Fairbanks North Star Borough trains commissioners on Open Meetings Act, public records and conflicts rules

Fairbanks North Star Borough officials led a boards-and-commissions orientation in the Mona Lisa Drexler Assembly Chamber focused on the Open Meetings Act, the Public Records Act and conflicts of interest for volunteer commissioners.

Borough attorney Jill Dolan, who presented remotely, framed the Open Meetings Act as an access tool: "The Open Meetings Act is really an excellent tool to give citizens access to their government," she said, urging a conservative approach to exceptions and a liberal approach to access.

Dolan gave a practical rule to remember: "If you're talking about a subject that's within your board or commission's authority and duties and you have more than 3 members or a majority whichever is less then you have to be in public and we have to provide public notice of that meeting," language she repeated as the training's core formula. She also told commissioners that subcommittees, steering committees or working groups that are tasked by the board are subject to the Act and must be publicly noticed.

Clerk April Tricke and staff added procedural clarifications. Tricke said routine public notice remains a borough responsibility and that newspapers of general circulation are required: "We choose the means that are most likely to reach our residents," she said, noting the borough posts a calendar on its website and runs print notices. Tricke also warned that substantive matters cannot be added to an agenda on the night of a meeting and that agenda language must be specific enough for the public to decide whether to attend.

Presenters stressed that private channels can create violations. Dolan described how courts treat social media and other electronic communications like in-person meetings: "If you're in a group and monitoring communications, you might be considered part of that communication." She cited a recent recall case in which a closed Facebook group involving four school board members resulted in an Open Meetings Act violation because members participated in the same online thread.

On records, Dolan and Tricke said the Public Records Act covers any material relating to government business regardless of platform. "A public record is gonna be anything that relates to government business ... even if it's on your phone," Dolan said, and the borough provides board-specific email accounts to simplify records searches.

The presentation closed with reminders that quasi-judicial boards have special rules, that chairs make initial rulings on conflicts but the body can appeal the ruling, and that commissioners should consult clerks or the borough attorney when in doubt. Tricke said staff are available for follow-up questions and that orientation materials are provided to new members.