The articles were based on a statewide poll commissioned this fall by the Iowa Freedom of Information Council that gauged Iowans’ attitudes toward open government issues. The poll found Iowans overwhelmingly in favor of the principles of open government, but also that most citizens know little about the nuts and bolts of the open meetings and records laws.

The City Council is bringing four finalists to town, but has declined to identify them. The consultant who the city hired to conduct the search says the candidates for the $55,000-69,000/year job are all from Iowa or Illinois.

A story about the Cascade search appeared in today’s Dubuque Telegraph Herald.

The Iowa request is part of a nationwide project by the ACLU to monitor law enforcement use of cell phone data to monitor citizens.

The webinars are:

* “Understanding Iowa Open Meetings Issues,” Thursday, Aug. 4, 1-2:30 p.m.
* “Public Records in Iowa: Know Your Rights,” Thursday, Aug. 11, 1-2:30 p.m.
* “Successfully Working with Media,” Thursday, Aug. 18, 1-2:30 p.m.

Registration is free, but must be done in advance at www.INAnews.com.

The webinars are being supported by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation through the National Freedom of Information Coalition.

* The open meetings law was amended to require government bodies to give notice if they recess a meeting and reconvene it, unless the meeting is reconvened within four hours; the time, date and place of the reconvened meeting is announced at the original meeting, and the agenda remains the same.

* Fines for violation of the meetings and records laws were increased to $1,000-2,500.

* The public records law was amended to specify what information in personnel files of government bodies must be released. Information that is a public record: name and compensation of an individual and any employment contract; dates employed and positions held; educational institutions attended and degrees received, names of previous employers and positions held, and the fact that an individual was discharged as a result of disciplinary action, to be released when all applicable remedies are exhausted.

* If a government body enters into a settlement agreement, it must now release a summary that indicates the names of the parties, nature of the dispute and terms of settlement.

Falluo told the Burlington Hawk Eye that he has filed a complaint, alleging that the meeting was held in violation of the Iowa open meetings law because it was held without following proper notice procedures.

The rules governing the pilot project are extremely restrictive, with no live broadcast allowed, the cameras and video being under control of the judiciary, and judges having complete discretion over which cases can be covered.

Details of the pilot program can be found on the U.S. courts website.

The longtime fire chief retired recently, and an audit of the department was ordered, though neither city attorney Michael Moreland nor city council members would say why.

Moreland claimed that the process was not an “audit” but a “review of financial transactions.” He also said that it was not a public record.