For use Sunday, March 15

Sunshine in Venice

Learning about open-government laws can be easy or hard

Saturday, March 14, 2009

The Commission on Open Government recommended, as the editorial above states, that Florida adopt laws to ensure that public records captured on private electronic equipment are directed to public repositories.

The city of Venice recently implemented its own policies to comply with the recommendation. Unfortunately, it took a lawsuit alleging violations of Florida’s open-government laws to prompt compliance. The lawsuit, filed against some current and former City Council members, created 10 months of controversy and could cost Venice taxpayers $1 million or more in legal fees.

Venice officials wisely decided in January to expand their rules to preserve and protect electronic records, including e-mail involving city officials. City officials are now required to use government e-mail accounts for all city-related business. The policy provides that, if city officials receive e-mails involving public business via their private accounts, they must send those communications to public files. This is a good model for all local governments.

The Venice case showed that public officials need both a desire to follow the law and training in how to do so. Venice’s lawyers will provide annual training in the city, as part of the lawsuit’s settlement.

Politicians and government staff, and the public, have another resource for understanding open-meetings and public-records laws. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has launched a Web site, complete with training videos, that provides instruction about those laws: www.myflsunshine.com.

Floridians, read, watch and learn -- and enjoy the sunshine.

Reproduced courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
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