Commission to check public‑access rules for Basin Electric annual meeting after member interest

Commission members discussed whether attending Basin Electric’s annual meeting could create open‑meeting obligations and agreed to check with Basin Electric about public access.

A member raised concerns that if more than one commission member attends an outside group's meeting, the commission might have to treat appearances as public meetings under their open‑meetings rules. That member said they would contact Basin Electric to determine whether the meeting is open to the public and to clarify any expectations for commissioners attending.

During the discussion, the member leading the item said, “I just don't think it's appropriate for us to open someone else's meeting, you know, and potentially cause hundreds of people to come in and protest or something because 2 of us showed up and they didn't understand that inviting us set them up for that.” Brian Johnson, from staff, said he had already registered to attend. The member said they would contact Basin Electric to clarify whether the annual meeting is a public event and report back to the commission.

This was recorded as a scheduling and coordination item; no formal motion or vote was taken. The discussion emphasized outreach and clarifying public‑access expectations before more than one commission member attends. The meeting did not record a timeline for when the member will report back.