Open Meeting Law Potpourri
The Data Practices Office will be hosting a free Open Meeting Law Potpourri webinar on Wednesday, January 10 from 11 to 11:45 a.m.
This webinar will highlight recent advisory opinions addressing OML issues and discuss the top questions our office has received about open meetings. Data Practices Office staff will also answer questions you have during a live Q&A.
Registration for this free webinar is available on our website, and you can view recordings of past webinars on our YouTube Channel.
Intro to Data Practices Remote Workshop
The Data Practices Office will be hosting a remote Intro to Data Practices Policies and Procedures workshop on Thursday, January 18 that provides an overview of state and local governments' responsibilities under the Data Practices Act, including:
- Background on a government entity's legal duties related to government data
- Advice on the legal requires related to appropriate access to not public data and data breath notices and investigations
- Guidance on creating and updating customized data practices policies and procedures required by law, and
- An opportunity to apply your knowledge in hands-on exercises.
This workshop will be held remotely on WebEx, and it does not require in-person attendance. The cost to attend this workshop is $125 per person.
More information about this workshop is available on our website.
Advanced Data Practices: Personnel Data Redaction Remote Workshop
Interested in a deeper dive into providing personnel data to requesters? Then this workshop is for you!
The Data Practices Office will be hosting an Advanced Data Practices: Personnel Data Redaction Workshop on Thursday, January 25 that provides an in-depth look at reviewing and redacting government personnel data. The workshop offers:
- Information about requirements for providing data and making redactions under the Minnesota Data Practices Act
- Hands-on activities to apply personnel data classifications under Minnesota Statutes, section 13.43
- Opportunities to connect with other employees performing personnel redactions and share approaches and techniques.
This workshop will be held remotely on WebEx, and it does not require in-person attendance. The cost to attend this workshop is $80 per person.
More information about this workshop is available on our website.
Closed Meetings
In Advisory Opinion 23-005, a member of the public asked whether a city council violated the Open Meeting Law when it closed a meeting on the basis of attorney-client privilege to discuss a contract it had with a local school district and decide whether to break it. The Commissioner opined that the council violated the OML because a public body cannot close a meeting for attorney-client privilege purposes when there was no threatened or pending litigation. The Commissioner noted the threat that litigation may be a result of a public body deciding a matter one way or the other is not sufficient justification to close a meeting, and therefore the public's right to hear the discussion about the contract outweighed the need for absolute confidentiality.
|
