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Commissioners discuss posting meeting packets online, note staffing and redaction challenges
Summary
The board discussed making meeting packets publicly available online but raised concerns about staff time required to review and redact sensitive material before release.
Clay County commissioners discussed whether to post full meeting packets online to give the public easier access to materials cited during budget and project discussions, but county staff warned the process could add significant workload for existing personnel.
A commissioner said publishing packets — including spreadsheets used in budget talks — would help the public follow budget discussions. County staff replied that packets can be released but someone must carefully review them "with a fine tooth comb" to remove any records that should not be public. Staff observed that larger jurisdictions often have a full-time position to manage packet publication and that asking current staff (Carrie was mentioned as a likely lead) could become burdensome depending on packet size.
"Absolutely possible. I just think that it, you know, given our limited staffing, it can be a problem that may persist if we decide to go that route," staff said. Commissioners agreed the primary public record requirement is to report action items but noted many jurisdictions release the whole packet alongside the agenda. The board did not take a formal vote; commissioners said they would place the topic on a future agenda for further discussion.
The discussion occurred in the consent and administrative business portion of the meeting and was presented as an operational matter, not a formal policy change. Commissioners asked staff to evaluate the workload and to bring a recommended approach back to the board.
