Richfield Planning Commission Discusses Open Meeting Laws

The Richfield Planning Commission met for its regular monthly meeting Monday night and also held a study session prior to the meeting with Jim Strommen, an attorney with Kennedy & Graven law firm, to discuss the Minnesota Open Meeting Law.

Items of concern during the study session included chance meetings where members of the commission run into each other at a social gathering.

Strommen said it is a critical issue when a quorum of members meet at a social gathering because even being seen together or overheard discussing anything related to commission business could be an issue.

"I think you just plain have to avoid [meeting]," Strommen said. "Obviously, it's not a violation of the open meeting law for you to be at somebody's graduation reception or all the things that happen in the city, but you have to take care to avoid issues that are before you or could be before you."

Strommen also discussed issues regarding e-mail as it applies to the law, stating that simply hitting the "reply-all" option could violate the law.

"[In this situation, if you] begin having a discussion as if you were having a meeting ... you start to get into an area where your actions could be called into question as a violation of the public meeting law," he said.

Later, Strommen discussed Sturgis Rules of Parliamentary Order with the commission, something he referred to as a "streamlined Robert's Rules of Order."

The rules specify how a public meeting is conducted.

"It's important to always remind ourselves that the purpose of the rules is to foster debate and discussion in an orderly manner, not to suppress discussion with excessive formalities," Strommen said. 

In other business:

• The commission conducted a public hearing to consider amendments to the city's zoning ordinance that included bay windows, fences, home occupations, permissible business sizes, permitted businesses, sign permits and reference corrections. None of the issues were related to the that was passed by the city council March 22.
• The commission considered related to voting majority and opening a public hearing.
• The commission discussed their study session schedule and tentative work plans.

The next planning commission meeting is at 7 p.m. April 25 at Richfield City Hall.