City reviews new state open‑meetings training requirement; council weighs who should take it

Denison City Council discussed how to implement a new state training requirement after Chair reported receiving an email about House File 706 and an advisory opinion. The law, as described to the council, takes effect Jan. 1, 2026, and requires newly elected or appointed officials to complete approved training on open meetings and public records within 90 days of taking office.

Why it matters: The mandate affects all newly seated members of governmental bodies covered by Iowa Code chapters cited in the discussion and creates a compliance schedule the city must track. Council members said clarity is needed on who counts as "appointed officials" and whether existing board members should be required to complete the course retrospectively.

Council discussion centered on implementation. The Chair said the state board is still developing its training and that the city could either require people to use the state course or develop and submit a locally delivered training for state approval. "I would rather that we wait until their courses are completed and then have them do it through [the state provider]," the Chair said, citing cost concerns around hiring the city attorney to build a curriculum. Council members noted the state product’s format and cost were not yet finalized: council participants reported the training is expected to be at least one hour and not more than two, but a council member said state officials had not confirmed whether it will be free.

Members also debated whether the city should ask current board and commission members to complete the training even though the statutory requirement, as discussed, applies to officials appointed or elected after Jan. 1, 2026. One council participant said refresher training for existing members would be appropriate: "They need to be refreshed on that," the committee member said. Others said requiring veterans to take the course felt unnecessary.

Procedural next steps: Council asked staff to distribute registration information and links for the announced state trainings and to monitor the state board’s guidance. The Chair said staff would circulate the link to department heads once available and would update council at a future meeting. No formal vote or binding direction was recorded in the transcript.

Authorities and references mentioned in the discussion include "House File 706" and Iowa Code chapters referenced by the Chair as governing open meetings and records.