Durango City Councilors gathering in private would seem to lend itself to a violation of Colorado open meetings’ law, but the first annual Mayor’s Ball on Friday is an exception.
The party was announced publicly on the city’s website Wednesday because they are “erring on the cautionary side,” said Sherri Dugdale, a spokeswoman with the city.
The posting brought questions from at least one resident who asked who was invited and who was paying.
City councilors can attend a social event without violating Colorado’s open-meetings law as long as public business isn’t discussed, said Jeff Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.
“It’s more of a perception issue than an open-meetings law question,” he said.
The title of the event may lend itself to some misinterpretation. “The Mayor’s Ball sounds like it’s something for the city,” he said.
Mayor Dean Brookie, however, said he is holding the party at his house to celebrate the end of his year as mayor and to honor his fellow councilors after a year of tackling the sewage-treatment plant, rental-housing issues and the Gold King Mine spill.
Brookie will hand over the gavel to Councilor Christina Rinderle in April.
All of the councilors except Keith Brant are expected, he said.
“That’s the reason it got posted. ... I let the city manager’s office know it looked like there might be a conflict if we don’t publish the fact more than two of us are attending an event.”
No city business will be discussed at the privately funded and organized party, he said.
He is inviting about 100 people, including elected officials, such as the La Plata County commissioners, members of the business community and his family.
“I’ve never been mayor before so I figured I’d have a little party,” he said.
As the name implies, he hopes future mayors will continue the tradition of celebrating the end of their terms.
Although social events are exempt from open-meetings laws, they are tough to monitor, Roberts said.
“It is a difficult thing to police; you can’t be everywhere and watching what they are discussing. ... So, there is a bit of self-monitoring that has to go on,” he said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
