Agenda - Council - 03/11/1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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LAW OFFICES 2140 4TH'~UE ~ 6~2 427 5543 N0,435 H~J~DB(X)K. FOR M|IqNE~OTA C~IE~ Minn. Stat. § 412.2~,1. subd. 1; Minn. Stal.§ 15.17, suM, I. Minn, StaL§ 412.19t, sulxL 3. Minn, StaL§ 412,191, ~ubcf. 4; Minn. StaL §§ 471.697-.698. Once the council has formally approved the minutes of any meeting, the minutes should not be changed under any circumstances. The council can dispense with the reading of the minutes if all councitmembers have received them prior to the meeting. The council must provide books and stationery for keeping minutes. State law requires all cities to keep minutes on a physical medium that is of a quality that will ensure permanent records. Because minute's are ofticial papers of the city, the clerk .should sign them. Although the taw does not require it, many cities also have the mayor sign the minutes after the council has approved them. If the minute book includes only a clipping from the published proceedings, the clerk should sign the clipping even though the signatures of the clerk and mayor axe already printed on the clipping. Minute books axe public records and must be available for public view at any reasonable time. Publication of council minutes After every regular or special meeting, statutory cities with over 1,000 population must publish the official council proceedings or a summary of the official minutes. The summary must include action on motions, resolutions, ordinances and other official proceedings. As an 'alternative to publication, the city may mail, at city expense, a copy of the proceedings to ~y resident uport request. Publication of the council minutes must occur within 30 days of the meeting. Cities with a population of less than 1,000 according to the latest federal census, are not required but may choose to publish the council proceedings. The publication requirement does not cover home rule charter cities. Therefore, if a home nde city does not have a charter requirement, it does not need to publish council minutes. Whether or not the city publishes minutes, it must publish ordinances and. in cextain cases, the annual financial statement. Content of council minutes The clerk should include the following information in the minutes: · The time and place of the meeting; The mem~rs present;. A sun'unary of all decisions made by the council; including a copy of each motion exactly as stated; whether or not the motion had a second, and if the molion was seconde& whether or not the council adopted it; and. ! 62 I 1' I I I I I i' I I I I I iI l 1