Since the Open Meetings Commission meeting on Thursday, things have been heating up. Between what councilors may or may not present and what the city attorney may or may not do or say, the only thing I can speculate right now, is get ready for some fireworks, debate and surprises on Monday.
You can access the meetings online HERE. I would make sure to tune into the informational meeting at 4 PM.
I was at the hearing/meeting today of the Open Meetings Commission, which involved the termination of city clerk Debra Owen. It was probably one of the most interesting public meetings I have ever attended. At one point, the crowd applauded the AL’s attorney, Jon Arneson after his opening statements. And there was a lot of audible snickering anytime David Fiddle-Faddle from the city would say something.
According to KSFY, the commission still has to decide punishment;
The South Dakota Open Meeting Commission says the city of Sioux Falls violated state open meetings laws when it fired former city clerk Debra Owen last fall.
The city will be formally reprimanded once the commission gets more information from both lawyers involved.
I think the vote was 4-1 in favor of violation. I had to leave before the final vote.
Stormland-TV also covered the event.
I congratulate the Argus Leader and Debra Owen for the victory, even though, once again, like the violation against Dr. Staggers, too little, too late. Debra is still terminated, and the public still does not know why.
Not sure if this has to do with the termination of city clerk Debra Owen or the walking in of agenda items, but the city got served;
Apparently, Rapid City has everyone in the state whipped;
Although many of the incumbents in next month’s mayor and city council races pledge they are proponents of open, transparent government, they operate the most closed-door city council sessions in South Dakota.
In 2010, councilors voted to shield their discussion from public view at 20 of the 23 regularly scheduled council meetings. They spent more than 18 hours discussing city issues they deemed sensitive enough for private discussion. That is nearly 20 percent of the 98 hours the body met in total, according to an analysis by the Rapid City Journal.
And compare that to Sioux Falls;
However, records indicate that Sioux Falls — which is more than twice as populous as Rapid City — entered closed sessions at only nine of its 43 meetings in 2010. That accounted for less than six hours, or 10 percent of the total meeting time. Sioux Falls City Attorney Dave Pfeifle said they only use the sessions for brief updates on litigation and other important discussions.
The litigation part I understand, but what does ‘important discussion’ mean? Personnel and Litigation matters – fine. Anything else should be wide open. Hasn’t RC learned something from the sanitation debacle? Maybe they have; MORE SECRECY.
l3wis