In the wide, wind-swept corner of western South Dakota where the horizon never quite meets the sky, the Willow Creek Road District kept three miles of gravel and two stubborn cul-de-sacs from turning entirely back into prairie. The district was overseen by three trustees who had held their seats longer than most local pickup trucks…
This story takes place several months before the Open Meetings Commission hearing that eventually forced real changes. It is one of the many complaints Marla Voss filed over time—complaints that piled up quietly, like gravel in a low spot, until they finally triggered official scrutiny much later. In the wide, wind-swept corner of western South…
The two remaining apple dumplings are finally appointing a third dumpling. I’d like to say ‘trustee’ or just ‘member’… but since they are appointing this person, I think it is a safe bet they are not picking somebody who has a difference of opinion or anything to bring to the table. THAT would be a…
The Meadow Ridge Road District was in turmoil following the fallout from the “special maintenance fee” scandal and subsequent personal liability judgments. A small group of residents, led by Eleanor and her neighbor Mike (the retired accountant from the previous scandal in Willow Creek, who happened to live in the neighboring district), had become a…
In the aftermath of the gas station incident in Harmony Creek—and the subsequent realization that they had, in fact, violated the South Dakota Open Meetings law by creating a quorum and discussing agenda items informally—the board found itself in hot water. Jim, the stickler for rules, had kept notes and reported the incident to the…
The town hall of Meadow Ridge was more a glorified shed than a building, but it was where the road district’s business got done. On this particular Wednesday evening, the folding chairs were arranged, the coffee pot was humming, and the three trustees—Chairwoman Brenda, Treasurer Steve, and longtime resident Mark—were shuffling papers at the front…
The following story is a work of fiction designed to illustrate common scenarios regarding public records requests. In the small, close-knit community of Willow Creek, Mike was a retired accountant who, seeking a quiet way to stay engaged with his community, volunteered for the non-voting, advisory role on the local Road District’s citizen oversight committee….
The dusty gray sedan rumbled down the highway, kicking up a small cloud of grit as it passed the faded yellow sign that read, “Welcome to Harmony Creek.” In Harmony Creek, the local Road District Board was the unofficial center of power, managing the patchwork of county roads that connected the scattered farmsteads and the…
Several states require government officials to take mandatory training or a seminar concerning their respective state’s open meeting laws. The requirement often applies to newly elected or appointed officials shortly after they take office. States with such mandatory training requirements include: South Dakota law does not currently mandate that government officials take a seminar or…
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