your knowledge in hands-on exercises

The workshop will be held remotely on WebEx, and it will not require in-person attendance. The cost to attend this workshop is $250 per person.

Registration information for this workshop is available on our website.

DPO Presents: Safe at Home and Property Records Webinar

The Data Practices Office is partnering with the Safe at Home team from the Secretary of State's Office to offer a free webinar on Wednesday, November 15 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The webinar will provide an overview of how the statutes implementing the Safe at Home program apply to property records. Join us to learn more about the program and ask questions of the team!

More information about this free webinar is available on our website, and you can find recordings of past webinars on our YouTube Channel.

Advisory Opinion Updates

Special Meeting Notice

In Advisory Opinion 23-003, members of the public asked whether a city council violated the Open Meeting Law when it discussed topics during a special meeting that were not described in the special meeting notice's purpose. The Commissioner opined that the council did not provide appropriate notice of its special meeting because the purpose in the notice failed to describe all topics that councilmembers discussed. 

Closed Meetings; Data Subject Requests

In Advisory Opinion 23-004, a data subject asked whether a city council violated the Open Meeting Law when it held multiple closed sessions under Minnesota Statutes, section 13D.05 subd. 2(b), to discuss allegations against an individual subject to its authority. The data subject also asked whether a city responded appropriately to a request for data made under Minnesota Statutes, section 13.04. The Commissioner opined that the Council did not comply with the Open Meeting Law when it held closed meetings under section 13D.05 subd. 2(b), as it had previously determined that discipline may be warranted and discussed matters outside the scope of closure permitted by the section. Additionally, the Commissioner concluded that the City did not respond appropriately to a request from the data subject because it did not provide access to the data within ten business days, as required by section 13.04.