The best laid plans go awry. No matter how much time you spend formulating a meeting agenda, unexpected issues will pop up at the last minute. Here's the problem -- when you're doing the public's business, you can't spring things on the public at the last minute. Citizens have the right to come and listen to the discussion of, and action on, issues that concern them. If they don't know what's coming, they won't be in the room and they'll miss out.
Earlier this month, the Village of Ruidoso
added a last-minute action item to its agenda. Now FOG has filed
an Open Meetings Act complaint with the New Mexico Attorney General's Office in hopes of clarifying the legal requirements for notifying the public of pending action. We believe the law is clear, but the AG's complaint process offers a way to resolve these disagreements without going to court.
How to file a complaint.