Nelson Should Be Concerned About Content of Meetings, not the fact they are recorded-DNT Article

Published February 08 2009 By: John Myers , Duluth News Tribune
St. Louis County commissioner annoyed by cameras at meetings
Keith Nelson is seeking a legal opinion on whether private citizens can record County Board meetings. Nelson says the recording devices are an annoyance and the material can be edited by anyone and taken out of context.

A St. Louis County commissioner has asked for a legal opinion on whether the board can ban citizens from recording some County Board meetings.
Keith Nelson of Eveleth raised the issue Tuesday at the boardʼs meeting in Duluth, saying he was concerned that he and other commissioners had been
recorded at their Jan. 20 board workshop in Pike Lake.
The group We Are Watching records many County Board meetings, including the workshops, and often posts that audio and sometimes video on the groupʼs Web site, www.northernmnnews.com.
Nelson claims that excerpts of the boardʼs discussion of the issue of tribal lands being removed from property tax rolls were forwarded to tribal officials.
The discussion included Nelson and other commissionersʼ views strongly opposing increased tribal trust land.
He also said the recorder was beeping and bothering him.
“Iʼve raised this question because of the disruption that these devices have made … and because these recording snips are being taken out of context
and used to make people look bad,ʼʼ Nelson told the News Tribune.
“Iʼm not talking about restricting the media … and the public still can get a copy of the [audio] tapes we make. So we wouldnʼt be limiting access.ʼʼ
But Kevin Skwira-Brown, a spokesman for We Are Watching, said Nelsonʼs request is aimed at stifling public access to workshops that are not shown on
public access television.
“Itʼs absolutely outrageous that county government would try to restrict citizen access to a county meeting,ʼʼ Skwira-Brown said. “Theyʼre saying if you
canʼt attend their entire six-hour meeting during a work day, then you canʼt have access to what they do. Thatʼs ridiculous.ʼʼ
Skwira-Brown said the entire discussion of the tribal lands issue has been posted on the groupʼs Web site and that no member of the group edited the
audio or sent it to tribal officials.
“We did not edit that recording. The entire,
45-minute conversation (on tribal lands) is on our Web site,ʼʼ he said, adding anyone could have obtained the recording from the county or the Internet
and edited it.
Based on Nelsonʼs complaint, County Board Chairman Dennis Fink requested County Attorney Melanie Ford to investigate whether the board could ban
private citizens from recording meetings.
Ford said Thursday she had not yet rendered an opinion.
While board workshops are informal discussions, they are clearly open meetings because there is a quorum of the board present, according to
Minnesotaʼs Open Meeting Law.
We Are Watching members say they record meetings so county residents can hear and see what their commissioners do and say.
“They [the County Board] have the ability to stream all of their meetings live onto the Web, they just arenʼt doing it,ʼʼ Skwira-Brown said.
Commissioner Steve OʼNeil expressed concern that the board might try to exclude any public scrutiny.
“We should make our meetings as open and transparent as possible,ʼʼ he said. “No one should intentionally portray what we do out of context, and I donʼt
know if thatʼs what happened or not… But it doesnʼt matter. We shouldnʼt try to stop anyone from recording our meetings.ʼʼ

County Board Considers Hiring New Administrator

At their Committee of the Whole meeting on Feb 3, 2009 the County Board discussed candidates to replace current Interim Administrator Al Mitchell. Candidate Kevin Gray received four votes as the number #1 candidate, thus appearing to be the top choice of the majority of the commissioners. Commissioner Forsman indicated that the voting on this matter was clearly a "North/South issue" with the "southern" commissioners not supporting candidate Dicklich as their second choice.

After further voting, Ron Dicklich was the Board's 2nd choice.

We Are...Being Watched? Citizen watchdogs are asked to release their membership information to the County Board

The Zenith City Weekly covers the recent request by some Bord members to provide a "membership list" of the WAW group. Read about it in their on-line edition from January 20, 2009

Nelson Suggests That No "Recording Devices" Be Allowed in Board Workshops

At their county Board meeting on Feb 3rd Commissioner Keith Nelson indicated that he was disturbed that the WAW group had video-taped a recent County Board Workshop. He asked that the Board consider banning all "electronic recording devices" from Board Workshops. Other commissioners indicated concern that this would prohibit the press from recording meetings as well. Some commissioners then indicated that it would be OK for the press but not for a "private party" to record Board Workshops. They directed the county attorney to research this issue and they will consider making a policy later.

Code of Conduct Changes Proposed

I noticed there's proposed changes to the code of conduct. http://www.co.st-louis.mn.us/slcportal/Portals/0/Departments/Administator/BD%20Wkshp01-20.pkt.pdf

The board seems to want to make it harder for employees and members of the public to report violations like harassment and conflict of interest and engaging in political activity on the county dime/time.

I think the County has a duty to investigate any suspected impropriety.

http://www.co.st-louis.mn.us/slcportal/Portals/0/C.O.W/Committee%20of%20the%20Whole%20for%201-27-09/01-27-09/09-026.pdf

WAW To Hold Press Conference on Tuesday, Nov 18th

Citizen Group Grades County Board Members.

Join us !!! Stand for Accountability, Stand for Transparency, Stand for Justice!

Press Conference: Report Card on Performance of County Board

Tuesday, November 18th

9am on the steps of the St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth

For more than 14 months the We are Watching Campaign has been following the actions of the St. Louis County Commissioners. We are watching will present a report card on each commissioner’s performance in key areas related to transparency, accountability, and ethical standards.

At the time of the group’s formation, over two years ago two St. Louis County employees had reported sexual harassment and the subsequent investigation by the county appointed independent agent substantiated the charges of harassment. One complainant has lost her job and the other fears the loss of her job - she is currently unable to work because of events surrounding the harassment.

While our goals encompass more than the sexually inappropriate behavior and racist comments which served as a catalyst for this campaign, it is with renewed outraged that we call on citizens of St. Louis County to speak up for justice for the two women who, after being subjected to sexually inappropriate behavior have had their lives unraveled and their livelihoods taken away. We ask you to stand with us and symbolically, with these employees on the steps of the County Courthouse.

Following the Press Conference, greater detail regarding each rating will be available on the 18th at our website www.northernmnnews.com

You may email questions to wearewatching@northernmnnews.com

If you are unable to attend the press conference visit our website to participate in action steps aimed at increasing transparency, accountability and ethical behavior in county government.

State to move forward with BWCAW land exchange Timberjay Article

Tuesday, November 04, 2008 Volume 14, Issue 9

State to move forward with BWCAW land exchange
By Marshall Helmberger

For the first time, representatives of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources say they plan to meet officially with the U.S. Forest Service over their plan to conduct what would likely be the largest land exchange in state history.

They also indicated their intent to seek support from the state’s congressional delegation for the exchange, which would swap about 93,000 acres of state school trust land in the Boundary Waters wilderness for an estimated 200,000 acres of the Superior National Forest outside the wilderness area. State officials hope congressional action will allow them to circumvent Forest Service opposition to the idea as well as the cumbersome federal regulations related to such exchanges.


for the rest of the article go to :
http://timberjay.com/current.php?article=26