Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Open Meetings topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lincoln County state's attorney reviews South Dakota open-meetings law; board acknowledges review
Summary
Tyler Larson, Lincoln County State's Attorney, reviewed South Dakota open-meetings statutes, emphasizing 24-hour agenda posting, rights to public comment, and the risk that large email chains may create an unadvertised meeting; the board voted to acknowledge the review.
Tyler Larson, identified in the meeting as the Lincoln County State's Attorney, reviewed South Dakota's open-meetings statutes and the duties they impose on public bodies, and the board voted to acknowledge that review.
Larson told the board the statutes exist so "the public has a right to know what we're doing" and explained posting requirements, saying the agenda must be posted at the meeting location and "also on the county website if one is available" and that the agenda should generally be posted 24 hours before the meeting. He noted that the rules "apply under statute to for Yankton County, for example, Yankton County Commission, Yankton County Planning and Zoning Board, and the Drainage Commission" (SEG 055-057). Larson also described public-comment rules and the statutory grounds for executive sessions.
Larson cautioned members about electronic communications among officials: "emails and discussions amongst commissioners or board members, if there is quorum, can be considered an open meeting," and he advised board members "to not respond because that can be an open meeting violation" that could lead to complaints against the county (SEG 101-111).
After Larson finished, an unidentified board member moved to acknowledge the review of the open-meetings laws; the motion was seconded and the board voted in favor (motion at SEG 119; second at SEG 121; ayes at SEG 122-125). The board recorded the acknowledgment and proceeded to the next agenda item.
The review clarified routine posting, public-comment options and the limited circumstances for executive session, and it prompted a formal acknowledgement by the board so the record indicates members received the guidance.
