Council President Cancels Meeting

Town Council President Bob Michalson has canceled the regularly scheduled Town Council Meeting for 6/27/2019. Mr. Michalson states that the Town Council Rules were not followed in publishing the agenda and council packet. 

On the afternoon of Friday, June 21st, Mayor Brandon Dewey sent an email to all Town Councilmembers. The email stated: "Councilmembers, I’m working to get the claims in order and post the latest financials in the system so that you have the most current information possible for your meeting next week. Additionally, finishing touches are being made to the interlocal agreement so that it can go on the agenda. I will commit whatever time I can this weekend to pull everything together, and you will see an agenda and packet on Monday. Thank you for your understanding." 

However later Friday evening, Mr. Michalson responded with "You did not get our Council packets out for the 6-13-19 meeting. (you released it on a Saturday morning). Now you won't have our packets ready until Monday. Our council rules specifically say you must have them out by 5:00 Thursday the week before the meeting. If you can go to a civic club meeting and take the time to write up a veto with a press conference. Then I would suspect you would take the time to have the agenda out in a timely fashion. So as Council President I am enforcing council rules and ruling there will be no council meeting on Thursday June, 27th."

This week Mayor Dewey sought further clarification from Mr. Michalson to confirm whether it was his intent to cancel the meeting. State law does not specifically state notice requirements for regular meetings, but an Attorney General Opinion recommends that an agenda must be published with no less than 48 hours notice. Mr. Michalson was asked to inform the Mayor of his intent, so that an agenda could be published should Michalson have changed his mind. 

On Tuesday, June 25th, Mr. Michalson responded to the Mayor's request for clarification. He stated: "My email Friday stated due to the fact you could not produce the agenda until Monday (yesterday), I enforced council rules and therefore we will not be having a meeting on Thursday. If you cannot get the council's agenda out in a timely fashion as stated, then the rules set forth by our bylaws state this."

The rule that Michalson references is contained in the Town Council Rules. Part IV, section 1 includes: "Copies of the submissions and list shall be provided to each member of the Council no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the Council meeting." Further, Part III, section 1, paragraph 4 states that: "The notice and agenda of all regular meetings of the council shall be posted by the Town Clerk on the Town Hall bulletin board located at 206 Buck Street, Stevensville, Montana, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the regularly scheduled Council meeting. Additionally, the Clerk shall provide copies of the notice, agenda, and supporting documents to each of the Councilmembers, be made available to the Bitterroot Star, and posted on the Town Hall "notice board" and the Town of Stevensville website."

In summary, Council's rules state that the agenda and backup documentation must be posted by the Wednesday prior to the meeting. For the 6/27 meeting, that deadline would have been Wednesday, June 26. This would be less notice that suggested by the Attorney General. However the rules go on to state that  the submissions shall be provided no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the Council meeting, in this case June 20.

The Mayor doesn't deny that the packet would be late considering the Town's practice of having it published a week in advance. He says that the delay is caused by the workload he is currently under, expected to do the jobs of 3 people. The Town is currently running without a Town Clerk and Finance Officer. Mayor Dewey states that "I would expect that, in the interests of the Town, Mr. Michalson would entertain suspending council rules to accommodate the modest delay in receiving a meeting packet. It appears though he is only willing to suspend the rules to push an agenda that opposes the constitutional rights of our citizens."

At this time, the Mayor's Office will explore dates to call a special meeting of the Town Council so that pressing matters can be addressed and the business of the Town can continue. A special meeting could be scheduled for as early as Monday evening. 

A copy of the Town Council Rules can be found here.

###