This week is Sunshine Week, seven days dedicated to raising awareness about the need for open government and how to ensure public agencies are open and accountable.
It’s also a good time to talk about how our system functions and that governments are required to conduct business in the open. That means you, members of the public, are entitled to know when government bodies meet and what they discuss.
In celebration of Sunshine Week, the True Dakotan compiled meeting days and times, along with public comment policy for the boards that govern entities across Jerauld County. Also in this issue, you can find a column written by South Dakota Newspaper Association Executive Director Dave Bordewyk titled “Sunshine On Government In South Dakota Requires Work.” I encourage you to read about the state of our state when it comes to the importance of openness and transparency in government and freedom of information laws on PAGE FIVE
Jerauld County Commissioners meet every first Tuesday of the month at 9 a.m. unless the first day of the month falls on a Monday or Tuesday, then it is held the second Tuesday. Public comment is held between 9 - 9:15 a.m. and limited to five minutes per person. No action is taken at the meeting on the public comments. If an individual wants to get on the agenda, they must contact the county auditor at least 24 hours before the meeting.
City of Wessington Springs City Council meets the first Monday of every month at 7 p.m. unless the first day of the month falls on a Monday then it is held the second Monday. If Monday is a holiday, the meeting is held the following Wednesday as set by ordinance. If there are conflicts on the first Monday or the following Wednesday, the city lists the meeting on the agenda to set the next regular meeting so it appears in the minutes.
Public comment is held after the pledge and is limited to two minutes per person, with a total of 10 minutes allowed. Public comment is limited to items that are not on the agenda with no action taken at the meeting on the public comments. No profanity will be allowed while speaking and no public can speak during council meeting unless directed by council.
Wessington Springs School District Board of Education meets every second Monday of the month at 7 p.m. If a member of the public wants any action taken on an item, will submit the item to the Superintendent’s office, at least 10 days prior to the meeting of the Board, at which they wish for the item to be considered.
1. Any individual who desires to speak about an item on the agenda, is asked to present the “request to speak” to the Superintendent, the business manager or the Board President. The request may be communicated orally prior to the meeting or in written form or by a raised hand during the meeting.
2. Persons, who wish to speak about an item that is not on the agenda, are asked to present such request to the Superintendent or the Board President, prior to the beginning of the meeting. Persons who present such a request will be allowed to speak about the topic before the meeting is adjourned.
3. A speaker will be limited to five minutes.
The Town Board of Alpena meets every second Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. Open forum is listed as an agenda item at every meeting and the public does not need to notify the board in advance. There is a 10 minute time limit per person with no limits for topic.
The Lane Town Board meets once monthly at the Lane Cafe. For public comment, a member of the public may attend the meeting or notify a board member in advance of the meeting. There is no time or topic limit for public comment. If an individual wishes to get on the agenda, they can notify a board member or the finance officer.
