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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — When it comes to keeping a written record of its public discussions, the Roaring Fork School District Re-1 board of education has decided to err on the side of more = better.
The school board last week considered possibly eliminating a clause from its minutes policy that calls for a brief summary of board discussions to be included.
However, after some discussion of the matter, the board decided to stick with the current policy.
“It's about transparency and public accountability,” board member Debbie Bruell said at the Nov. 11 board meeting. “I think it's important to show that we do debate issues and have a conversation before we make decisions.
“It's also an opportunity to build communication and trust with our communities, and with staff,” she said.
The issue arose earlier this fall when some board members questioned how much information truly needs to be included in the meeting minutes, and the time it can take to amend minutes of those discussions when they came up for approval.
“I think we need less word-smithing of the minutes,” board member Bob Johnson said.
Colorado law requires written meeting minutes for school boards and other local elected bodies to include, at a minimum, the agenda of topics discussed, motions made, the names of the members making and seconding the motion, a record of the vote, and the vote of each board member.
The law allows for local governments to expand on that by including a summary of board discussions, or even a verbatim transcript of meetings.
However, the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) recommends keeping meeting minutes to the bare minimum.
“Local traditions dictate what most school boards want in their minutes,” the CASB acknowledges.
However, “there are legal ramifications for what is in minutes, which can work for or against the board depending on the situation,” the organization advises. “The board should discuss their approach to minutes with their attorney and then give clear direction to the secretary to the board about how much detail they want in the minutes.”
School board member Bill Lamont said he finds the discussion summaries included in the board minutes to be helpful when it comes to remembering what was said at a previous meeting.
“I do read it for content,” he said. “It is a useful record to go back on.”
Earlier this year, the state did pass a new law taking public records a step further specifically for school boards, by requiring an audio recording of all regular and special meetings where action is taken to be kept on file for at least 90 days.
Bruell and some other Re-1 board members believe the district should take it even further, and post the audio files on the district's website as another means for the public to listen in on what the board is up to.
Newly appointed school board member Matt Flink, who was sworn in last week to replace outgoing board member Michael Bair, said posting an audio file online is a good idea.
“That way it's there in perpetuity,” he said. “In this day and age I find it hard to believe we're even talking about paper records. We have this venue available to us, and we should use that as our minutes to the public.”
jstroud@postindependent.com
The school board last week considered possibly eliminating a clause from its minutes policy that calls for a brief summary of board discussions to be included.
However, after some discussion of the matter, the board decided to stick with the current policy.
“It's about transparency and public accountability,” board member Debbie Bruell said at the Nov. 11 board meeting. “I think it's important to show that we do debate issues and have a conversation before we make decisions.
“It's also an opportunity to build communication and trust with our communities, and with staff,” she said.
The issue arose earlier this fall when some board members questioned how much information truly needs to be included in the meeting minutes, and the time it can take to amend minutes of those discussions when they came up for approval.
“I think we need less word-smithing of the minutes,” board member Bob Johnson said.
Colorado law requires written meeting minutes for school boards and other local elected bodies to include, at a minimum, the agenda of topics discussed, motions made, the names of the members making and seconding the motion, a record of the vote, and the vote of each board member.
The law allows for local governments to expand on that by including a summary of board discussions, or even a verbatim transcript of meetings.
However, the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) recommends keeping meeting minutes to the bare minimum.
“Local traditions dictate what most school boards want in their minutes,” the CASB acknowledges.
However, “there are legal ramifications for what is in minutes, which can work for or against the board depending on the situation,” the organization advises. “The board should discuss their approach to minutes with their attorney and then give clear direction to the secretary to the board about how much detail they want in the minutes.”
School board member Bill Lamont said he finds the discussion summaries included in the board minutes to be helpful when it comes to remembering what was said at a previous meeting.
“I do read it for content,” he said. “It is a useful record to go back on.”
Earlier this year, the state did pass a new law taking public records a step further specifically for school boards, by requiring an audio recording of all regular and special meetings where action is taken to be kept on file for at least 90 days.
Bruell and some other Re-1 board members believe the district should take it even further, and post the audio files on the district's website as another means for the public to listen in on what the board is up to.
Newly appointed school board member Matt Flink, who was sworn in last week to replace outgoing board member Michael Bair, said posting an audio file online is a good idea.
“That way it's there in perpetuity,” he said. “In this day and age I find it hard to believe we're even talking about paper records. We have this venue available to us, and we should use that as our minutes to the public.”
jstroud@postindependent.com
