Open Meeting Law

Relief associations are subject to Open Meeting Law requirements. Relief association board meetings must be open to the public unless some portion of the meeting is closed for a purpose expressly authorized under Minnesota law. The Open Meeting Law also contains notice requirements and requirements for making materials provided to the board members available in the meeting room for public inspection. Relief associations must record the votes on actions taken during meetings and must make the minutes available to the public during normal business hours where records of the association are kept.

The Data Practices Office (DPO) of the Department of Administration has the authority to review Open Meeting Law questions and to issue advisory opinions about these issues. Information regarding Open Meeting Law requirements is available on the DPO website.

Municipal trustees have all the same rights and duties as any other trustee on a relief association’s board, except the right to be an officer of the board. Municipal trustees therefore have the right to vote and should be provided with meeting materials and notice of board meetings.

Published last in the December 2016 Pension Newsletter