Cooperstown Council Violates Open Meetings Law

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says the Cooperstown City Council violated open-meetings law by discussing problems with the city's landfill over e-mail.

In an opinion released Thursday, Stenehjem says it was OK for Councilman Carl Sad to bring up the landfill issue in a Jan. 14 e-mail and suggest it be included on the next council agenda. But, Stenehjem says, subsequent e-mails among council members that contained their opinions on the issue constituted a meeting and violated the law.

The e-mails have since been deleted. Stenehjem says the council must recreate the conversations and provide them on request to residents, as well as discuss the talks at the next regular meeting.

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