2023-10-23 - MPS School Board Special Meeting - Renita's & Angie's Public Comments

Here is a link to the full meeting: https://youtu.be/t0WbpGMGNVA?si=XmoLMdYrxi3cxTEy.

For those of us that attended the meeting, we believe the School Board chose the right search firm for the Superintendent position.

As a side note: They did not go with the lowest bidder. We have been told that all other bids always go to the lowest bidder, which is why they have all closed sub-committee meetings. Perhaps if they were open to the public, they could pick the 'best' quote, rather than the lowest. Comparing apples and oranges may be helpful.

Here is my talk:
On January 19th, 2022 I checked on the MPS School Board webpage and found out there was a meeting that morning at 8:30 am. Joe and I attended that meeting. I’m sure those in attendance remember, as that was the day I was interrupted twice during my 3 minute public comment, after the previous speaker ran over by at least a minute before being stopped.

It was after that event, and a FOIA and Open Meeting act training class that I attended, that I put in a FOIA request in May of 2022 for a six month subscription (which is the limited subscription time in the Freedom of Information Act) to all regular and special meeting agenda packets. Joe and I have been paying about $300 every six months for these subscriptions, and one is still currently active.

I asked the FOIA Coordinator after the last meeting this question: “I would like to know why I did not receive the Agenda and information about the meeting held on October 10th at 12:00 pm,” The response was about meeting minutes. It had nothing to do with my requested information. I received NO real explanation as to why my FOIA request for information about special meetings was not fulfilled.

The thing is this; it was stated by several Board members last week that the Open Meeting Act was followed and the public was notified. The notice for the Special meeting appears to be put on the website on the top dropdown bar on the left. Not very visible. It was not added to the Board’s Calendar of Meetings on the website. Previous Special meetings and today’s meeting were added to that calendar page though.
In fact, someone looking at the Board of Education page would not even know that the Special Public Meeting on Oct. 10th took place, as there is no visible reference to it. No Agenda. No link to it. In fact, a search there won’t even bring anything up for Oct 10th.

I was told by Superintendent Penny that it wasn’t “because it was a committee meeting and not a special Board of Education meeting.” But this wasn’t a regular committee meeting, which is why it had to be posted for the public. It was a “Special” Public meeting, otherwise why the attempt to fulfill the OMA?

As far as the Open Meeting Act, in section: 15.266 – Providing copies of public notice on written request; fee.
Sec. 6. (1) Upon the written request of an individual, organization, firm, or corporation, and upon the requesting party's payment of a yearly fee of not more than the reasonable estimated cost for printing and postage of such notices, a public body shall send to the requesting party by first class mail a copy of any notice required to be posted pursuant to section 5(2) to (5).

I have paid the FOIA fees requesting copies of all Agenda Packets, “including Special meetings and Regular meetings” and to receive these communications by email. Why not this time? Were you really in compliance with the OMA?