For the week of May 27 thru June 2, 1998  

 

P&Z accused of violating Open Meeting Law


By AMY SPINDLER
Express Staff Writer

An illegal meeting of the Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commission came to an abrupt halt Thursday when Idaho Mountain Express publisher Pam Morris marched into the unnoticed meeting, and demanded it be adjourned.

"This is an illegal meeting under the Idaho Open Meeting Law," she told the commission. Morris said she would call the county prosecutor to enforce the law if the meeting continued.

The meeting had not been noticed in the newspaper, radio or posted outside Ketchum City Hall.

The Idaho Open Meeting Law states all meetings of a governing body or public agency must be open to the public, and noticed no less than five days prior to the meeting. If a public agency holds regular meetings at least once a month, an agenda must be noticed 48 hours prior to the meeting.

The P&Z’s agenda was to discuss the Ketchum Comprehensive Plan with planning consultant Lee Nellis. Nellis is rewriting the plan.

"Well, we’ve been noticing all the work sessions we’ve been having on the comp plan," said P&Z administrator Lisa Majdiak. "In this case, because we didn’t do a poster this time, we just didn’t get coordinated internally to get our notice in the paper, so the meeting has not been noticed."

"This was an error certainly," she said, but then defended the unnoticed meeting. "We didn’t even call the meeting to order," she said.

The meeting had been convened for 45 minutes. Commissioner Sandra Balmer offered the simple solution of breaking up the quorum. "I’ll just leave," she said, as the commission laughed.

"Well, how many people do you think would be here if we noticed it?" Commissioner Peter Ripsom asked.

During discussion on noticing the next meeting, Balmer advised the standard Friday radio spot.

"The radio’s better for people like me," she said. "I don’t read the paper."

Nellis said the meeting was a minor step in a huge process, and stated flatly, "We don’t have to notify the paper."

The commission decided to adjourn, and reschedule the meeting for today at 4:30 p.m. at Ketchum City Hall.

"This is a major issue for the city of Ketchum," Morris told the commission. "It is in the interest of the public that they be notified and know what is being undertaken and discussed at these meeting. Otherwise, the public has no opportunity to observe, and reporters have no opportunity to report. I applaud your decision to adjourn."

The Idaho Mountain Express learned of the meeting when Councilwoman Sue Noel, who was at the meeting, contacted the newspaper. She said she was unaware the meeting was illegal, but thought it was important that both newspapers were present.

 

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