Oronoco mayor sued over alleged open meeting law violation; mayor brings counter claim - Rochester Post Bulletin

ORONOCO — In a civil complaint described by the defense as a "sham" and a "vendetta," Oronoco Mayor Ryland Eichhorst is being sued for allegedly violating the Minnesota Open Meeting Law.

In the complaint, filed Feb. 22, 2022, in District Court, Oronoco resident and former city council member Carl Krause claims Eichhorst led the council to violate the open meeting law 14 times, principally during meetings of the city's Downtown Oronoco Gold Rush Days Committee.

The complaint alleges that a quorum of the city council — Eichhorst along with city council members Lori Novak, Jim Richards and Dana Bergner, who also serve on the committee — was illegally present; the meetings were closed; agendas for the meeting were unavailable before or after the meetings; and that city business was discussed.

The civil complaint requests Eichhorst be found guilty of violating the statute on all counts, be fined for all instances of violation — a maximum of $300 per count — and that Eichhorst be held liable for all legal fees.

Krause's attorney, Rick Dold of Godwin Dold in Rochester, did not return a call from the Post Bulletin.

However, Paul Reuvers of Iverson Reuvers Attorneys at Law in Bloomington, the attorney representing Eichhorst, said he would be filing a counterclaim and asking for immediate dismissal of the case. The counterclaim also asks for the maximum allowable enforcement of legal fees against the losing side, which would be $13,000.

Reuvers said while the Gold Rush committee is a municipal nonprofit corporation, and is subject to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law, the claims made against Eichhorst are "ridiculous."

The meetings were open to any person wishing to attend, Reuvers said, and videos of the meetings listed in the case are available for viewing on the city's YouTube channel.

The agenda for each meeting was published on the city website in advance of each meeting and was then — and remains now — available from City Hall in Oronoco, Reuvers said.

Oronoco City Clerk Jerilyn Horton said Monday that the agendas were available both before and after the meetings, and that anyone wishing to attend was able to.

Reuvers described it as odd that Eichhorst was singled out in the claim since other members of the city council were also present, and if a violation of the Open Meeting Law had occurred, they would all be equally at fault.

"If you were truly interested in open and transparent government, you’d sue the whole city council," Reuvers said.

source: https://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/oronoco-mayor-sued-over-alleged-open-meeting-law-violation-mayor-brings-counter-claim

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