Virtual meetings receive mix response

Face to face school board, city council and county board of supervisor meetings could soon be a thing of the past now that Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard has determined deliberations and discussions held via the Internet do not violate Arizona’s Open Meeting Law.

According to Office of Attorney General press secretary Anne Hilby, the decision is based upon holding a meeting online outside of a traditional venue where the public would still be able to attend.

Response to the decision has been mixed across Lake Havasu City and Mohave County.

Lake Havasu City Mayor Mark Nexsen sees no reason for city council meetings to be conducted any different then they are currently. Nexsen said he would prefer to continue with a one –on-one meeting process because of the public interaction, and the Lake Havasu City Council has never considered conducting meetings via the Internet.

“It has not been a topic we have ever discussed,” Nexsen said. “My initial reaction would be, no it did not tweak my interest. I believe it goes against the grain of the public participation we are looking for.”

However, Mohave County District 3 Supervisor Buster Johnson said Internet meetings are something he has long supported. Johnson, in fact, began considering interactive Internet participation about four years ago. The Mohave County Board of Supervisor meetings have been broadcast online for eight years.

The ruling came Sept. 29 after the attorney general reviewed a request from the Camp Verde Unified School District Governing Board to conduct meetings via the Internet in a style similar to Internet courses offered at several colleges and high schools across the country.

The ruling addressed this issue by stating the Camp Verde school board should provide internet access for the public at or near its offices during the online meeting. It also stipulated the board provide specific instruction as to how citizens could access the meeting and what is required to voice their concerns or opinions via software.

Johnson believes Internet meetings would allow citizens who are out of state or too far away to travel to attend meetings and voice their opinions.

“I think it is a great idea, especially with travel and gas prices,” Johnson said. “I would like to see us become one of the leaders in the nation doing it.”

Still, it is likely that the ruling would exist on a case-by-case basis. Hilby suggested any government public bodies wishing to consider holding a meeting under similar circumstances first contact the Office of the Attorney General to make sure the meeting meets the requirements of the Open Meeting Law.

Hilby also noted the attorney general’s determination was based upon deliberations and discussions only, not action.