In a significant victory for transparency and public accountability, the City of Bemidji resolved to treat its Merit Hearing Board as subject to Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law following a lawsuit brought by C.T. Marhula, represented by the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC).
This resolution came after a settlement between Marhula and the individual Merit Hearing Board members he sued, which followed Marhula’s decisive victory on July 8, 2024. The Beltrami County District Court ruled that the Bemidji Merit Hearing Board is subject to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. The settlement occurred in part because the City of Bemidji adopted a resolution on August 19, 2024, stating a new policy of transparency by recognizing that the Merit Hearing Board is indeed subject to the Open Meeting Law. The resolution effectively “puts to rest any and all possible disputes regarding the applicability of Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law to the Merit Hearing Board going forward.”
Additionally, the individual members of the Merit Hearing Board, who were defendants in the lawsuit, have agreed to honor the Open Meeting Law in the future, ensuring that the rights of city employees and the public are upheld.
Expressing his satisfaction with the outcome, C.T. Marhula stated, “I am glad that the sun will now shine on city employees’ hearings about their employment disputes if they so choose. This suit was all about honoring their choice and the public’s right to know. I am grateful for the Court’s decision, the fair settlement, and the City’s follow-up resolution.”
James Dickey, Senior Counsel for UMLC, emphasized the broader impact of the case, stating, “Because of this precedent, other cities are on notice: the Minnesota Open Meeting Law gives municipal public employees the right to choose to have their employment hearings open to the public. This is a bulwark against hush-hush proceedings and government abuse.”
Click here to read the case settlement agreement.
Click here for the resolution passed by the City of Bemidji.
