Albertville Council, Mayor at Odds over Recording Meetings

Albertville Mayor Mark Meehan recently suggested that council meetings be recorded and then posted to the city website for the public listening.

Following the recommendation, Albertville City staff looked into the issue, and found that they could indeed legally record and post the meetings if they follow certain protocol. Recordings would need to be kept for two to eight years, depending on the subject.

Finance Director Tina Lannes explained that because of a previous issue with control panel within the coucil chambers, repairs would have to be made. That cost, plus the addition of a digital recording device, would be approximately $1,700.

“We would then take the flash drive, and staff would take the time to convert it and upload it to the server,” Lannes explained.

The city has money in a City Hall Capitol Outlay Office Equipment budget that would be used.

“I wasn’t anticipating this kind of cost,” Meehan explained. He has already been privately recording the meetings which per city attorney, Mike Couri, is appropriate.

“If he records the meeting, it’s personal and he can do what he wants with it," Couri said. 

Any public meeting may be recorded by any member of the public. 

Council member Larry Sorenson quickly suggested his preference. “I would prefer that, if we’re going to do any recording, it be video, so that people know who exactly is talking.”

But member John Vetsch preferred a non-technology related method. 

“If someone wants info they can come to the meeting or read the minutes at their leisure," he said. 

Meehan disagreed and stated that the “minutes don’t give [the meetings] justice.”

Council member Dan Wagner made the suggestion to “table the discussion until we talk about the budget.”

The rest of the council agreed and a motion was carried to table it.