City attorney reviews Open Meeting Law, data practices and conflicts at Lake Elmo workshop

Sarah Sincalas, Lake Elmo city attorney, gave a detailed training to council and commission members on municipal governance obligations, covering the Open Meeting Law, data practices, the gift law and conflicts of interest.

Sincalas reviewed a recent statutory change that removed the public‑location requirement for remote attendance, explained the three‑day notice rule and warned that serial communications (texts, emails or social‑media chains) among a quorum can constitute an unlawful meeting. "We have to notice the meeting 3 days ahead of time," she said, and described remote participation rules that preserve quorum and public access.

On records and data practices, Sincalas emphasized that communications related to city business are government data even if kept on private devices; she advised commissioners to keep city‑related emails in a separate folder and to turn data requests over to city staff to ensure proper response. She also summarized the gift law (local officials may accept items of $5 or less in value, with narrow exceptions) and recommended early disclosure of potential conflicts so staff can analyze whether a financial interest exists.

Why it matters: The training highlighted practical steps to reduce legal exposure — including avoiding ex parte advocacy in quasi‑judicial land use matters — and explained penalties for intentional Open Meeting Law violations and the process for seeking data‑practice opinions.

Provenance: Training introduced SEG 1075 and the open meeting/data practices segments run through SEG 2318.