The Rapid City Council wants to have “retreats” at which a quorum of the council would gather to discuss city business. City communications coordinator Darrell Shoemaker and council president Laura Armstrong seem to think public attention stifles good discussion:
“So often it’s in the fishbowl of the council meeting and the working session, this is an opportunity for them to throw ideas, idea exchanges, that sort of thing in an informal way in an informal setting,” [Shoemaker] said.
Armstrong said the meetings are a work in progress since Friday’s was the first one, but the idea is to encourage a more “open discussion” among council members that can currently occur.
“It’s hard to have an open discussion like that from the dais, with the television on because we don’t want little sound bites or phrases being taken out of context,” she said. “We just want to be open and honest with one another, see what we can do better. You’re always trying to tweak that finely tuned machine and one council member can’t do it alone. We need to move forward together but we need everybody’s input” [Siandhara Bonnet, “Rapid City Council Announces Plan to Hold Closed Monthly ‘Retreats’,” Rapid City Journal, 2021.02.19].
Seeking to discuss public business outside of public meetings is flat wrong and flat illegal:
David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota Newspaper Association, said the South Dakota Open Meetings Law applies if a quorum of a board is meeting to discuss business related to the board or the entity it represents.
“It’s a no-brainer Open Meeting Law applies,” Bordewyk said. “To say it doesn’t skirts the specifics of the law and the intent of the Open Meetings Law” [Bonnet, 2021.02.19].
The council rightly voted to dismiss the bogus anti-masker complaints against council president Armstrong for her advocacy outside of meetings for supporting businesses that support smart pandemic practices. But if Armstrong and the Rapid City Council proceed with their plan to “streamline” meetings by moving much of their discussion behind closed doors, Rapid City voters would be right to dismiss Armstrong and the whole council at the earliest voting opportunity and replace them with public servants who don’t mind discussing public policy in front of the public.
Actually this seems like a reasonable step by our city council. There are times that these fellows and the lady need to get away from the constant angry yapping of a few of the disgruntled who just cause waste and keep the council from being more effective. grudznick stamp of approval.
I mean, golly, they can just call each other all the time and chat about things without the rabble rousers interrupting. I think letting them have a bit of a junket on this is probably a pretty good idea, especially now that we’re approaching herd immunity.
Mixed feelings on the subject. Of Course Rapid City is full of “CAVE” People (Citizens Against Virtually Everything).
Maybe they (the Council) should just all get together for a drink at one of the local watering holes after the Council session.
It would be grossly illegal for any policy decisions to be made in closed session, but the ability to have a candid discussion “far from the madding crowd” seems reasonable.
For once I go along with grudz ……. (there’s a first!)
Nah. You can’t do that. I was a school board member when we closed a number of schools, and when the administration wanted to gut the orchestra program. Those were hard, emotional discussions, but you’ve got to sit and take whatever the public wants to say. It’s their government, not yours. You get your chance to speak after the public gets theirs, plus you get a vote. Just man/woman up. Leadership is about listening to the public and making your decision, and the law says you have to do it in the open. It’s a good law, and it should be followed.
Oh Grudz, your always a part of the heard, what would you do in secret anyway?
Orchestras always take the figurative oboe in the ass instead of the sports kids, because it’s the sports kids who’s dads are all bankers, in my limited experience in such areas. School boards, being puppets of the public, get to jab that oboe with as much might as they have the bravery to man/woman up with, but jab they must.
I am indeed heard, Mr. Anderson. And grudznick is already part of the herd that is immune, so do not fear. Those shots you get, they are not filled with grudznick anti-bodies but I want you to imagine me patting you on the cheek when you get your shots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zr2jAvr1L0
Grudz, the point is you gotta do the right thing, and that means conducting open meetings by the law. If you can’t do that, resign.
That’s what Mr. Trump should have done, Mr. Pay, but yet he did not. I expect the Rapid City board of schools will still get together for beers and nachos in somebody’s basement and they might even talk about things. Boys will be boys, you know.
Actually boys can be whatever they are, its a different world Grudz. I’m actually getting mt shot this week so I can shoot pool again. A year of practice, I’ll have to shoot left handed, boys being boys you know.
grudz says, “Actually this seems like a reasonable step by our city council.” And there you have bit folks. The whole reason that “conservatives” and Republicans are so dangerous. They think that government breaking the law is “reasonable”.
You need know nothing more about them to this.
Although neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights requires public access to government meetings, the principle is entirely compatible with the concept of popular sovereignty and an informed citizenry. The freedoms of speech, the press, and the right to petition the government in the First Amendment all presuppose a “right to access.” To criticize or support a government policy effectively, citizens must be informed of the reasons for that policy. Just another attempt by local officials/politicians voted in by the people they claim and vow to represent to push political agenda contrary to what they know the citizens would not support. I’m with Don 100%. They should resign because if they try to push this type of tyrannical agenda, they will be voted out by both party supporters. Power seekers!
This foolishness comes up every 10-20 years, but Mr Cobbler is a politico, yet should know better. Maybe thats why he’s not a DC staffer instead.
Grdz is an embedded troll driving superfluous baggage here.
Let’s not make this whole topic about Grudz. There is a basic issue of open government at stake and that’s essential for our democracy at all levels. I think people have overlooked the last line in reporter Bonnet’s article excerpted above. The meeting was duly announced to the public and was open to any and all. Teapot, meet tempest.
But Curt, the reporting appears to be mixed. KOTA was saying the future meetings will be closed. Did the press misunderstand? Does the council plan to make all future “retreats” open?
Media are not always in line with each other. So, just maybe one didnt get all the facts straight. One would suppose the council would not make another costly legal mistake as when it did not heed to it’s own lead counsels’ legal advice (correct this time). i.e., RC ordinance found to be unconstitutional in federal court most recent decision–Dick and Jane’s vs. CITY of Rapid City. ($280,000 judgment ?). I must add the City has been on a trend in losing cases lately costing us taxpayers thousands of dollars. Time to get new administrators who can operate within the legal bounds of the law.
And, this amount does not account for the cost they spend (also @ taxpayers expense) to farm out citys legal representation to big law firms who charge excess amounts. Let’s get an audit so the public can see what these costs have been for the past 3 plus years.