Gladwin City Council adopts policy to centralize release of internal documents

The Gladwin City Council voted May 5 to adopt an Administrative Document Distribution and Compliance Policy that centralizes decisions about releasing internal city documents and establishes review procedures to comply with the Michigan Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act.

Interim City Manager Kimberly Hines circulated a handout from the city attorney before the council debated the policy. Council Member Darlington moved to adopt the resolution and Council Member Winarski supported the motion. A roll call vote recorded unanimous approval: Caffrey, Crawford, Darlington, Esiline, Guiterrez, Platt, Sischo and Winarski voted aye.

The adopted policy covers internal materials including staff memoranda, human resources records, legal correspondence, investigative findings and draft materials, and it requires review and clearance by the city manager or the city clerk before release. The document says the manager and clerk will determine whether materials are subject to disclosure, require redaction, or are exempt under FOIA.

The resolution directs that public-facing documents be made available through centralized channels such as the city’s document webpage, meeting agendas and minutes, and official press releases issued by the city manager or clerk. The council also instructed that the policy be implemented immediately and incorporated into onboarding materials for council and staff.

Council members framed the policy as balancing transparency with the need to protect confidential or deliberative materials. The adoption does not itself change any pending public-record decisions; it establishes the review and release procedure the city will follow going forward.

The council took the action during the Old Business portion of its regular meeting. No separate public vote tally for the mayor was recorded in the roll call published in the minutes. The clerk certified adoption in the resolution document signed May 5, 2025.