TO THE EDITOR:

Open Forum Moved? At the first Sherburne Co. Commissioners meeting of the year one of their first acts, upon recommendation from Co. Adm. Bruce Messelt, was moving the Open Forum portion of the meetings out of the meeting proper to instead be held a 1/2 hr. prior to calling the meeting to order. The stated reason was because Open Forum results in an, “interruptions of the business flow”, and that the move will allow for 15 mins of Open Forum and then 15 mins for the filling of coffee cups before resuming the meeting. What this change actually does, besides making the meeting longer, is stifle public input/discussion.  This I bet will also provide the excuse to not even video tape the Open Forum presentations and post online along with the rest of their meeting, removing the ability of the public not present, the opportunity to hear citizens’ concerns.  If Open Forum is to be moved, it should be moved to prior to Consent Agenda (CA), instead of after the CA, so that any citizen concerns over a CA items can be heard before the CA is voted on. It appears that the past years Open Forum contributors have struck a nerve.

Bret R. Collier

Big Lake, MN

TO THE EDITOR:

I wish to say “Thank you” to the county snow plow that does our snow plowing on Co. Rd. 4 and 97th St. You deserve a great deal of praise. You are out there day and night. Our road is always good! All I can say is we appreciate you! Thanks again,

Arlene Blad

Becker Twp., MN