The South Dakota State Capitol at Pierre in December 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
A state commission found Monday in Pierre that two local government bodies violated the notification provisions of the state’s open meetings law.
Written reprimands will be issued for the violations. The Open Meetings Commission is a five-member body appointed by the state attorney general to consider complaints about government bodies around the state.
The commission concluded the Central City Board of Trustees did not comply with state law, which requires meeting agendas to be posted publicly with the date, time and location at least 24 hours in advance. The board held a budget meeting on Sept. 23, 2024, without posting an agenda, according to complainant Christle Beukens.
Beukens filed the complaint in late 2024. She testified that agendas had routinely been posted in the past but had stopped until she raised concerns in 2023. Although the board resumed posting agendas after that, she said the Sept. 23 meeting showed the problem lingered. The commission declined to find violations on other allegations from Beukens.
The commission found that the Saddleback Road District Board in Custer County violated state open meetings laws when the board held a Sept. 7, 2024, meeting without notifying the public. The board did not post an agenda or the required 24-hour notice for the meeting. The commission declined to find violations on other allegations against the board in a complaint from Dachia Arritola.
The commission also praised the current road district board for taking steps to correct the problem.
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