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RELEVANT LINKS: <br />Minn. Stat. 131.06, subd. 4. <br />Minn. Stat. § 131.06, subd. 4 <br />(d). Coalwell v. Murray, No. <br />C6-95-2436 (Minn. Ct. App. <br />Aug. 6, 1996) (unpublished <br />decision). Elseth n. Hine, No. <br />Al2-1496 (Minn. Ct. App. <br />May 13, 2013) (unpublished <br />opinion). <br />Minn. Stat. § 131.06, subd. 3. <br />Claude v. Collins, 518 <br />N.W.2d 836 (Minn. 1994). <br />Brown v. Cannon Falls <br />Township, 723 N.W.2d 31 <br />(Minn. Ct. App. 2006). <br />Minn. Stat. § 1319.06, subd. 3 <br />(b) and (c). <br />Ouast v. Knutson, 276 Minn. <br />340, 150 N.W.2d 199 (Minn. <br />1967). <br />Sullivan V. Credit River <br />Township, 217 N.W.2d 502 <br />(Minn. 1974). In re D & A <br />Truck Line, Inc., 524 N.W.2d <br />1 (Minn. 0. App. 1994). Lac <br />Qui Rade-Yellow Bank <br />Watershed Dist. v. <br />Wollschlager, No. 06-96- <br />1023 (Minn. Ct. App. Nov. <br />12, 1996) (unpublished <br />decision). IPAD 11-004. <br />If a plaintiff prevails in a lawsuit under the open meeting law, an award of <br />reasonable attorney fees is mandatory if the court determines the public <br />body was the subject of a prior written advisory opinion from the <br />commissioner of the Department of Administration, and the court finds that <br />the opinion is directly related to the lawsuit and that the public body did not <br />act in conformity with the opinion. A court is required to give deference to <br />the advisory opinion in a lawsuit brought to determine whether the open <br />meeting law was violated. <br />No monetary penalties or attorney fees may be awarded against a member of <br />a public body unless the court finds there was intent to violate the open <br />meeting law. <br />If a person is found to have intentionally violated this chapter in three or <br />more separate actions, the person must be removed from office and may not <br />serve in any other capacity with that public body for a period of time equal <br />to the term of office the person was serving. <br />If a court finds a separate, third violation that is unrelated to the previous <br />violations, it must declare the position vacant and notify the appointing <br />authority or clerk of the governing body. As soon as practicable, the <br />appointing authority or governing body shall fill the position as in the case <br />of any other vacancy. <br />The open meeting law does not address whether actions taken at an improper <br />meeting would be invalid. The Minnesota Supreme Court once held that an <br />attempted school district consolidation was fatally defective when the <br />initiating resolution was adopted at a meeting that was not open to the <br />public. <br />However, in more recent decisions, Minnesota courts have refused to <br />invalidate actions taken at improperly closed meetings. The Minnesota <br />Supreme Court has noted that the open meeting law "does not specify that <br />actions taken at a meeting which is not public shall be invalid." <br />111. • procedures <br />A. Agendas <br />The city clerk generall .,•' :':res an agen.a ": ncil meetings. The <br />agenda is the !' "` to councilmembers and other in , . individuals <br />suc " ,artment heads and citizens. <br />League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: <br />Meetings of City Councils Page 23 <br />11/14/2014 <br />