Editorial: City gets lesson on local government

On March 4, Christopher J. Johnson, general counsel of the Michigan Municipal League, was present at city hall for an hour-and-a-half lesson on “Essentials of Local Government” for representatives of the Belleville City Council, Planning Commission, and Downtown Development Authority.
Five members of the DDA were absent, probably because they had already spent three hours in meetings on Saturday as part of their strategy session workshop and then special meeting of the DDA.
But the March 4 session was not about planning, but about the legal aspects of the positions those volunteers have agreed to take.
He pointed out the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act have their rules printed out, but there also is additional case law that clarifies what the court thinks about what the rules are.
He warned about the use of emails or private phones to discuss public business with other councilmembers or committee members towards a decision and how their private phones could end up being the subject of a FOIA request.
He warned them that if they talk about what went on in a closed-door meeting, the OMA provides for criminal penalties (90 days and $1,000 fine for the first offense). The state Attorney General said she will act on such offenses locally.
We applaud city officials for inviting the attorney to inform them of important laws they need to know.