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VCNAA withholding Public Records |
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 16 December 2009 |
VCNAA withholding Public Records?
In response by this web site to a public record request for minutes of its last meeting (November 2009) it was stated that at the last meeting of the Native American Affairs Commission, it was decided that minutes will no longer be released until they have been approved.
Under state law, minutes of open meetings become public upon creation, according to the Municipal Law Unit of the attorney general’s office. A board or commission is advised to mark copies of minutes not yet approved as “draft” minutes, but it cannot withhold those minutes from disclosure.
If the minutes are not transcribed at the time a request is made, there is no requirement under the Public Records Law that the board transcribe those minutes in response to the request. An audio tape of a meeting or any notes taken by the recording secretary, are public records, however.
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