NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST ANYMORE...

At last night's Town Board meeting, the Board adopted a policy or practice of posting draft minutes of meetings on the Town website as soon as the draft is finished by the Clerk.

This suggestion was brought up at the Round Table Meeting between the Board and the Planning Commission and was discussed again last night. Why is this of any significance?

Because the discussion made clear the public's opportunity and, indeed, right, under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) to access this information so as to be better updated sooner.

While the posting of any minutes on the Town's website is actually optional, it has been Eureka's practice to do so, enabling the public to more easily be informed of Township matters without having to attend each meeting. It is also helpful in researching how a particular matter was handled in the past, by going into the archives of minutes. 

What is now new is the posting of the draft minutes. In the past, the only draft minutes that have been posted were those from the Annual Meeting. These are not approved until the following year's Annual Meeting. It is important to be aware that draft minutes CAN and often DO change.  The minutes are not official until approved by the Board or the Commission. That is the reason for the large "watermark" saying "DRAFT" that goes across the pages diagonally.

What is not optional is the public's right to make a Data Practices request for (even) the draft minutes. Draft minutes and even the Clerk's notes in composing these minutes are considered to be public information under the MGDPA. 

As a member of the public, you can come in and "inspect" the draft minutes, that is, read them at Town Hall. You can also request paper copies of the draft minutes at $0.25 per page. (This amount is set by the law.) This is similar to requesting a copy of the audio recording of a meeting before it is destroyed upon approval of the minutes from that meeting. The destruction of the disc is in keeping with Eureka's retention policy filed with the State, as required. As long as the government document is in existence, you have a right to request a copy, generally speaking. (There are some exceptions to the MGDPA.)

So now there is even less reason to say, "I didn't know that! Why didn't somebody tell me?" (Heard from time to time at public meetings!)

                              BOTTOMS UP!