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City Clerk reviews Open Records, open meetings and board procedures in training for Edmond planning commissioners
Summary
City Clerk Corey Atkinson Coley presented board training to the Planning Commission covering Open Records Act implications, records retention, the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, agenda specificity, voting rules, and new city meeting rules intended to standardize procedures across boards.
Corey Atkinson Coley, Edmond’s city clerk, presented a high-level board training to the Planning Commission, reviewing Open Records Act obligations, records retention guidance, the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, agenda-drafting best practices, and recently adopted city meeting rules.
Coley began by thanking commissioners for their service and cautioned that his remarks were general guidance, not legal advice, advising commissioners to consult the city attorney for legal questions. On records disclosure he said communications about city business may be subject to public disclosure and recommended separating city business from personal email. “Everything sent or received that’s discussing city business might be subject and should probably be subject to public disclosure,” he told the commission.
Coley summarized common expectations: follow the city’s records-retention manual for communications, preserve formal records such as agendas, packets, minutes, and recordings, and consult staff about retention timeframes for other communications. In response to a commissioner’s question about whether citizens’ emails should be kept indefinitely, he said staff retention rules apply and committed to follow up with staff (naming Madeline) for specifics.
On open meetings, Coley reviewed the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act: meetings must be held at specified times and places and agendas should be clear and specific so the public understands the subject matter. He also described vote-casting requirements (public votes, no private polling), the public’s right to record if not disruptive, and conduct expectations (no campaigning or personal attacks). He noted the City Council adopted a six-page set of meeting rules in January and staff is working to align boards and commissions to those rules.
Coley encouraged commissioners to use their staff liaison as the primary point of contact for operational questions, and mentioned packet preparation is a joint effort between the Planning Department and clerk’s office. He also touched on meeting logistics and safety plans as the city adjusts meeting locations.
The training was informational; commissioners asked a few clarifying questions about retention and packet preparation but the presentation concluded with no formal actions required.
