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State's attorney briefs commissioners on annual open-meetings review and email/quorum guidance
Summary
County state's attorney Allison Bucken reviewed changes to state open-meetings law under SDCL 1‑25‑13, advised the board on email and BCC practices to avoid creating a quorum, and said complaints about violations are investigated by her office.
Allison Bucken, the county's state's attorney, reviewed the requirement for an annual review of open-meetings laws under SDCL 1‑25‑13 and provided the board with copies of the statutes and the state attorney general’s guidance on the topic.
Bucken told commissioners Coddington County generally manages open meetings appropriately, limits executive sessions to permitted subjects and does not make motions in executive session. She addressed questions about email communications and blind-carbon-copy (BCC) usage, advising caution. "If you receive an email and you were not one of the original recipients and you're fearful that a quorum of commissioners may be included on that email exchange, do not respond and bring it up in open meeting," Bucken said. She added that if a BCC or inadvertent reply creates concern, the board should publish the email exchange and discuss it at the next meeting.
Why it matters: Open-meetings laws govern the transparency of county decision-making. The guidance affects how commissioners handle email communications to avoid unintentional quorum discussions outside a public meeting.
Next steps: Bucken encouraged commissioners to raise any concerns about email or meeting practice immediately so the county can address possible violations promptly; she said her office is responsible for investigating complaints about open-meeting law violations.
