Laserfiche WebLink
OSGL-2. Open Meetings (A) <br />The League recommends that the. <br />City Officials strongly support the bauic premise of the Open Meeting <br />Law --to assure the public's right to be informed about the conduct of public <br />business. Experience with this law since 1974, however, indicates clearly that <br />there are areas where the legislation should be amended in the public interest. <br />The League believes that thane are certain specific instances where the public <br />interest would be better served by permitting P. local governing body to meet in <br />executive or closed session. <br />These Instances include certain discussions reiating to employees such as <br />"hiring" interviews, discussions regarding the purchase or sale of land for a <br />public purpose, and discussions of information protected under the Data <br />Practices Act. These latter situations are particularly troublesome since it is <br />often necessary for the council to choose between violating either thn Open <br />Meeting Law or the Data Practices Act. <br />Additionally, the League opposes nny legix:lative attempt to alter the <br />recent court ruling that the Ope•i Meeting Law applies only to meetings where a <br />quorum of the governing body or its established committees is present. The <br />ruling clarified the law which was often viewed as applying to any meeting <br />between two office holders. Limiting the application of the law to gatherings <br />of a quorum or more is a common sense approach to irplementing the statute and <br />should not be altered. <br />-16- <br />