Laserfiche WebLink
destroyed, replacement will be the responsibility of the elected official until the next allowance <br />period. <br />Use of Electronic Communication Devices During Public Meetings: <br />E-mail and texting features on phones and computers make it possible for officials to conduct <br />private conversations, among themselves or with others, while convened in a public meeting. <br />While open meeting laws do not directly address or prohibit the use of electronics by <br />government bodies, deliberation is typically defined as "... any oral or written communication <br />through any medium between or among a quorum of a public body on any public business. <br />The Minnesota Supreme Court has articulated three purposes of the Open Meeting Law: <br />• To prohibit actions being taken at secret meetings where it is impossible for the interested <br />public to become fully informed about a public board's decisions or to detect improper <br />influences. <br />• To assure the public's right to be informed. <br />• To afford the public an opportunity to present its views to the public body. <br />To ensure compliance with the open meeting law and to provide transparency to the City <br />decision making process, staff is recommending the adoption of a policy governing electronic <br />communications between council members to ensure awareness of these principles for our <br />elected officials now and in the future. This document is at the end of this material. <br />Other Applications: <br />In addition to the agenda and council packets, the paperless device can be used as the council's <br />portable file cabinet. Staff will load a wide variety of PDF's that would be accessed directly <br />from the device's desktop. At a minimum, this will include current versions of the: <br />- City Codes <br />- Comprehensive Plan <br />- Current and Proposed Budgets <br />- Zoning & Street Maps <br />- Along with anything else you wish <br />Laserfiche will also allow the Council to search for information on documents downloaded to <br />this application. Currently, we have all past Council minutes and agenda packets back to 1998. <br />Staff will continue to add to the availability of historical documents as time permits. <br />Potential Savings: <br />Though a detail analysis has not been done, going to a less paper intensive agenda packet will <br />save paper costs, copy machine maintenance fees (costs are calculated by per copy made), copy <br />machine wear and tear, and staff time associated with copying, assembling, and delivering the <br />packet. <br />3 <br />