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Nine Oklahoma cities fail records law test

 
BY BRYAN DEAN | Published: March 15, 2009    Comment on this article Leave a comment

Attorney General Drew Edmondson said there is "not an excuse” for cities that are violating a state law requiring meeting calendars and agendas to be posted online.

photo - Oklahoma State Attorney Drew Edmondson. (AP Photo)
Oklahoma State Attorney Drew Edmondson. (AP Photo)

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AT A GLANCE
Sunshine week

Sunshine Week is a national effort to promote open government. The Oklahoman and thousands of other media outlets will participate in the effort to highlight threats to openness and inform the public about the importance of open government. During the week, a small logo will run with stories in The Oklahoman which could not have been written if not for open records or open meetings.

the law
Title 74, Chapter 49, Section 3106.2A

of the Oklahoma statutes:

On or before January 1, 2002, or within six (6) months of the establishment of an Internet website, whichever is later, public bodies shall make available on their Internet website or on a general website if a public body uses a general website, a schedule and information about the regularly scheduled meetings of the public bodies or their governing bodies. The information made available shall include the date, time, place and agenda of each meeting. When reasonably possible, public bodies shall also provide information about the date, time, place and agenda of any special or emergency meetings of the public body.

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A survey conducted by Oklahoma news organizations and FOI Oklahoma as part of Sunshine Week found at least nine cities are not posting either calendars or agendas for city council meetings on their Web sites.

City officials in Kingfisher, Sapulpa, Jenks, Mustang, Waynoka, Wagoner, Okmulgee and Warr Acres all said they were unaware of the requirement and pledged to start posting the information as soon as possible.

Officials in Cashion, which was also in violation of the law, did not return phone calls seeking comment on the issue.

Cities that don’t have a Web site don’t have to create one, but those who choose to have a Web site are required to include the information.

The survey only targeted 36 cities in the state, meaning there could be dozens more cities that are also failing to post information as required.

"It’s been on the books for seven years now so there’s really not an excuse for not knowing a law,” Edmondson said. "We mention this provision in every one of the seminars we have on open meetings and open records, and we’ve been doing that for years all over the state of Oklahoma.”

Most of the cities violating the law did have agendas posted but failed to post calendars of future council meetings.

Hours after Kingfisher City Manager Richard Reynolds found out his city was violating the law, the information was posted on the city’s Web site.

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Related Topics: Domestic Policy, Political Policy, Politics, Local Politics, Government and Politics, Communications and Information Policy, Information Policy



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