Keeping up with open meetings
There are no comments for this page [ Add Comment ]Monday, June 25, 2007
The technology boom -- with its e-mails, text messages, blogs, e-bulletin boards -- has expanded communication so far that past generations might have placed ideas such as World Wide Web, e-mail and blogs in the realm of science fiction.
Nevertheless, informational technology is here, and still growing. One result: millions of teens and pre-teens who know far more about IT than their parents and grandparents.
The Ogden School Board -- like other elected boards -- has members with different IT skills. The convenience of IT-based communications comes with a warning: It may be easier for officials to unwittingly break the Utah Open Meetings Act. The act was passed before the boom in technology. It requires that government officials provide access to meetings and decision making. Elected groups cannot meet secretly in a quorum. There should also be 24 hours notice for a meeting.
So what happens if members of an elected body swap several e-mails regarding policy? Or if an official starts a blog and circulates his or her opinions? What happens when an e-mail is forwarded to dozens of persons, or hundreds? Or an e-mail is responded to with a "reply to all" click? Has it become part of an agenda? If so, was the public given proper notice and access?
We mentioned the Ogden School Board not to insinuate that it is breaking any open meetings laws, but to applaud it for being concerned about making sure that the Utah Open Meetings Act is complied with in the age of information technology. As reported by the Standard-Examiner's Amy K. Stewart, attorney Brad Smith -- who joined the board in January -- plans to meet with Utah legislators to make sure the board's use of IT complies with the Open Meetings Act. He strongly believes that the IT boom's impact on open meetings should be tackled by Utah's lawmakers.
"The Open Meetings Act needs to catch up to the 21st century. Technology has moved forward faster than the law can keep up," Smith told Stewart.
We certainly agree with that statement, and hope all elected bodies follow the Ogden board's example and bring themselves up to date on the Open Meetings Act. We like another idea of Smith's, too -- to start a blog where board members can post their ideas for the public to consider.
There are many great sources out there to assist elected officials with the Open Meetings Act. Besides legislators, there are media lawyers and organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists. Taking the time to consult with them is a wise move that can prevent future headaches for many an uninformed public servant.
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