Fairbanks North Star Borough trains boards and commissions on Open Meetings, records and meeting procedure

Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins opened an orientation for new and returning board and commission members and said the mayor’s office will survey and visit commission meetings to "re‑energize" their work and gather priorities. Borough Attorney Jill Dolan and Borough Clerk April Trickey then led a training session on the Open Meetings Act, public‑records obligations, conflicts of interest and parliamentary procedure.

The training centered on compliance and practical steps for volunteers. Dolan framed the law as a tool for public, informed decision‑making and urged conservative interpretation of exemptions: "I love the Open Meetings Act," she said, adding that courts generally construe exceptions narrowly and that clerks will assist with notice and process. Key takeaways included the need to give adequate public notice, to avoid serial or quorum‑level exchanges outside noticed meetings, and to use executive session only for limited, stated purposes such as privileged legal advice.

Clerks and attorneys emphasized several operational rules that members should expect: the clerk’s office handles public‑notice ads (the borough uses the NewsMiner), agendas and packet distribution; policy generally aims to publish agenda packets seven days before meetings (with longer lead times for planning bodies); the planning board and planning commission have distinct timing requirements (planning board packet schedules can require 14 days and exchange procedures for appeals can alter packet timing). In question and answer, Dolan confirmed the borough’s general correspondence retention is three years, while some records are governed by longer, matter‑specific schedules.

Members were warned that common everyday tools can create legal exposure. Dolan cited past Alaska examples where closed social‑media groups triggered legal consequences and said private text threads or public Facebook pages can create Open Meetings Act risks or public‑records obligations if they involve borough business. She recommended using borough email for official communications to preserve records and to copy the borough account when using private accounts.

The session also covered conflicts of interest, quasi‑judicial procedures, teleconferencing rules and chair duties. Practical points included: a remote chair generally may not preside; roll‑call votes are required when teleconferencing; ex‑officio participants do not count toward quorum but may speak; members who have a conflict should be excused from the dais and should avoid influencing the body; and the chair must restate motions and track amendments so the public and record are clear. Trickey described how the clerk’s office supports agenda setting, maintains web pages and helps clerks and chairs with parliamentary questions.

The mayor and clerk said the administration will circulate a survey to help define what commissions should prioritize and will synthesize responses with staff to propose code‑consistent changes where feasible. Trickey also noted a planned upgrade to allow streaming from the Chismar Room by mid‑summer, subject to contract award and funding.

Contacts: Borough Attorney Jill Dolan and Borough Clerk April Trickey were presented as the primary resources for legal and procedural questions; the clerk’s office will continue to publish agendas and packet information and to assist chairs with procedural guidance. The training closed with an invitation for members to raise further questions by email or at follow‑up orientations.