SURREY – The City of Surrey violated North Dakota’s open meetings law Oct. 27 when the mayor read a prepared statement that was not included in the notice of the special meeting, according to an Attorney General’s opinion issued Wednesday. The city’s posted meeting notice also failed to state the location of the meeting, the opinion stated.

The meeting had been called to discuss a protocol for handling and reviewing complaints. At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Chuck Tollefson read a lengthy statement that covered a range of topics, including an abstention vote, comments about the mayor at a school sporting event, an email to the city administrator, attorney matters regarding committees, behavior at the last regular meeting, a resignation, mayor control of council meetings and home rule.

To remedy the violation, the Attorney General stated anyone who requests the special meeting minutes with Tollefson’s statement should be provided a copy free of charge.

After the meeting adjourned, three council members discussed government structures of other cities, and the conversation was summarized in writing and submitted to the council at its November regular meeting. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem determined no unlawful meeting occurred because the members had not been delegated any authority nor did they comprise a quorum of the seven-member council.