Town attorney explains limits on special‑meeting agendas; council hears procedural guidance

Late in the workshop the town attorney, Leon Castillo, gave a brief explanation of how state open‑meetings rules interact with the council’s use of special meetings.

Castillo told the council that state statute distinguishes regular and special meetings and that the statute’s language on "considering" items can be interpreted to include informal discussion. "There's no definition of that term," Castillo said, and the most likely interpretation is that it can include informal discussion; thus, councilors should be mindful that special‑meeting agendas can limit what the body may consider and discuss.

Mayor Jorgensen and several councilors used the guidance to outline how future conversations can be scheduled—either by rescheduling a special meeting as a regular meeting or placing items on the next regular‑meeting agenda to allow broader discussion. Castillo advised caution in structuring special meetings in order to avoid unintentionally limiting deliberations.

Practical implication: councilors and staff said they would use regular meeting agendas or properly noticed special meetings when they want open, broader discussions rather than narrowly framed workshop items.