MONROE — City officials now have an avenue for releasing information about actions or discussions made during closed session meetings after aldermen easily passed a rewrite of city code Dec. 7.

The 8-0 vote during a meeting of the Monroe Common Council at City Hall took place after a public hearing. No one attended to speak on the issue and no discussion took place between council members before those in attendance voted to change the code. Alderman Rob Schilt was absent.

Monroe city code Chapter 1-15 outlines the code of ethics for both city officials and its employees. Subsection F had previously dictated disclosure of any items discussed during closed session would be prohibited, including votes taken. 

“No city official may disclose any information discussed debated or acted upon in a closed session of the council or its standing committees,” according to the original code.

The language to replace that stipulation allows some leniency when it comes to releasing information to the public, adding “unless first authorized by council” to the end of the sentence. Now, if officials wish to release information previously kept private from the public in accordance with state statutes, they can request a vote by council members for approval.

It was one of three public hearings rewriting or creating city code. 

Another was the creation of city code Chapter 1-16 to define public records and outline how to work with them and the city’s duty to maintain them. This public hearing also garnered no public attendance and no discussion by council members, who voted 8-0 to create the code chapter. 

Sections of the chapter include adoption of the state’s public records law, designate legal custodians for each department or representative’s records, outline the amount of public access to records and limitations and how access should be given, as well as explaining the retention and destruction methods for records.

The chapter also dictates that the release of closed session meeting records must be done through a majority vote by council, meaning at least five members of the nine-person body would need to approve if the full council were in attendance.

Release of public records can also be indirect, according to 1-16-11. A portion of the records can be released instead of the full documents and “in lieu (of) releasing the record or part thereof, the Council may direct that a summary of the information may be disclosed” instead of the documents or other information in its entirety.

Recreated city code in section 2-2-2 changed the operations of the Board of Review. The board had previously been required to meet annually within 30 days after the second Monday of May. With the change, members can meet at any time within 45 days from the fourth Monday of April each year as long as it is at least seven days after the final day the assessment roll can be examined by the public.