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Edgewood council debates OPMA guidance; mayor signals intent to seek street renaming, retreat planning and candidate workshop discussed
Summary
Council members debated allowable off‑agenda meetings under the Open Public Meetings Act, encouraged staff guidance, and Mayor Olsen said she intends to bring a request to rename the street in front of City Hall; council also discussed the upcoming retreat and the possibility of a candidate workshop for prospective council candidates.
Council members spent a substantial portion of the Feb. 4 study session discussing the Open Public Meetings Act and how council members may meet or confer outside public meetings, and the mayor said she plans to bring a request to rename the street in front of City Hall under the city’s new renaming policy.
Mayor Olsen said the council’s renaming policy is now in place and she is prepared to bring forward the city’s own request to rename the street outside City Hall. “I kind of on behalf of council or the city have a request, to rename the street out in front of City Hall,” Olsen said, adding that the request will require some staff time and that she has identified staff who will meet with the neighboring resident; the mayor said the city owns two of the three parcels on that road and that she will meet the resident before formally placing an item on a future agenda.
Council members raised questions about the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) and the risks of serial meetings or creating the perception of private decision-making. Roseanne urged staff to provide written guidance outlining parameters for council members who want to meet outside regular sessions; “...I would love to get a write up from [Maylee] if the question is, hey, ... how can council members connect outside of the meeting?” Roseanne said. Council members repeatedly noted the distinction between casual one‑on‑one conversations and coordinated vote‑seeking arrangements. The mayor encouraged informal one‑on‑one conversations while several council members and the city attorney cautioned that repeated one‑on‑one contacts can create a perceived serial meeting and potential legal exposure.
Other council items raised in comments included: encouragement to hold pre‑retreat informal meetings or pairings to exchange ideas ahead of the council retreat scheduled in about six weeks; a request from a council member to explore offering a short candidate workshop or open house to explain how to file for council (candidacy filing was described as occurring in May); and a reminder that council subcommittees (for example the EDI subcommittee) can meet with three members without triggering an OPMA majority rule.
No formal policy changes or votes were taken during the study session; council asked staff and the city attorney (Maylee) to provide guidance on OPMA parameters and the mayor said she will bring the renaming request forward for council consideration.
