Open Meetings Law, need for addresses discussed

By Kurt Rentmeester
krentmeester@gannett.com

Meeting Wisconsin's Open Meetings Law requirements could be the best reason local leaders are establishing their own e-mail accounts, Liberty Grove Town Board Chairman John Lowry said

"It's more to keep everything in line with the Open Meetings Law," Lowry said Wednesday before the Liberty Grove Town Board.

But John Skogsbakken, a town of Liberty Grove resident, questioned why individual e-mail addresses are needed and whether it could add complications. But he also believes it is only a small portion of the communication that occurs by e-mail.

"I didn't get a clear understanding of why this is needed," said Skogsbakken, who is chairman of the town's Information Technology Committee.

Providing a record of board activity through a town Web site could provide everyone with greater access to local government, though, Lowry said

"So there's never a question of whether someone is communicating with someone else," Lowry said. "It's always going to a central (point of e-mail) and coming back out."

Should the town find itself in a legal challenge, Supervisor Nancy Goss said town supervisors' computers and their e-mails could be confiscated by law enforcement through the process of discovery.

E-mail can be used to support the Open Meeting Law, though, Goss said. However, Skogsbakken said e-mail will not stop someone from transmitting outside town e-mail accounts.

But Lowry is concerned about the Open Meetings Law because the Town Board is dealing with issues involving local residents.

Two years ago, Goss said the village of Ephraim established its own e-mail account for every employee through MailTrust.com. That account has a pristine archive account of every single communication.

"I look at it this way, if somebody's going to be corrupt in government, you're not going to stop them until you've caught them red-handed," Goss said.

The Wisconsin Towns Association could help the town research the issue and take another look at the necessity of e-mail, Supervisor Frank Forkert said.

"My concern is, as a Town Board member, is getting a lot of these e-mails that, according to the Open Meetings Law, should be safe," Goss said. After her computer hard drive was "fried" last year, she wondered whether she could be responsible for losing the mail and has it left her at risk?

Lowry said the Town Board should consider it a potential way to get ahead on addressing the Open Meetings Law. County Board members receive laptops. When they leave office, the computer can be taken away from them, Supervisor Ann Miller said.

Local governments must establish a protocol for using e-mails, Lowry said. A copy of the state's Open Meetings Law also should be addressed.

But Skogsbakken, who said he is open-minded on the need for e-mail, said he wants to look at how other town boards have addressed the situation on the Information Technology Committee.

In other business, Goss reported the Sister Bay-Liberty Grove Fire Department will consider spending more than $1 million to buy an aerial truck.

Payment is based on the tax assessment, Lowry said. The town of Liberty Grove covers two-thirds of the cost, while the village of Sister Bay covers one-third of the cost.

The purchase would be separate of the department supplies and equipment. Its cost will be kept in proportion with calls in the town and village, she said.

The department's 25-year-old aerial truck has been dependable and has about 25,000 miles on it, according to Supervisor Frank Forkert. However, the vehicle's age and mileage prevents it from meeting the department's insurance rating.

A shorter truck would cost about $1.2 million, the larger vehicle is estimated to cost about $800,000, Lowry said.

The vehicles have computerized sensory systems and suspension systems that enable the departments to park the vehicle on the side of a hill, Forkert said.

Goss said she wants to attend the fire board's next meeting to discuss how costs would be split between the Sister Bay and town of Liberty Grove fire departments.

"We have a lot to discuss at the meeting, not the least of which is the split (in cost between the Sister Bay and Liberty Grove fire departments)," Goss said. "I need to find out more about how the costs are split right now."

Town Administrator Bud Kalms said the departments have considered varying ratios that are fair to town and village residents.

"I guess I would like to see fire calls historically, where the trucks go," Goss said. "Maybe I'm reinventing the wheel here. But I have questions and I know a lot of people have questions."

Kalms suggested that a Fire Board member obtain more details data on the location and number of calls handled by the department.